All Natural . . .

I've always had a great interest in the outdoors.  Like my previous post  Fence Needs Fixin. . . Peaches Need Pickin. . . , I've always wanted to utilize everything nature has to offer.  The simplicity of life without the outside world, the electronics, the hustle and bustle of everyday, is something we are definitely not used to.  We are constantly bombarded with things to distract us from living a peaceful life.  So, in search for that peace, I've been researching new things to try and to use that brings me closer to the organic and natural side of things. 

I think often of how life would be like without all the 'necessities' we've come to enjoy.  What would I do if all of a sudden, things in the world went crazy and I had to fend for myself and my family?  When I read about the life of the pioneers I envy their knowledge in home remedies used to help cure and prevent certain ailments.  Right now, it is so easy to just go down to a CVS or Walgreens and pick up some cold medicine or a box of bandaids.  But, what if you couldn't?  What if for some reason you didn't have access to a car?  Or at least in this economy the extra money?  What about the things we already have in our cupboard that we can use?  These questions have always pushed me on to find the 'natural' way to go about things.  So, I wanted to share a few with you that I have discovered!  These are quite interesting!

Stop Bleeding with This Spice!  (Found in virtually every cupboard)  I was seriously amazed at this one.  :)  Never thought this would actually work.

Next time you nick yourself in the kitchen, reach for the black pepper, says Roberta Lee, M.D., vice chair of the department of integrative medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center. 

Run cold water over the wound to clean it, using soap if you were handling meat.  Then sprinkle on the pepper and apply pressure.  In no time, the bleeding will stop.  Turns out, black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties.  

And don't worry - it won't sting.  :)

Disinfect a Wound with Honey!  (I've actually used this one before, I ran out of Neosporin)  

No Neosporin in the house?  Dab the cut with honey before covering it with a bandage.  Believe it or not, honey has powerful antibacterial properties.  A study in the Archives of Surgery found that honey is capable of destroying almost all strains of the most common wound-infecting bacteria. 

Prevent Claustrophobia by Smelling This Fruit!  

If you get nervous in small spaces such as the bus, elevators, and that closet of an office you work in, visit your local fruit stand.  A sniff of green apple may help relieve claustrophobic sensations, says Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation.  Also, if you're selling your house, placing a basket of fresh green apples on the table may make potential buyers perceive the house as larger.

So those are just a few things that I've learned on my search.  And I'll be happy to share what else I find to live my life more organic, more natural, more green.