Category Archives: Natural Treatment

Natural Products, Natural Treatment, Prevention, Products, Recommendations

Gutsy Chewy Review

June 3, 2014 Holly 2 Comments

When I have any sort of stomach ache or digestive related issue I only treat it with natural products. However one of my favorite remedies is fresh ginger steeped in hot water- and that isn’t very portable.

So when Green Moms Meet asked me if I would review Gusty Chewy tablets, I said of course! I am always happy to find a remedy that is both convenient and all natural.

From the Gutsy website:

“Over the past decade, Dr. Doug Haghighi, a Cleveland Clinic trained gastroenterologist and Harvard trained dentist, has treated thousands of patients with digestive disorders, from acid reflux and hepatitis to inflammatory bowel disease. A common concern patients present at his office is gastrointestinal distress—a condition Dr. Haghighi calls “that queasy, uneasy, refluxy feeling^®.”

The Gutsy proprietary formula contains a special combination of papaya, apple cider vinegar and licorice root, known as GiGs^®. The products also contain Xylitol, plus minerals like calcium and magnesium. ”

I carried these around in my bag for a few weeks, and anytime I had the slightest queasy feeling I would chew one thoroughly. They are easy to chew, taste good, fast acting and…They really work! The ingredients are safe (some have been used for centuries!) and natural, gluten-free, made in the USA. I LOVE that they are sweetened with xylitol- something I try to have every day for oral health.

I soon found myself passing them out to friends and family who were having various digestive issues.

A friend told me the only thing that ever works for him is baking soda, so he takes a box with him wherever he goes (not very convenient.) I gave him a tube of Gutsy Chewy, and his results were incredible. No more burning in his stomach. It even calmed his jittery nerves before public speaking.

I have also noticed my husband (who travels A LOT!) carrying a tube around with him- one is in his suitcase at all times, and today he took some in to the office for a co-worker who has been complaining about his stomach. That’s when you know something works- wanting to share a remedy anytime you can!

Gutsy Chewy is a quality product with a lot of research behind it.

So if you ever have heartburn, reflux, bloating, nausea, or general queasiness, try Gutsy Chewy! Right now they are offering a summer promotion: Buy 2 tubes get one free, buy 4 tubes get 2 free, buy 8 tubes get 4 free and buy 12 tubes get 6 free.

Let me know what you think!

Natural Treatment, Prevention, Recipes, Recommendations

How To Prepare Fennel Seed Tea For Babies

April 21, 2014 Holly Leave a comment

How to prepare fennel seed tea for bottle fed babies.

How+to+Prepare+Fennel+Seed+Tea+for+Bottle-Fed+Babies — powered by LIVESTRONG.COM

Fennel seed tea is a great home remedy for colicky babies.

Fennel helps alleviate gas in the digestive tract and will comfort a fussy baby.

Fennel tea is easy to make.

Add one teaspoon of fennel seeds to eight ounces of boiling water
Cover and steep for 30 minutes.
When it is completely cooled, strain it, and then add one half to one teaspoon of the tea into your baby’s bottle.
You can also give the tea directly to the baby using a dropper.

If you are a breastfeeding mom, you can drink the fennel tea yourself and the benefits will pass through to the breast milk.

Natural Treatment, Prevention

Magic Onions

February 5, 2014 Holly Leave a comment

When my kids have a cold, we do some pretty unconventional things. First of all, we quarantine them until there are no signs left of the virus. I know this is pretty radical, as evidenced by all of the coughs I hear and runny noses I see everywhere we go.

And for years I have been using an odd technique to loosen congestion in my children while they are healing from a respiratory infection. It always elicits the same response in the morning.

Why is there an onion next to my bed?

There was a story floating around online for a few years about onion’s healing properties, but not for the same reasons I believe they heal. The internet story was not far off from this excerpt from a Los Angeles Times article circa 1913:

“In a sickroom you cannot have a better disinfectant than the onion. It has a wonderful capacity for absorbing germs. A dish of sliced onions placed in a sickroom will draw away the disease; they must be removed as soon as they lose their odor and become discolored, and be replaced by fresh ones.”

Whether or not that’s true, historically onions have been regarded as very healing. The Wall Street Journal noted in 2009 “The idea that onions have medicinal properties goes back millennia and spans many cultures. Egyptians thought onions were fertility symbols. Ancient Greeks rubbed them on sore muscles, and Native Americans used them to treat coughs and colds.”

Cutting up an onion usually causes us to cry- the sulphur content in the onion stimulates the eyes to create tears, and makes our noses run. This make onion a powerful healing herb and a powerful remedy for colds. Onions break up thick mucus and help clear the nasal passages.

Herbalists note that the World Health Organization recognizes onion extracts for providing relief in the treatment of coughs, colds, asthma and bronchitis.

At the first sign of congestion, I slice up an onion and place it on the nightstand next to my child’s bed.

I leave it there overnight, and they sleep better as the onion opens the sinuses and clears congestion.

Breastfeeding, Natural Treatment, Prevention

The Magic of Breast Milk

June 3, 2012 Holly Leave a comment

I wonder if Jacques Blanchard endured media outrage when he painted “Charity” circa 1634?

But I digress…

Breast Milk is a miracle. The more it is studied, the more is discovered about the way it nourishes our babies (and older children!). Over the course of the breastfeeding relationship, the nutrient profile changes and adapts to the growing nursling’s needs.

The day my newborn baby arrived, my 2 year old had a hacking cough- the worst one he’d ever had. When the lactation consultant paid us a visit, I asked her how I should handle nursing my 2 year old without exposing my new baby to the virus causing the cough.

Do I need to wash the nipples between use? Assign a specific breast to each child? Continue reading The Magic of Breast Milk →

Natural Treatment, Prevention, Products, Recommendations

Noz-eez

January 9, 2012 Holly Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again. As vigilant as we try to be in reducing our exposure to viruses, inevitably there will be a few runny noses around the house.

When we hear that first sniffle, the routine starts: Ginger lemon tea, warm chicken broth, healing soup, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and more. We also avoid any inflammation causing foods such as sugar, refined grains and dairy.

Three years and four months in, we’ve managed to avoid any secondary bacterial infections such as ear infection or acute bronchitis. Here’s what we do, which we really believe helps!

But no matter what, there is always one thing that has to be done. Wipe runny noses. I prefer to use a moisturized wipe as a gentle alternative to tissue, and we’ve been using a very popular brand of nose wipes with a catchy name. But I never felt great about using them because the ingredients listed many things I steer clear of such as Polysorbate 20, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (a preservative which is acutely toxic by inhalation and should not be used in products that can inhaled- not something I want in my child’s nose!) and Propylbutyl Isobutylparaben.

I used them anyway hoping the benefit outweighed the risk of exposure to these potential toxins. Well recently as I was perusing my local baby store, I discovered I no longer need to compromise.

We now only use Noz-Eez– a moisturizing wipe containing an herbal blend with antioxidants echinacea, elderberry, and Vitamin C. When applied topically, these nose friendly herbs go to work right away.