One of my readers (Hi, Emily!) asked if I could share sources I recommend for learning more about natural medicine. This is a broad topic and I am by no means any sort of expert. BUT my mother treated her children with herbs and I helped her gather and make tinctures and we treated ourselves at home, rarely visiting the doctor at all as I grew up (I’ve only been twice in my life, in fact). We enjoyed good health and the satisfaction of caring for ourselves naturally. So it is with that background that I recommend these resources…
Making Herbs Simple -This video was great – covering a variety of ways to preserve and utilize the medicinal qualities of herbs. I’d highly recommend it for those who like to learn things hands-on rather than from books. It’s all very clearly demonstrated.
Also, when I looked up the link on Amazon I found they have an ‘instant play’ version for $1.99. Is this like instant netflix? If so – that’s cool! $1.99 to watch a great introduction to herbs and tinctures – everything you need to know to make your first batch of echinacea tincture.
One of the books my mom always referenced a lot was “Prescription for Nutritional Healing”. 
Lindsay also recommends “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” and her other favorite book over at Passionate Homemaking.
Another hand-me-down from my mom (she figured I could use them more in my season of mothering than she in hers with only teens left in the house!) is “An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants”. This book has a list of common childhood illnesses as well as a list of herbs used commonly in treating children, so you can search the book for information from both angles.
The fact is, however, that I have not had a whole lot of experience treating my own children for typical childhood illnesses because, frankly, they are rarely sick. I think that is owing largely to this book – “Nourishing Traditions”. All three of my kids have been on a real food, limited processed foods diet their entire lives, and the results seem to be that their bodies fight off disease the way God designed. I am very grateful for this – even if it means I don’t have much practical experience in natural healing!
Prevention seems to be the best cure, after all.
This summer I do plan to make some of my own tinctures and herbal tea blends and even venture into the realm of creams and salves. Mountain Rose Herbs will be my source for the oils and beeswax I know I’ll need for these creations! They have a wide variety of herbs and stuff for making your own remedies. Check out their ad in my sidebar!
Linked up at:
Real Food Wednesdays at KellyTheKitchenKop
Do you treat yourself naturally before you go to the doctor? What are your favorite resources for caring for you and your kids? Please share books and websites – I’m looking to study this more myself!
Oh, Emily! That is so encouraging! I'm glad to hear you are on your way! And thanks so much for using my links – that's really sweet of you. 🙂
Thank you so much for this post, Trina. I really appreciate knowing what's on your shelf, and the reminder about good nutrition is probably what I needed most of all. I finally got Nourishing Traditions (and a couple of other things through your Amazon links), and I'm off and learning! And, I'm really looking forward to your ebook!
Best,
Emily
glenda, thanks for sharing that link! I will have to check it out.
It seems that every time I take any of my little ones to the doctor(which has usually been just to appease my husband) the doc can't tell me more than I already know, and it most always seems a waste of money and time. I do think that there are times when a doctor is a blessing, but people can usually take care of most ailments on their own. One website I like is earthclinic(dot)com . Its really helpful mainly because I can read thru the threads and see what worked for other people.