Homemade Natural Remedies & Aromatherapy

For centuries, we as people have been drawing on nature to find cures and remedies for conditions that ail us. Passed down from generation to generation, this wisdom stands us in good stead today, when we have the scientific methods and accuracy to see more clearly why the things that help us, do.

On a vacation to the west coast of Mexico a few years ago, I took a whale-watching trip on a local fishermen's boat, only to become violently seasick from sitting in that tiny boat on the tossing waves, waiting for the whale we were tracking to surface. One of the seamen passed me a satsuma orange, and, through the bilingual pilot, told me to break and sniff the peel to relieve my nausea. As a certified aromatherapist, I knew that the essential oils contained in orange peel have stomach-settling properties, so I asked in surprise how the fishermen knew of this cure. The reply: an old wives' tale, passed down for generations.

Below is a directory of home remedies and aromatherapy recipes for common ailments and conditions. These tried and true, natural cures make a wonderful supplement to modern medicine, and at times outperform modern pharmaceuticals. Many practitioners of Western medicine are increasingly placing more stock in holistic health treatments themselves, as lab results and clinical studies prove their effectiveness, one by one.

Try them for yourself. See if you, too, are not surprised by the results. Pass them on to your children. After all, we are the "old wives" of the future. One day, our traditions and treatments, too, will fall into that infamous category of "old wives' tales."

Note: These cures are not intended as, and should not be considered, a prescription or replacement for a doctor's expertise. You should always consult your doctor in case of illness, especially should your condition worsen or fail to improve over time.