I think today more than ever, there is a growing desire to be more prepared as a whole. More and more people are being educated on the importance of natural wellness, and we are discovering so many tools that have have been used for centuries that can be utilized in our families today!
Below, I’m going to share our preventative natural wellness in our home, our ‘why’ and why health has become such a passion for me, and then walk you through the herbs, supplements, and oils I like to keep on hand in my home. Let’s jump in!
Why we pursued holistic and natural wellness?
The events of 2020 pushed me into being intentional about having my own house in order, and not trusting the system to the extreme that I was. However, our journey with natural wellness began way before that.
I feel very fortunate to have grown up in a very holistic minded, natural wellness family. We took herbs and supplements, used oils, lived a healthy lifestyle, saw alternative medicine doctors, and lived on a little farm all my life. I’m grateful to my parents, and especially my mom, for instilling SO much into me growing up.
For my own little family however, we really started intentionally pursuing natural wellness after years of my husband, Winston, being sooo sick all the time, from early in our dating relationship and on.
Over the years of being sick, he visited multiple traditional doctors, but we could NOT establish a reason as to why he was so sick all the time. The doctors were trying to establish, but couldn’t find the root of the issue, and seemed to be so quick to write it off and encourage antibiotics. Again, these doctors are wonderful, and we are grateful for them, but we needed to find some more answers.
We endured 6+ years of this back and forth. While those were hard years, it did propel me to do so much research into wellness and our bodies. I worked really hard to rid our home of as many toxins as possible, started utilizing essential oils, and began to build up my natural wellness at home.
Our lives DID change the more healthy and holistically we lived. And FINALLY 3 years ago, we saw a homeopathic doctor (whom we’ve since fallen in love with!). She was able to pin point his issues, prescribe herbs and supplements, and HEAL HIM! Praise God!!!
Our life has somewhat snowballed into living very natural wellness and holistic since then, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Disclaimers on natural wellness
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Today I am going to walk you through the things I like to have on hand for holistic wellness on my little home and homestead, and I will try to list a couple brief ways you can utilize each tool.
Please know I am NOT a doctor in any way, and not making any medical claims. I’m just a mama who has been on a mission to heal my family for many years and learned so much along the way.
There are SO many different versions of natural wellness and holistic cabinets in the home, so I don’t claim my current set up to be ‘the one’ or ‘the best’…simply some things I have found and utilized over the years.
ALSO, there are so many more details, tinctures, herbs, and more on the list to explore! Its been a passion of mine for a long time, and sharing and helping others find answers and heal their own families gives me so much life.
Preventative natural wellness
Before we even jump into healing, lets chat about preventative real quick! Its sooo important to get yourself as healthy as possibly, before trying to ’fix’ things. Think of it as not putting a bandaid on an issue that needs treatment. We want to get to the root of whats going on in our bodies before we can effectively treat and aid it.
What does it look like for our family to ‘live more naturally’ in our home? For us it’s become important to make sure that we are more intentional and ‘preventative’ with our health, instead of just ‘reactive’.
What does this look like?
• To start with – whole foods! Get rid of as much processed food as you can, and start replacing that with whole food – fruits and veggies, nuts, humus, proteins, fiber rich carbs, good healthy fats. Just simply adjusting your diet to whole foods will do wonders for living a healthier life.
• I buy organic as much as I can. Does this make what we buy perfect? No. I still don’t even fully trust all organic claims. Can I afford everything? No. But I try. And I know that it’s a ‘better choice’.
• Cooking real food for my family. Hearty, healthy, full of animal fats, nutrient dense, home cooked food. And of course avoiding as much refined sugar as possible for our family. It’s just been better that way for us 🤍
• I have also worked for many years to rid our home of as many toxins as possible. Think chemicals, synthetic fragrance, unnecessary processed ingredients and food. The more we allow this stuff into our bodies and in and around our kiddos, the more our bodies are weighed down by the these toxins. They are accumulating in our bodies and weakening our immune systems.
• Baking my own bread to not only fill our bellies with better nutrients, but also avoid all those extra preservatives in store bought bread.
• Getting as much sunshine/vitamin D as possible (a little tricky in the dreary state of Ohio 🙃)
• Trying to get good sleep (as good as a busy mama can possibly get – we all know there are seasons when it’s just not very existent).
• We’ve started pursuing bigger gardens and raising our own meat. The more you’re in control of what you eat, the more you know what’s going into your body. This is a process and not something that is feasible for everyone. Just do your best, and you’re already on the right track. Every little bit counts.
• Exercise and rest. I know as mamas we probably don’t need to be told to exercise. More so told to REST. 😅 But intentional movement and building strength in your body is essential to a healthy body and longevity.
Ok, so that’s preventative. Work to keep your body healthy and working well! Now for what I keep on hand for treatment.
Supplements I keep in our home
I’ve been working on my little stash of daily and extra supplements for a long time! Supplements were huge in helping Winston recover from his illnesses and to eventually strengthen his immune system back up once he was rid of all the issues.
• Vitamin C. All the immune system support! We take a variety of powder forms of vitamin C because in its pill form, vitamin C can actually contain lots of filler. Pill form is also harder to take in higher doses, which is necessary at times. We’ve used ascorbic vitamin C in the past, which is basically straight vitamin C in powder form. It is very bitter and can be harder to digest, so I currently just keep on hand for higher dose C needs.
• For our daily C, we take C salts, which is a buffered vitamin C – meaning it’s mixed with some minerals to make it more digestible and less bitter.
• Lastly I keep on hand Lypospheric vitamin C. It absorbs quickly and more effectively into your blood stream. We use this only if there is a lot of sickness around us OR if we are sick. It’s expensive.
• Multivitamin. The main purpose of a multivitamin is to fill in nutritional gaps, and it provides only a hint of the vast array of healthful nutrients and chemicals naturally found in food. It cannot offer fiber or the benefits of whole foods, so the key to a healthy lifestyle is an optimal diet. We take MaryRuth Organics liquid multivitamin or Young Living multivitamin.
• Zinc. Zinc you may have heard of. It’s another mineral that’s sooo good for your body. It’s full of building proteins and is a crazy important immune booster. We take the MaryRuth Organics liquid zinc.
• A Probiotic. I can’t speak highly enough about the importance of gut health! It’s been a game changer in our health to be more intentional about feeding our gut well. You can also incorporate fermented foods into your diet, eat lots of greens and fiber, and avoid processed foods to help keep your gut in good health. My husband and I take the Young Living Life 9 Probiotic, and my girls take the MaryRuth Organics Probiotic.
• Colloidal Silver. THIS. This is a MUST on a homstead. The more I learn and utilize colloidal silver, the more I am amazed by what an incredible tool it is. It’s a mineral and a natural antibiotic of sorts that’s been used for thousands of years. We’ve used it for pink eye, rashes, allergies, cold sores, and for immune boosting. It can be used for infections too. I once put it on my chicken’s behind when she had a prolapsed vent. And it healed and she’s been doing perfect! The brand we use is Sovereign Silver.
Essential oils I keep in our home
Essential Oils are a huge natural medicinal tool and natural cleaning and purifying solution. I think these are SO necessary to keep around.
Essential oils are oils extracted from different parts of a plant. They are made by pressing or steaming a plant to capture the compounds in a concentrated liquid form. They’ve been used in natural and holistic wellness for years and are definitely tools to keep on hand!
Also pleaseeee don’t buy your medicinal oils from the grocery store or Amazon. That’s as much as I’ll say on that, BUT it’s so important to use high grade, high potency, pure oils on and around your body! Especially for medicinal and important purposes. I personally have use MANY of the popular brands out there, and have landed on, love and trust Young Living. Just remember to do your research!
Almost all of these oils are antimicrobial, meaning that they have the ability and properties to kill germs, fungus, and bacteria. I use them to clean, disinfect, as a sleep aid, for headaches and mild burns, the list goes on and on! Also, the ones listed below are just some main ones I keep on hand. I have a much larger stash, and more that I love, these are just the basics:
• Tea tree. This is a huge tool! We apply to rashes and fungus. Can be used for a toothache to help alleviate pain or fight the infection, to disinfect, treat acne, treat minor wounds, and keep them from getting infected. Combine with witch hazel to make a spray for you and your animals to repel ticks, relieve bug bites, and on and on I could go! Get yourself some. 😊
• Lemon. I use for cleaning, disinfecting, purifying, sticky residue, stain treatment, etc.
• Thieves. I use for natural immune support, disinfectant, cleaning and purifying. Diffusing for immune support – the constituents (or the things that make up this blend) are things like lemon, cinnamon, and clove – all things with major antimicrobial properties.
• Lavender. Lavender for minor burns is INCREDIBLE. I apply right away for pain relief and faster healing. Also as a natural sleep aid. I make a salve with the lavender to apply to scabs, sunburns, bug bites etc.
• Eucalyptus. I keep this on hand for upper respiratory issues and congestion. I’ve made chest salve for congestion and made steam baths with it. Diffuse it for allergies. A small drop on the bridge of the nose for stuffiness.
• Clove. Traditionally, clove oil has been used for easing digestive issues, for pain relief, and helping with respiratory conditions. I keep it on hand to help with tooth infections and pain, for treating infections in general, and for a disinfectant and immune support because of the antimicrobial properties. It’s also high in antioxidants and could help with pain relief.
• Peppermint. I apply it right onto our temple for headaches (please be cautious and always use carrier oil if you’re just starting out). I make rollers and salve for body aches. Roll it on the belly for tummy issues. I also use it to for breathing issues and congestion.
• Cinnamon. Because of its germicidal properties it can be used as a disinfectant, a repellant for pests around your homestead, and it will kill germs.
• Purification. (I actually just used this yesterday on two minor cuts the other day that I got in the garden) I use it for disinfecting minor cuts, or for laundry for an extra boost with stinky towels, or extra dirty clothes (just add a couple drops in with your load). Or I diffuse with lemon when the kitchen is stinky from a garlicky meal, to purify the air. I even diffuse to purify the air in general.
• Digize. (And Tummygize, kidscents version) Tummy miracle worker, that’s all I can say. Roll on our bellies for any indigestion or gas, and WOW. It really works! Also can be rolled into the bridge of your nose, or your chest for congestion. Or also relief for premenstrual cramps.
Another good resource that Young Living oils offers is a Starter kit. Its a kit full of all these oils, or oils that have these in their blends, AND a diffuser. And you save soooo much money buying those, rather then buying all these oils separately. I started with the a starter kit when i jumped into Young living. Here is an option Desert Mist Starterr Kit, and this is the one i originally bought, Aria Starter kit.
I do sell Young Living specifically. It was just a natural progression for me. I love them, and have used them for years, and thought the idea of being paid to talk about how much I loved them and share how I utilized them just made sense.
If you see an essential oil or product you want to try, or you’d like to shop with me and be one of my customers, click this link here.
As a customer with me, I provide weekly oil and health education, access to wonderful health and wellness community, and I will walk along side you on that journey the best I can! To read more about Young Living and my heart for my business click here.
Herbal medicine in our home
Last subject to chat about today!
What are medicinal herbs? They are herbs or plants that have been utilized as a tool in traditional medicine since the beginning of time. Herbs are an amazing medicinal tool that you can grow yourself! And not only are you saving so much money by growing them, but you’re keeping a continuous supply on your property. Again…there are SO many more herbs/uses/tinctures I would love to explore someday as I grow this skill and learn more, but for now, these are some I keep and utilize.
• Onion. Most of us have onion on hand. You can use it for mild ear infections. It can be made into a poultice and used as an expectorant to break up congestion. It can be used as a fever reducer and can also help with sore muscles or to draw out an infection in the body.
• Elderberry. LOVE ELDERBERRY. You may have seen my posts on Homstead Mama Instagram with the recipes, or you can check out my personal blog emileecoblentz.com for a much more in-depth post on the benefits. But I’ve been making this for years. I used to have a little business selling it locally. Elderberry is amazing for so much from allergies, inflammation, immune health and support, and on.
• Echinacea. On my list to plant, but I keep the liquid on hand and use it for extra immune support and to fight viral infections or to reduce inflammation and soothe sore throats. Soooo good!
• Chamomile. Traditionally chamomile was used to treat inflammation and as an antioxidant and mild astringent. I’ve drank chamomile tea for years. Ways to use chamomile topically are to create a salve or tincture to treat diaper rash, cracked nipples, chicken pox, ear and eye infections, nasal congestion and poison ivy. Chamomile tea can be used as a mild sedative to help calm you down and get sleepy. It’s also a digestion aid and tummy soother, and can be used to help treat fevers.
• Lavender. You can keep a small lavender bush on your property for all things soothing. I also keep lavender essential oil on hand for all things burns. Calming aromatherapy. Insomnia and anxiety. I’ve made salves with it, diaper rash cream for babies, etc.
• Calendula. We’ve been using calendula since I was a kiddo. My mom would use it as a salve for eczema, bug bites, and poison ivy. It can also be soothing for sore throats when drank as a tea.
• Rosemary and Oregano. Both are grown as an herb to add to your recipes, but can also be used for medicinal purposes. Oregano is antimicrobial (has properties that kill germs/bacteria/fungus), and can be used to make tinctures or salves to apply to fungus. Because it can kill germs, it can also be applied topically to your body or taken internally to help fight the flu. Rosemary is good for clearing congestion and for making a skin salve for skin irritation. Rosemary tea is helpful for indigestion or menstrual cramps.
• Peppermint. A cup of peppermint tea can ease nausea, upset stomach, and other digestive struggles. Peppermint can also help to relax your mind at the end of the day or when you are feeling anxious. The menthol in peppermint can ease tense muscles and pain when used in a topical applications or in an oil infusion. I use peppermint essential oil for headaches. The leaves can also be used in cooking or baking.
Conclusion
Man oh man. That was a lot! LOL When I started typing I had no idea how large that post would be. But, these are ALL things I have used and will continue to use and keep for natural wellness in my little home and on my homestead.
Remember, start small. Build your supply up, just like with anything else you’re stocking up on whether in your pantry, medicine cabinet, or barn. It’s doable. Don’t let it overwhelm you, just one step at a time.
Let’s connect!!!! Come find me with any questions you have. Find me on my Instagram! Just my name – Emilee Coblentz. I share all things natural wellness/oils/homesteading and more.
And also check out my blog for more of my content.
