FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012
KITCHEN CURES: Tried & Tested Home Remedies
Interiors by: Sarah Barnard
Text used with permission from:
LEMONS AND LAVENDER: The Eco Guide to Better Homekeeping by Billee Sharp.
Nutmeg
Grated nutmeg soothes diarrhea and upset tummies. Use a nutmeg grater tograte a small amount (about 1/8 teaspoon) into warmed milk (cow, soy, rice,or in oat milk).
Cayenne
Use this pepper as a remedy for colds, coughs, sore throats, heartburn,hemorrhoids, and varicose veins, or as a digestive stimulant and to improve circulation. Make an infusion by adding 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder to 1 cup boiled water. Add 2 cups of hot water to make a more pleasant and palatable infusion. Add lemon and honey to taste.
This commonplace vegetable is a fantastic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Cabbage can be used for stomach ulcers, arthritis, and swollen joints, or as a liver tonic. To create a cabbage tonic, dilute 1 part cabbage juice with 2 parts water. For swollen joints and arthritic pain, lightly crush a few green outer cabbage leaves with a rolling pin, and then lay over afflicted area with the inner side of the leaf on your skin, securing with a bandage. Some prefer to boil the leaves, let them cool, and then apply. Going to bed with a cabbage bandage on is also good, giving the leaf time to work its magic.
Black and Green Teas
White tea, green tea, and black tea are all made from the leaves of Camelliasinensis. White tea is made from the youngest leaves of the plant; it is a sweet brew and has less caffeine than green or black tea. It is also rich in antioxidants and is recommended for reducing "bad" cholesterol and improving artery health. White tea is a little costly but a good choice for health and flavor.
water, with honey to taste. For a fast sore-throat curative, use unsweetened
lemon juice with warm water as an antiseptic gargle.
Turmeric
This spice is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial. Turmeric is also a liverdetox and curative for acne and common colds. Make a turmeric tea by adding a teaspoon of the powder to 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer over low heat until it dissolves, adding milk and honey to taste.
Kombucha Tea
Some people love the taste of kombucha tea; others don't relish it at all. It hasbeen credited with miraculous properties and is a probiotic, making it verycurative for digestive issues. Kombucha also comes recommended for acne,constipation, arthritis, depression, and fatigue, and is hailed as a protectionagainst cancer. I regard it as a tasty tonic, and my family drinks it daily. Mysons were the first to taste kombucha, and they loved the fizziness and flavor. This healthful drink is easy to make so long as you have a "ferment" (some people call it a "mushroom" because of the way it looks). To procure your ferment, try to find somebody who brews kombucha already. They should have plenty of ferments to share, as every batch of tea grows an extra ferment on top of the original.
a large wide-necked glass jar, cloth or paper towel to cover jar, rubber bandto secure cover
Billee Sharp was a contemporary art curator and gallerist in London, working with the YBA group of artists before moving to San Francisco in 1993, where she started a family and record label with her husband Jonah Sharp, a pioneering electronic musician, founded a green cleaning business and curated many multimedia cultural events.
SARAH BARNARD is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), is certified by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), and is recognized by the International Institute for Bau-Biologie & Ecology as a Building Biology Practitioner (BBP) and by the United States Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). She serves on the Santa Monica Conservancy’s board of directors and specializes in green interior design and historic preservation.
Sarah is intrigued by clients who have unusual requests and lives for a challenge. She hasn’t met one yet that she didn’t like. Sarah loves designing for anyone with pets! She adores people who are avid collectors of anything they love. Sarah is often retained by clients who have never worked with an interior designer because they thought designers weren’t for them (until now). She is known for delivering, on time, all the time. Sarah is incredibly down to earth and people love her for her frankness. Sarah and her staff will do just about anything for a client, build a custom sunroom for the kitties, organize and alphabetize boxes in the garage, take the kids out shopping for their own bathroom tiles…
Text used with permission from:
Many remedies can be made from what you have in the kitchen, from spices as well as plants. Here are a few simple tried and tested recipes:
Nutmeg
Grated nutmeg soothes diarrhea and upset tummies. Use a nutmeg grater tograte a small amount (about 1/8 teaspoon) into warmed milk (cow, soy, rice,or in oat milk).
Cayenne
Use this pepper as a remedy for colds, coughs, sore throats, heartburn,hemorrhoids, and varicose veins, or as a digestive stimulant and to improve circulation. Make an infusion by adding 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder to 1 cup boiled water. Add 2 cups of hot water to make a more pleasant and palatable infusion. Add lemon and honey to taste.
Cabbage
This commonplace vegetable is a fantastic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Cabbage can be used for stomach ulcers, arthritis, and swollen joints, or as a liver tonic. To create a cabbage tonic, dilute 1 part cabbage juice with 2 parts water. For swollen joints and arthritic pain, lightly crush a few green outer cabbage leaves with a rolling pin, and then lay over afflicted area with the inner side of the leaf on your skin, securing with a bandage. Some prefer to boil the leaves, let them cool, and then apply. Going to bed with a cabbage bandage on is also good, giving the leaf time to work its magic.
Black and Green Teas
White Tea
White tea, green tea, and black tea are all made from the leaves of Camelliasinensis. White tea is made from the youngest leaves of the plant; it is a sweet brew and has less caffeine than green or black tea. It is also rich in antioxidants and is recommended for reducing "bad" cholesterol and improving artery health. White tea is a little costly but a good choice for health and flavor.
Lemon
Use this citrus for colds and infections. Add the fresh-squeezed juice to hotwater, with honey to taste. For a fast sore-throat curative, use unsweetened
lemon juice with warm water as an antiseptic gargle.
This spice is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial. Turmeric is also a liverdetox and curative for acne and common colds. Make a turmeric tea by adding a teaspoon of the powder to 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer over low heat until it dissolves, adding milk and honey to taste.
Kombucha Tea
Some people love the taste of kombucha tea; others don't relish it at all. It hasbeen credited with miraculous properties and is a probiotic, making it verycurative for digestive issues. Kombucha also comes recommended for acne,constipation, arthritis, depression, and fatigue, and is hailed as a protectionagainst cancer. I regard it as a tasty tonic, and my family drinks it daily. Mysons were the first to taste kombucha, and they loved the fizziness and flavor. This healthful drink is easy to make so long as you have a "ferment" (some people call it a "mushroom" because of the way it looks). To procure your ferment, try to find somebody who brews kombucha already. They should have plenty of ferments to share, as every batch of tea grows an extra ferment on top of the original.
a large wide-necked glass jar, cloth or paper towel to cover jar, rubber bandto secure cover
7 tea bags, black or green (preferably organic)
1 cup sugar
2 quarts water
kombucha ferment
Boil the water and add it to the tea bags in the jar. Let it steep for 20 minutes.Remove the tea bags and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. When the tea has cooled, add the kombucha ferment with some of the liquor that it came in, roughly 10 percent of the total tea in your jar. Cover the jar with the cloth or paper towel, and secure with the rubber band. The lid will serve to keep dust and flies out while allowing the tea to breathe. Let the jar sit in one place (moving can disturb the fermentation process), out of the direct sunlight, and at room temperature. The fermentation process will take seven to 12 days, depending on the room temperature. Your batch of kombucha will ferment more quickly if the room is warm. You have to check to see when it is ready, and you'll be able to tell by the taste. When fermented, the tea can be decanted into glass bottles with screw lids and kept in the fridge. Remember to keep a little of the kombucha tea to add with your ferment for your next batch.
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Sarah Barnard Design undertakes residential interior design projects, commercial spaces and even single rooms. She can help you with space planning, color counseling, kitchen and bath remodeling, historic preservation, and all aspects of green design and healthy living: organic, non-toxic, sustainable and fair trade materials, energy and resource conservation, air and water purification, natural furnishings and fabrics and much more!
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