In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
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As a homemaker, mom and wife, I really try to keep our home as natural, holistic and intentional as possible. It is an ever-growing process and I’m always learning and adjusting. One of the areas that this shows up for us most strongly in is with regards to our medicine cabinet… physically and figuratively.
Today, I’m going to share with you the things that my family and I are using to keep ourselves healthy and in the best of wellness.
Most of these things are used on a daily basis to be proactive with our health and well-being. I am not a professional or anywhere near an expert on this topic but I’ve become quite familiar from studying on my own and things my mom shares with me. I am very passionate about this topic and learning more everyday.That said, I’m simply sharing what we use in our home – I’m not suggesting any of these things to you or prescribing. I’m not promising any sort of benefits or anything like that.
Vitamins & Supplements:
Daily Multivitamin
For our vitamins, I found the brand ‘Garden of Life’ and I really like them. Until I find something better, I plan on staying loyal. I love that they’re whole-food based, they’re vegan and there are so many vitamins and supplements available.
I am currently being very intentional about working on improving my fertility and reproductive health right now so I’m taking the prenatal. My husband takes the multivitamin for men (when he actually takes his). My toddler takes the chewable gummy vitamins for kiddos. Overall, most of us are not getting our necessary vitamins from our diets alone…so a multivitamin can make a pretty big difference!
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is a powerhouse of a vitamin. It’s vital for so many things and when you are depleted, your body really takes a hit. So many people, especially Muslim women, are low on vitamin D. This vitamin is super important for our teeth and bones, our brain, our mood and mental health, our brain function and sleep and even our reproductive wellness.
The whole family should be taking vitamin D3 at a maintenance level. We take a little more when we’re feeling an illness coming on. We take this Garden of Life one. For now though, my son takes the liquid vitamin d3 for babies (although his multivitamin also contains a good amount of it).
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is another super powerful vitamin, crucial for so many systems within our body. It is great to take on a regular basis and again, we take a bit extra when we’re dealing with sickness.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B is something I’m still learning about but it’s helpful for my energy level, among other things. I don’t take vitamin B daily though, maybe 2-3 times a week has been good for me for the time being.
Zinc
I just started taking zinc this year. I’ve been learning about the importance of this for overall wellness but especially for fertility and reproductive health. I’m looking forward to seeing some overall physical improvements as well, especially with regards to the health of my hair and nails.
CoQ10
CoQ10 is another vitamin I’ve added this year, specifically for my reproductive health. But the more I learn about it, the more I’m happy to have found it. It is amazing for heart health. It’s beneficial for your overall health at a cellular level. Again, I’m only a few months into taking this but I’m taking this every day.
Herbal Teas and Blends:
Red Raspberry Leaf
This tea is amazing for women! It can be helpful in healing/improving your cycle health. It is super beneficial during pregnancy. Red raspberry leaf helps to strengthen and tone your uterus.
Chamomile
Chamomile is amazing with kids. It’s great for soothing the pains of teething, colic and to simply help relax and calm down. I make a small amount of tea (without honey!!) and either rub it into baby’s gums or put a few tiny droplets to offer some relief. It is great for adults too for relaxation and also digestive relief.
Peppermint
I enjoy peppermint on a regular basis because I enjoy the taste. It’s amazing for digestive relief though. Hot or cold with a little bit of honey is delicious! As you’ll see below, I keep peppermint oil essential oil on hand as well and use that pretty regularly.
Vaginal Steam Blend
This is obviously not something you drink but it is an herbal blend…so I’m including it here! I get mine from my mom’s shop: Jamilahs Naturals. I’ve only recently added this and I’m looking forward to continuing to use this for my overall reproductive wellness, my journey to improving and strengthening my fertility and also, eventually, my postpartum recovery.
Foods and Spices:
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of my favorite spices! It is so amazing for healing inflammation – taken internally and also applied externally. I also use it mixed with coconut oil as a face mask.
Cayenne
Cayenne is another inflammation fighter! It’s great to sprinkle a little bit on your food but again, we also use it externally. When I use it externally, I usually combine turmeric and cayenne.
Cloves
Any time I have a toothache, I boil some water and let a few cloves sit for about 10 minutes. I gargle with that for a couple minutes every few hours and it clears it up! It’s great for toothaches but it can also be used as a mouthwash.
Garlic
Garlic is helpful for so many things – fighting infections, improving your immune system, maintaining/lowering blood pressure and more! Some people eat it raw, some people like it with some honey and some people take it in capsule form. We eat it mashed up with honey when we’re fighting sickness but in general, I chop it up and just add it to our food.
Ginger
Ginger is great in general but if I’m taking it for wellness, I generally prefer it in tea form. It’s great for soothing a sore throat. It’s also perfect for some digestive relief! Along with garlic, ginger is super warming as well!
Raw honey
Honey is another powerhouse! If it’s super processed, it has definitely been depleted of most of its greatness. As much as possible try to get raw honey and try to find some that is local to you. Honey is great to soothe a sore throat, give you some tummy relief and can be helpful with healing your allergies/sinus issues. We also love honey to lessen the load when taking something a little less pleasant – such as blackseed oil or garlic.
Apple cider vinegar
I like to cook with apple cider vinegar as often as I can. When I’m feeling under the weather, taking some apple cider vinegar in water is something I find very helpful to give me a zing of energy. It’s also good for digestive health. ACV is the base ingredient in fire cider (more on that below) I always make sure to get the ACV with “mother” in a glass jar!
Blackstrap molasses
I learned about blackstrap molasses and started implementing it into our diet when I was pregnant with my son. Because it is food based, it definitely takes some time to build it up in your system but it is a great source of iron! I use this in anything that you’d use molasses in – making barbecue sauce, gingerbread muffins and pancakes, etc. But we also occasionally take a spoonful either by itself or in some water.
Essential Oils and Other Oils:
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil is very strong! It is great for digestion and it can also be used for respiratory illness and for headache relief. Because it’s strong, it needs to be diluted with a carrier oil but it can be rubbed into the soles of your feet, your temples or even your stomach.
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil has a special place in my heart and has been so helpful for me, dealing with asthma flare ups and sinus/allergy related struggles! I have diluted it and rubbed directly on my chest when having respiratory trouble. I put it on a tissue or even on the collar of my son’s shirt when he has a super stuffy nose. I use this mixed with peppermint and lavender with some coconut oil or olive oil as our vapor rub.
Tea Tree oil
We use tea tree oil for kicking infections. Tea tree oil is powerful! I use this also in my homemade cleaner!
Blackseed oil
I try to take blackseed oil a few times a week. Even my two year old takes it. We mix about a teaspoon of the oil with a tablespoon of honey. Each of us takes a spoonful. It is from the sunnah, known to be a cure for all but old age and death. We definitely take more when we are starting to feel under the weather. I’ve also found it beneficial to use externally for wounds and even infections. We use the Amazing Herbs brand, which was actually recommended by my son’s previous pediatrician.
Aloe Vera Gel
I use aloe for my face, in between my toner (acv) and my moisturizer. It’s amazing for burns though! I don’t currently have a plant but I’m planning on getting a new one soon! In the meantime, I just grabbed a bottle of aloe vera gel from Amazon.
Sweet Almond oil
This comment extends for this oil and the next 2, all “carrier oils”. I’m learning more and more about the power of healing through touch – a little massage with warm oil can be so healing. I use sweet almond oil specifically for moisturizing my face and for my hair.
Olive oil
Olive oil is good internally and externally. It’s a bit heavier than the almond oil and even coconut, which makes it great for using with essential oils. You want to be careful with heating up olive oil, you don’t want it to get too hot because it loses its health benefits.
Coconut oil
I use coconut oil on my skin and my hair. I love using it for oil pulling, for dental hygiene. It’s also nice for a massage. Coconut oil is a great healthy fat, great for energy and for brain health to use in your cooking.
Everything Else:
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry syrup and elderberry tea is a great natural remedy for when you’re coming down with a flu or sinus infection. It is so beneficial for your immune system! I have made my own and I really love doing that. Jamilahs Naturals also has some available that is great quality and very tasty! I want to make some elderberry jam soon too!
Fire cider
Again, I’ve made my own but I’ve also gotten some from Jamilahs Naturals. She’s a pro at making it and it tastes so lovely! It’s great on its own. I actually like to put a bit in a cup, add warm water and a sprinkle of pink himalayan salt and it tastes beautifully and is very warming and healing. I also pour it over chicken and bake it, it’s AMAZING! So great for your immune system!
Hyland’s teething tablets
We have only used Tylenol for our son the first few days when he was circumcised! These Hyland teething tablets are amazing for providing enough relief to your little one with those teething pains. It doesn’t cut out the pain entirely but it definitely curbs it enough that my little guy was comfortable.
This is a pretty comprehensive list of what we make sure to always have on hand and use on a regular basis at this moment. As mentioned though, I’m constantly learning and trying to grow in this aspect of being able to heal myself and my family and keep us well and strong. There are 3 things that I’m planning to actually add to our repertoire throughout this year as well: Epsom Salt/Magnesium supplement, colloidal silver, and sea moss.
Question for the comments: How do you feel about using natural healing tools for yourself and your family? What are some of your go-tos?
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