Category: Health & Natural Remedies

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Home remedy for pimples

Don't pop that zit because it can be dangerous. Zits wrongly popped lead to blackheads so rather than popping zits, here are a few tips to treating pimples.

1. Pimples are a sign of stress so rather than popping the zit, give your body a well deserved rest.

2. Pimples are a sign of poor nutrition so eat leafy, green vegetables and fruits like oranges that are rich in vitamin C and anti-oxidants that get rid of free radicals like pimples.

3. Pimples can also be caused by poor hygiene so rather than share your makeup tools with other people, wash your beauty tools like sponges and brushes regularly. If possible, use only disposables.

4. Pimples are also caused by hormonal imbalances which is why zits are expected during a woman's monthly period.

So rather than popping that zit, get an orange from your kitchen like I do.

This easy homemade facial
Cleanser recipe for treating pimples is easy and effective. Simply get an orange, squeeze out some juice into a bowl – you don't need more than 1 tablespoonful of orange juice. Soak it in a cotton pad or cotton wool and gently apply on the pimples or the area of skin where pimples are dominant. Allow the orange juice to dry on the pimples for a few minutes and rinse off. Orange is anti-oxidant rich that helps fight pimples and acne as well as brighten the skin. The juice will also help to dry out the pus substance in the zit.

Do try to be patient with the treatment of pimples and refrain from touching them to avoid infecting your skin some more with your non-sanitized fingers.

Tell me, do you have other home remedies for treating pimples that you would like to share?

Cheers!

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The joy of processing organic turmeric

Shredded raw turmeric, processing fresh turmeric
From raw turmeric to shredded bits

I have a penchant for wanting to control the sourcing of all natural ingredients used in my natural skincare products. As a natural skincare brand, being sincere through and through in the quality of ingredients I use is very important to me and the reason why my brand is consistently rising at a healthy pace.

In the regard, I went to a turmeric farm to source fresh turmeric myself. I went through the rigors of sorting, cleaning, washing, shredding, drying, milling and packaging just because I wanted to give my clients the best natural products or ingredients that they deserve. The process of making turmeric powder is rigorous but I am happy with the final result.

Turmeric powder
Organically sourced turmeric

Turmeric powder is great for the skin, hair and general health. I use turmeric with warm water and honey to treat cough as well as use it in cooking. Turmeric contains anti-inflammatory properties so it helps reduce scarring, wrinkles, acne, rash and other skin issues. It can be used as an exfoliator (scrub), cleanser and mask.

You can purchase this product online from the organic store on this website.

Delivery available within Nigeria and world wide.

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Homemade baby cereals:Why & How to

I have three kids, the youngest is six months old. I have utilized the same weaning method for all my kids and I have seen the amazing results in how well my kids benefited from homemade baby foods that are free of preservatives, free of added sugars or additives and one hundred percent natural. I discovered when my first child was born that she stooled often when fed processed commercial baby foods and sometimes, her bum turned red. I realized that the added sugar in commercial baby foods or cereals were just too much for the baby.

Now that I am weaning again, I am back to making all kinds of cereal foods for my baby. I make use of whole grains like wheat, guinea corn (sorghum), millet, maize, brown rice, basmati rice, oats and lots more. Like any Nigerian mother, I have relied on whole grains because they are abundant and cheap in Africa but I am also conscious of the fact that grains and cereal-like foods are deficient in fat, oil and protein which a baby needs. In Nigeria, mothers have had to rely on pap (locally called akamu or ogi) which is basically cereal porridge and milk thinking this was adequate nutrition. But sadly, Ogi or akamu with milk isn’t nutritious enough. Hence, accompaniments like crayfish (animal polypeptide), sardines, mackerel, egg yoke, peanut, palm oil, butter, even fruits like apple & banana and vegetables have become necessary. 

So here is my guide to making your own baby cereal at home:

THIS RECIPE CAN MAKE 3 260ml FEEDING BOTTLE

Ingredients:

Basmati rice, peanut, crayfish, fresh apple juice & infant milk.

Why these ingredients for making homemade baby food?

Well, Basmati rice is a nutritious, energy giving food due to its high carbohydrates content. Your baby benefits more from its dietary fiber if you use brown basmati rice. White basmati rice contains higher folate (known as folic acid) but either is high in minerals and vitamins.

Peanut is also very nutritious as it contains calories, dietary fiber, fat, omega 3 & 6, protein, vitamin E, B vitamins, calcium and much more minerals especially selenium, potassium and phosphorus.

Crayfish (animal polypeptide) is a rich source of vitamin A & D, calcium, potassium copper, zinc and iodine. Crayfish is easily absorbed and because they grow in clean lake waters, they are usually clean from pollution thus are pollution-free and very healthy for consumption.

These are the reasons I include crayfish & peanut in all my baby cereals. Fresh apple juice is a part of the ingredients for homemade baby cereals because it contains vitamin C and other nutrients and helps digestion without causing a baby to stool. 

STEPS TO MAKING HOMEMADE BABY CEREAL

1. Boil basmati or brown rice until very soft. Please do not give your baby regular white rice as they have been stripped of all fibers. Brown rice is also gluten free which is great for babies with this allergy.

Basmati rice, basmati rice baby food
2. Pour cooked basmati rice into blender.

3. Add 1 tablespoon crayfish, 1 tablespoon homemade peanut butter & 3 tablespoons of fresh apple juice & some hot water.

4. Blend all the ingredients to a cream


4. Store in a hot vacuum flask and use when desired.

5. Remember to add milk before serving


I take this food with me in the vacuum flask wherever I go and it doesn’t spoil because I do it add milk until my baby is about to feed as milk make food go rancid pretty fast. In fact, you should discard left over food if it is not consumed within an hour.

I have more posts on natural baby food recipes coming up so stay tuned for cost-effective, highly nutritious homemade baby cereals.

Cheers!

Ene 

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Benefits of lemongrass 

Lemongrass grows in large quantities in Nigeria where we steep it as herbal infusions for medicinal purposes. I started drinking lemongrass tea or herbal infusion since I was a child. What I love the most about lemongrass is the aroma it exudes – it stirs up the senses while calming you at the same time. When I boil it at home, the aroma fills the entire house with its lemony-minty fragrance which creates positive vibes and lifts the mood.

Lemongrass
Lemongrass

There many uses of lemongrass which is its medicinal purposes as herbal infusion. We drink it in Nigeria for good health and for curing cold while the oil is used for therapeutic purposes to treat rheumatic pain, headache and other kinds of pains. Steeped lemongrass tea is fantastic for a healthy digestive tract as such it aids digestion and helps bowel movement to ease constipation. If you feel constipated, lemongrass tea is very useful in giving you relief. If you seek to empty your bowel, then drink a cup of lemongrass herbal tea before bed time and first thing in the morning and your bowel will empty out, making you feel lighter and free.

Lemongrass herbal infusion
Lemongrass tea

To preserve lemongrass or to make your own dry powdered lemongrass herbal tea at home is pretty easy. After washing, spread it out in a strainer to dry and place it where you get sun exposure and allow the sunlight to dry it naturally. It takes a couple of days to dry lemongrass completely and you can mill it into powder which you can store in a mason jar. You can also make lemongrass herbal infusion by boiling the fresh grass in a sauce pan into which you have poured water. Bring it to boil. Once the color changes to a dark green color, you can pour into a cup and drink either hot or cold.

Herbal teas are healthier than regular tea and put you in a healthy mental state, which lemongrass tea does. If you’ve been disregarding this herb, do give it a try.

Cheers!

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Don’t throw beans skin away

There are certain parts of raw foods that we throw away because we deem them unappealing unfortunately outer layers of foods like skins (or peels), rinds, stems and certain parts of leaves are edible and even contain more useful nutrients than the rest of the food that we eat.

Consider beans (cowpea) in Nigeria, we make bean cakes (called akara) and beans pudding (called moin-moin) by dehulling the soft, film membrane or coating that surrounds the pud by soaking the beans in water and rubbing them together. Once the skin is removed, what you have left is pale white beans that is then ground to paste and fried as in the case of akara or boiled as in moin-moin.

Unfortunately, by dehulling, we are depriving the beans of its goodies because the skin of beans contain anti-oxidants that fight diseases; they also contain some B complex and good dietary fiber that helps to cleanse the colon. The skin of beans also aids digestion as it fights constipation.

In Nigeria, folks argue that making bean cake or bean pudding with the skin on does not look attractive but after much experimenting, I found the solution.

TIPS FOR COOKING AKARA & MOIN -MOIN WITH SKIN

1. Only use Honey beans also known as Oloyin because the skin of honey beans is pale brown and very thin, this is why it is the hardest bean skin to peel but it is the sweetest kind of beans ever. After washing the beans, soak it in water over night in your refrigerator and by morning, it will be soft enough to blend in your blender.

Honey beans, oloyin
Soaked honey beans

You can see that the now soft honey beans doesn’t look too brown like other kinds of brown beans. By soaking over night, it makes it easy to grind at home.

Beans paste, beans paste with skin
Beans paste for akara & moin-moin

As you can see, the beans paste does not look coarse or dark even though the beans was ground with the skin or peel on.

Akara, bean cake
Finished product: akara (bean cake)

The finished product is fine looking, great tasting nutritious bean cake (akara ). By cooking akara with the skin, one is not just benefiting from the protein-rich beans alone but also the fiber- rich skin as well.

Please, do not discard skins, peels, rinds or stems of fruits and vegetables. They are all full of nutritional goodness.

Cheers!

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Super food smoothie 

I made a post earlier about super vegetable smoothie 👉🏽 here where I wrote about the health benefits of watercress, spinach and mint which I used in making smoothie.

And then I remembered that my husband hates swallowing vitamin supplements and that I needed to make a smoothie that would provide his body the necessary support so I added carrot and apple to the watercress, spinach and mint to make my “I hate pills” vegetable smoothie.

If you are calcium deficient or vitamin C deficient or having trouble giving your body the needed vitamins to support your bones, brain and immune system, then try this smoothie because carrot is fiber rich and rich in vitamin A, C, K, beta carotene, B8, antioxidants, folate and a lot more. Apple is also fiber rich, a good source of antioxidant as well and reduces your risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. 

Super foods smoothie
Watercress, spinach, carrot, mint & apple smoothie

Raw foods, super foods and organic foods in general support your body’s health. So go try this!

Cheers!

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Super vegetable smoothie: watercress, spinach & mint

I grew up on a farm in Nigeria where we ate food grown on the farm and never had to eat food out of the refrigerator. As a modern wife and mother, it’s not easy cooking and eating fresh every single day but in my household, we thrive for this – after all, I chose to be a work-from-home mum for a reason.

So, eating raw vegetables comes very easy for me. I seriously can’t begin to count the variety of vegetables that we eat in my home. The combination of vegetables that I am loving right now is watercress, spinach and mint vegetable smoothie. As a golden rule, I do not buy raw vegetables from departmental stores rather I go to the local markets where farmers and traders sell farm produce. That way, I know am buying only organic farm produce.

Watercress smoothie
Watercress
Raw vegetable smoothie
Watercress, spinach & mint smoothie

Watercress is a super vegetable plant that contains even more vitamin C than an orange and more calcium than that which is found in milk. Other health benefits of this anti-oxidant rich watercress includes cancer prevention properties of folate which studies have shown that participants who consumed watercress had been shown to have reduced risk of cancer such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer. The folate in watercress also helps to reduce the risk of depression, stroke, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline. The calcium rich watercress gives bone health and lowers the risk of hypertension and diabetes. The brain also benefits from watercress as it helps to build and repair brain tissues. And of course, being rich in vitamin C means you have a defense against common cold.

Spinach also has great health benefits. Spinach like watercress is a super food that is beneficial to the entire body. This multi-vitamin rich vegetable is rich in folate, vitamin C, and anti-oxidants. Mint on the other hand is a palate cleanser and aids digestion. I added it to the smoothie for its taste which instantly “wakes” me up. Love this smoothie so much. You should give it a try.

Cheers!

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Rosemary: Positive mind & body

Rosemary leaves

As a herb lover, I almost cannot cook without herbs as they not only give food pleasant aromas that are good to the senses but possess medicinal values. I have always used rosemary in my meals and the oil in all the organic skincare products that I use. I began brewing the dry leaves which many of us use in cooking into teas and drinking it this year because I found out that rosemary is great for the brain. I found out too after weeks of drinking rosemary tea that the mental fatigue and fog that I had felt for months gradually diminished to a clearer mind that could remember just about anything. And what’s more, I was always in a good mood and realized that my ability to cope with stress grew. Little did I know that taking rosemary reduces the cortisol hormones produced during stress, making it much easier to manage stress.
Just by drinking the tea alone which you can make daily by buying dry rosemary leaves from the condiment section of any departmental store and steaming in a sauce span with a cup or two of water and bringing to boil, you would be doing your brain a whole lot of good. Rosemary boosts the brain and its ability to remember things. I realized that I could remember long forgotten events or memories from the past.

My ability to cope with stress and mental alertness is so heighten that I am much more organized than I used to be. 

Rosemary is also an anti oxidant so it boosts one’s immune system as well as gives relief to indigestion. 

Rosemary & basil tea

Rosemary is also anti – inflammatory as such gives relief to the skin by treating rash, eczema and some other common skin rash. It also helps to relief pain and aches as such the oil can be used in massage to relief aches and pain.

To make rosemary oil, bring almond oil to a boil in a crockpot, add fresh rosemary leaves and steam for three to five minutes. Besides its therapeutic value, rosemary oil can be used in the treatment of hair loss and while it can be applied directly to scalp, it can also be mixed with shampoos and hair conditioners.

If you love to make organic lotions, then adding rosemary oil to your ingredients enriches the lotions as rosemary oil is great for the skin and even helps to relieve dry skin.

Got a mouth odour? Rosemary tea can rid mouth odour and give fresh breath. 

Rosemary oil makes for a great fragrance for your home. As fragrance oil, you can sprinkle it on pot pourri or any dry decorative plants you have in your home and on furnitures. You can even add it to your hand wash and hand lotion in bathrooms for a therapeutic effect that energizes the senses.

To get a head start daily, I start each day by drinking rosemary herb tea first thing in the morning. It sets me in a positive mood that gets my brain active and alive. Go try it!

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DIY Laxative & antacid 

I grew up knowing Andrews Liver Salt to be the quickest relief from constipation and bloated stomach. I had learned to keep the sachets handy until the day that I needed one and found I had none so I had no choice but to make my own. 

To make your own DIY laxative and antacid, you only need lemon and baking soda.


To constitute your mix, you will need: 

Quarter spoon of baking soda &

The juice of half of a lemon

And then pour the baking soda into the lemon juice, which creates the effervescence (that is the foaming bubbles) and add a little water. Drink immediately. You will get relief just as soon as you experience with Andrews liver salt. 

So tell me, have you got any home remedy for bloated stomach and constipation?
Cheers,

Ene 

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Coconut milk & your skin

coconut milk

Coconut milk is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids as such is a good moisturizer for the skin and conditioner for the hair as it detangles hair for a softer texture. Coconut milk rich properties make it excellent for sensitive skin and it moisturizes the skin for a brighter, youthful skin.

There are various ways your skin can benefit from the richness of coconut milk. For a start, you could combine Castile soap with coconut milk to make a liquid coconut milk soap that can serve as moisturizing soap for the body and conditioning shampoo for the hair. 

As a cleanser, coconut milk serves as a nourishing makeup remover as well as serves as a toner which nourishes the skin, especially delicate skin to moisturize and brighten complexion.

If you want natural looking youthful skin, then incorporate coconut milk in your body lotion.

You can make a hair mask by combining coconut milk with honey and applying to your hair. Put on a shower cap and allow the heat from the shower cap to steam your hair for 20 minutes. Afterwards, rinse off with warm water. This will detangle your hair and give your hair a softer texture.

So buy an organic coconut milk today and begin benefiting from its richness.

Cheers!

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Black Cohosh gave me back my social life

I first heard about black cohosh while searching online for herbal remedies for fibroid. I’ve had fibroid since I was 20 years old. Naturally, I opt for natural or herbal medicines because both my grand – parents were natural herbal practitioners and I learnt a lot, especially from my grand-mother who I had helped by plucking herbs from her garden and in farms way back as a kid in Benue, Nigeria. So, naturally, I had no fear in using herbs to shrink the fibroid which did work.

In between my two pregnancies, the fibroids enlarged during pregnancy but would shrink afterwards and with support of herbs as well. Though the fibroids are not malignant, I experienced painful and heavy menstrual period. Since I was a teenager, my menstrual periods were always nightmarish. Not only were they painful, they were extremely heavy, traumatic and expensive! I was spending so much money on sanitary pads plus frequent visits to the doctor. As time went on, I became anaemic.

So in November of 2012, I went to a drug store in Lagos to buy the herbs for shrinking fibroid and I only found black cohosh. Black cohosh was one of the herbs I had used in the past. That same month when I began taking black cohosh, I experienced remarkable results: my menstrual period was tolerable. The flow had remarkably declined and so did the pains of menstrual cramp. By January 2013, my period had become regular, normal and amazingly cheap!

Prior to taking black cohosh,  I was using Always heavy flow for night time sanitary pad. In Nigeria, I was buying one pack of 20 at 13 US dollars and I was using 3 packs for five days, including toilet papers for support. In a five day period, I was using 10 to 12 standard toilet papers!

As at January of 2013, I was no longer using Always heavy flow night pads or toilet paper. I started using regular Always ultra thin pads for heavy flow and I only used two packs! I went from using 60 pads of Always super thick pads for night time to using 14 Always ultra thin pads.

It was been incredible and I experienced this change within two months.  The menstrual cramps were tolerable and the mood swings associated with PMS tolerable as well.

More Info on Black Cohosh Black cohosh is a common plant of North America. There are found in the USA and Canada. Native Americans used it for treating rheumatic, gynaecological problems and other ailments. It is associated with treating fibroid and menopausal problems and other women related hormonal or gynaecological problems.

Black Cohosh aids fertility and is anti inflammatory. I have used this herb to treat fibroid and benefitted by treating PMS and menstrual pain, irregular periods and hormonal balance. I love this herb and this is my black cohosh testimonial.

CAUTION: PROLONG USE OF BLACK COHOSH IS NOT ADVISABLE. DO NOT USE LONGER THAN 3 MONTHS AS I NOTICED DELAYED MENTRUAL PERIODS WHEN USED LONGER THAN 3 MONTHS. 3 MONTHS IS ENOUGH TO NORMALIZE YOUR CYCLE.

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Garlic: best cure for stubborn ringworm

My daughter had struggled with ringworm years back. This contagious skin infection came on her when she came in contact with a loved one. It started quiet insignificant but the harder she scratched it, the more the infection spread. We began her treatment by using topical creams prescribed by the pediatrician. After three months of using various creams and she taking antibiotics prescribed by the pediatrician and the ringworm had not gone, I was at my wits end. The ringworm was spreading fast.

RINGWORM

I had gone online in search of cure until I came across garlic. But I took a step further by including turmeric in the treatment.

TURMERIC

* turmeric: though great in cooking dishes, makes even greater astringent and cleanser.

Here is what I did:

I used:

– an antiseptic and medicated soap bar precisely Dettol soap to bath her. You can use Black Soap as well as it contains camwood which also treats ringworm. – After each bath, I would dip cotton wool in water, squeeze out excess water, dap in turmeric and clean the surface of the ringworm affected area and beyond. Turmeric served as the disinfectant astringent and removed all top layer dirt, dried and peeled skin. – Lastly, I applied a generous amount of garlic juice in the ringworm, followed by the garlic paste itself. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and provides diverse natural healing.

HOW TO PREPARE GARLIC PASTE

Get fresh garlic, wash it, remove all outer covering and blend or pound into paste. For much higher potency, mix with garlic powder and pour into a small canister. Pour some warm water into garlic and cover air-tight for 30minutes. This helps the garlic juice to infuse better and stronger. Keep garlic in canister with lid for a week in a refrigerator before preparing fresh one.

This is how I applied the garlic:

ringworm

Garlic creates a protective film over skin and goes deep down to squeeze out every substance in the ringworm that causes spread. Because ringworm depends on moisture to spread, garlic impedes the spread by squeezing out every drop of moisture in ringworm. So please, expect drying of the skin and peeling. Once you clean with turmeric, it helps to clean out such peels to reveal a cleaner skin.

ringworm

*One week after garlic treatment, my daughter’s skin was drying.

To further boost healing, you can have your child drink the garlic. My daughter was 5years old and so could handle drinking garlic. I would take half teaspoon of garlic powder, mix with her juice and give her to drink. Not all kids – or even adults- can handle it so do not force your kids.

GARLIC ARM HEALED

My daughter’s arm 3 weeks later.

The ringworm was completely dried out so the brown patches left behind gradually faded out. You can use shea butter to moisturize and even out the skin tone.