Tried And True Friends of Healthy Living

This morning I had a discussion with friends about the wonders of Activated Charcoal.  I can hardly remember a time in my life when I didn't use it.  It has been in my medicine cabinet since I was first married.   We use it for so many things, tummy aches, food poisoning, bug bites, infected cuts, to prevent infection in a cut.  Even used it on a pimple or two in my youth.  When I was younger and working, the hospital that I worked at, used activated charcoal as part of the treatment for drug overdoses and some accidental poisonings.   I can only share my personal experience of course.  My son in law was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider a couple of years ago and came to me with a nasty spot on his arm that was turning black.  He knew he was bitten by a spider and was shocked to see that in a couple days it was pretty nasty looking.  I quickly applied a poultice of activated charcoal and had him come over three times a day for a new poultice.   After just a day, the red circle around the blackening flesh was improving, and in a few days, there was nothing there but a tiny mark and after a week, the spot was free from any sign that a bite had even happened.   I saw the same kind of results when someone came to me with a badly infected ingrown toenail.   The skin at the side of the nail was already turning black when they came to me.  Same sort of results were seen as with the spider bite.    We keep activated charcoal capsules for tummy issues and food poisoning.   It takes care of gas problems very quickly !  
My second most important bottle in my medicine chest is Swedish Bitters.  I have written about the wonders of bitters before on my blog http://morningramble.blogspot.com/2006/02/swedish-bitters.html
Another important bottle in our medicine chest is White Flower Ointment, a Chinese medicinal. Used topically for aches and pains and a bit under the nose clears a stuffy nose quickly. 
The 4th item in the photo is Marmite, not a medicine per say, but a food item.  However, it is so full of B vitamins that when we use it, we are reminded of its health benefits.  Great source of Niacin.    

Healthy living pays off.  This was my blood pressure today.  Not bad for an old gal !  Emery, who will turn 67 in less than a week, just got his blood work done.  Perfect !  His blood pressure is about the same as mine too.  No medications at all.   I take something for my hypothyroidism, but that's it for me.   We both try hard to be mindful of what we eat, how we live and what kind of products we use around the house, but not to make that the focus of our life.  Life is precious, as is our health.