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Health – Page 18 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Category: Health

  • The Amazing Power of Lavender Essential Oil

    The Amazing Power of Lavender Essential Oil

    Essential oils are amazing. They’re a super natural and effective way to treat a multitude of health issues and even clean and sanitize your home, and they can be used to replace a ton of different OTC meds and chemical cleaners and solutions.

    But if I had to pick one essential oil to be stranded on a desert island with, it would probably have to be lavender oil. Not only does it smell absolutely amazing, it has a bunch of great uses, and is one of the safest essential oils there is.

    Here is an idea of the many things you can do with lavender essential oil:

    Deodarize

    Lavender is a great way to kill bad smells on almost anything. I always keep some in a spray bottle with water and vinegar, and use as I would Febreeze (if I used Febreeze, of course…)

    Sanitize

    “Lavender” comes from the Latin word for “to clean”, and for good reason! Medics in the Civil War used lavender to clean the wounds of soldiers, and this is because it has anti-bacterial properties. It’s great for all-purpose cleaning, and you can add a few drops to a cotton ball or soft cloth to clean wounds and stop bleeding.

    Sooth

    You can use a blend of lavender oil and coconut oil to sooth irritated skin, rashes, even burns. It is even and anti-fungal, which means, if you add a few drops to your scalp after washing your hair, for example, it can kill dandruff, which is really a fungal infection.

    Calm

    Lavender is one of the most calming smells out there! It’s great to add to nighttime lotion, soothing baby balm, or just throw right in a diffuser to relax you and de-stress. Simply taking a whiff of an open bottle of lavender oil will probably chill you out more than a glass of wine, and you don’t even have to use any of your precious oil!

     

    So once again, if you buy one essential oil to get your collection started, go with lavender. These are just a few of the many ways lavender can be used, so buy yourself a bottle and you’re sure to find plenty of uses for it in no time.

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  • How to Use Extra Whey

    How to Use Extra Whey

    Every aspiring or seasoned dairy farmer is familiar with whey, the byproduct of making yogurt, cheese, and other delicious dairy products. In the process of making many of these dairy products, the whey is often discarded, but it’s actually quite nutritious on its own, and can be reused in many different ways. 

     

    • Use in almost any recipe in place of water or even milk. Whey adds depth of flavor to bread, soups, sauces, marinades, and main dishes. If you are overrun with whey, you can even boil pasta or rice with it!
    • Soak grains and legumes The acid and cultures in whey won’t harm anything in this process, they’ll enhance phytic acid breakdown for easier nutrient absorption.

    • An acid rinse on your shampoo “skip days”. If you’re familiar with the ‘no-poo’ or ‘low-poo’ method of washing hair and its benefits, you’ll be glad to know that whey makes a great, affordable acid rinse hair cleanser.
    • Feed pets and livestock. Pour a little whey over dry pet food or animal feed for a delicious treat!
    • Lacto-ferment your own sauerkraut, veggies, and condiments Uncooked sweet whey is great for preserving probiotic-rich foods to add to your pantry or stockpile.
    • Make more cheese! Ricotta, to be specific, is made with acid whey. So, if you’re dissatisfied with how much whey you end up with after making cheese, simply use it to make more.
    • If all else fails, compost Raw whey is a live, active element that is super beneficial for a healthy compost pile. If you’d rather just toss your extra whey, this is the best option.

     

    Many of us have been surprised and even a little disappointed at how much whey results from the dairy-making process rather than the desired cheese or yogurt. With the right mindset, though, whey can be an added benefit rather than a waste product.

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  • DIY Tooth Whitening Recipe

    DIY Tooth Whitening Recipe

    We’ve shared a lot of DIY health and personal hygiene products on this blog, and for good reason. There are so many products out there that are full of chemicals and toxins, that can be easily made at home for a fraction of the cost. This whitening tooth powder is packed with beneficial ingredients you’ll want to try.

     

    Ingredients:

    • 4 tablespoons bentonite clay. This is a natural, mineral-rich powder that gently cleans your teeth. It also detoxifies your mouth to freshen breath and fight gum disease
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda. Baking soda is a very mild abrasive that polishes the teeth and removes stains.
    • 1½ teaspoons finely ground sea salt. This ingredient is loaded with trace minerals that help to strengthen and rebuild your teeth. Salt is also a natural antiseptic which keeps the bacteria in your mouth in check.
    • 1 ½ teaspoons unrefined stevia powder. For anyone nervous about ditching conventional toothpaste, or just picky children, stevia helps to sweeten the powder.
    • Up to 3 teaspoons flavoring of your choice. Ground cloves, cinnamon, or mint are excellent choices that also act as astringents for gum health.
    • 1 teaspoon activated charcoal. Ironically, this jet black special ingredient is what really does the work in whitening your teeth. Activated charcoal (carbon) particles bind to the tannins from coffee, tea, wine, and certain foods to lift stains away. Charcoal also helps to balance the mouth’s pH levels which aids in remineralization.

     

    Add all ingredients to a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Attach the lid and shake thoroughly to evenly mix.

    To use, simply wet your toothbrush, dip it in the powder, and brush and rinse as you would with toothpaste. 

    This recipe is incredibly easy to make and use in place of conventional toothpaste made with questionable chemicals. Whip up a batch today to complete your DIY health and wellness toolkit.

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  • The Easiest Gardening Method You’ll Ever Try

    The Easiest Gardening Method You’ll Ever Try

    A thriving garden is the beating heart of the homestead.  For many people, though, keeping a garden can be a challenge. Traditional methods require heavy machinery for soil preparation, questionable chemical fertilizers, all adding up to a prohibitive upfront cost. A great and easy method of gardening that has a very low financial demand is the “lasagna garden”.

    It was given that name because the method involves developing arable soil by composting an existing plot with layers of organic matter. You create the layers in the fall, to be ready for planting in the spring. Here’s a quick guide to get you started:

    • Select your plot: With this method, you don’t need to prepare the soil at all. That’s right, no double-digging, no weeding! Just pick an area where your garden will get the sunshine it needs that isn’t too far from your water source.
    • The first layer: The base layer of your garden will be a single layer of corrugated cardboard that smothers out even the toughest weeds. You can source this from almost anywhere, just be sure to remove packing tape if you’re recycling boxes. To prevent weeds from growing through, be sure to cover up any gaps in the cardboard with more cardboard. If your plot doesn’t have any persistent or tenacious weeds, a minimum of three layers of newspaper will work fine instead. Just before applying the next layer, thoroughly saturate your base layer with water.

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    • The compost layer: This layer will be the powerhouse of your garden. Your garden is literally a compost sheet (rather than a pile or heap). Put anything in this layer you’d put in the compost, including “browns” like fall leaves, shredded paper, pine needles, and “greens” like veggie scraps, grass clippings, garden trimmings, etc. Once you’ve piled on the compostable matter, finish this layer off with three to four inches of finished compost or topsoil to be ready to plant. 
    • The mulch layer: Your lasagna garden will be topped off with the application of a couple of inches of mulch to retain the ideal moisture and temperature for your compost to break down. The best mulch materials are the ones you can source with minimal effort from neighbors, local businesses, or even your town’s Department of Works. Tried and true materials for this layer include wood chips (aged chips are best), straw, grass clippings, leaves, even tree bark! If it’s more convenient for you to purchase mulch, opt for undyed wood chips.

    Once you have your layers prepared, let them sit for a season. It’s common to start in the fall to be ready to plant in the spring, but you could do this in the spring for early fall planting, for example.

    To plant, brush back the mulch layer a bit and plot out the spots you’d like to plant your seeds. Cut holes in the cardboard for the roots to grow once the seeds begin to sprout, plant your seeds in the compost layer, and cover lightly with the mulch (as you would were you using potting soil).

    That’s it! The layers will retain moisture, so only water if the bottom layer is dry. Happy planting!

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  • How Does Homesteading Make You Healthier?

    How Does Homesteading Make You Healthier?

    When you have a homestead, no matter the size, you do not have a lot of time to rest if you want it to stay up and running properly. Homesteading can provide you with a sense of accomplishment, but it certainly takes work. However, this work can be very good for your health. This is one of the “hidden” benefits of homesteading that many people do not think about. Let’s look at some of the ways that becoming a homesteader could make you a healthier person.

    Getting Exercise

    You are going to be outside and working quite a bit. Whether you are tending to the livestock, in your garden, making repairs, dealing with snow, fishing, hunting, or hiking, you will be out getting plenty of exercise. This can help you to shed some pounds and keep you in good shape.

    Eating Better

    When you are homesteading, you can eat better, too. You are growing your own food rather than eating unhealthy processed food and fast food. You will be getting more nutrients since you are putting better quality food in your body. Fresh meat, veggies, and fruit are key elements to a healthy life. They are good for the insides, and they can also help you lose weight. In addition, eating healthy tends to be good for your skin, too.

    Improved Psychological Health

    Many find that homesteading can help improve their outlook on life and their psychological health. They feel better when they are doing something to contribute to their survival; other than sitting in a cubicle. They like getting things done on the farm, they like the quiet it can offer and the starry nights.

    As you can see, there are many benefits to living the homestead lifestyle. If you are still on the fence about homesteading, it could be the perfect option for you.

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  • 22 Ways to Use Beeswax

    22 Ways to Use Beeswax

    Beeswax is amazing. It is the only naturally occurring wax, and is produced in special wax glands of female honeybees. It takes 8 pounds of honey to produce 1 pound of wax! Vegetable waxes are rendered from fruit or leaves, while soy and paraffin waxes are produced by a toxic chemical process. Only beeswax is wax in its natural form, and simply can’t be produced in a lab, even in this day and age. But if you keep bees, you can essentially grow it in your own backyard!

    It has been used for centuries in many different ways, and there’s still plenty we can use it for in our daily lives. While one pound of beeswax can be relatively expensive, it can last you for a long time and serve many different uses. Many projects you will use it for will only require a small amount of beeswax, making it quite cost-effective, especially compared to purchasing a pre-made product that contains beeswax.

    Here is a list of 22 things you can do with beeswax. Each of the items on this list is something that can be made using beeswax or something that beeswax can be used for in its raw state.

    • Fabric waterproofing
    • Lotions
    • Balms
    • Ointments
    • Deodorant
    • Lipstick
    • Lubricate screws
    • Candles (DIY Beeswax Candles – Video)
    • Condition tools
    • Condition wood
    • Hair pomade
    • Beard wax
    • In grafting trees
    • Firestarter
    • Solid fuel
    • Condition leather
    • Sealing wax
    • Crayons
    • Polish copper
    • Season cast iron
    • Cover cheese
    • Treat snow shovels

    This is certainly just a small taste of ways you can use beeswax! If you buy a pound or so for one or two of these projects, or keep bees yourself, you’re bound to come across other ways you can use it in your home. It’s a great item to have on hand, especially for homesteaders. It’s one of the greatest naturally occurring products available to us, and we should take advantage!

     

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  • A Vegetable Growing Cheat Sheet

    A Vegetable Growing Cheat Sheet

    I love a good, detailed infographic, especially when it comes to gardening. A lot of the gardening infographics that show up on my feed on Pinterest are pretty simple, so I was stoked when I found this one from Anglianhome.co.uk recently.

    It’s an all-purpose cheat sheet for vegetable growing, from what’s best for plot vs. patio (or potted) vegetable gardens, where to plant, when to plant, and a handy companion planting guide as well. I think the companion planting guide section is my favorite, with handy color coding. It can be overwhelming trying to decide what to plant with what, and I love visual aids like this that can make planning out next year’s garden simpler.

    The most impressive part of the infographic however, has got to be the chart in the middle that has, in one handy chart, all the info you will need for planting, from spacing, sunlight, whether to direct sow, and what season to plant and harvest. This can also help to plan a garden, so you can coordinate companion plants and early spring starts.

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  • 3 Amazing Benefits to Growing Fruit Trees in Containers

    3 Amazing Benefits to Growing Fruit Trees in Containers

     

    I’m normally not a fan of growing food in containers, other than wooden raised beds which I guess are a form of containers.  But fruit trees are an exception and one that most people don’t ever consider, probably because they don’t think it’s possible.  But it is possible; lemons, oranges, and avocados are three examples of commonly purchased fruit that you can grow at home, and in containers.  Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider containers a strategy for growing fruit.

    Space

    Space is a factor for a lot of gardeners.  And trees are not light on the space they require.  Their roots need room, and the taller they get the more shade they will cast on the ground that you would otherwise like to be used to grow food.  But growing fruit trees that are specially-suited for live in containers (though these varieties can be put in the ground) will give you the ability to grow fruit trees in areas not available otherwise, areas like steps and patios.

     

    Mobility

    Keeping a tree in a pot, even a large pot means that it is mobile.  You might have to use a handcart, but you will be able to move it where you want it.  This means that you can move it from your front yard to backyard as seasons and light change, you can relocate it if it starts to shade other crops, and if you move you don’t have to say goodbye to something you have worked hard for.

    Poor Soil

    If your soil quality is not good enough to produce fruit in, you don’t have to wait while you build that quality up.  You can start your trees in containers with rich compost and later transplant them into the ground once you have improved the soil if you can.  If not, you can leave the trees in containers and not have to worry about the ground.

    So if you have poor soil, are considering moving, and don’t have enough space, you still don’t have any reason why not to be growing fruit trees.

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