For me, traveling has been the gateway to intuitive health. It has opened my eyes to naturopathic and holistic health practices. It has made me healthier, more intuitive, and more open to better ways of life.

When one not only travels, but also interacts with/lives among the people, you can’t help but learn something. I might even say that it’s impossible not to learn. You learn culture, lifestyle, etiquette, history, and medicine. Traveling with the people is the gateway to learning with your heart and opening the mind.

Over the last 10 years or so, I have had the opportunity to learn from people all over the world. I have picked up tidbits on how to live more naturally and holistically. My life has been truly edified by it.

In this article I will share 5 naturopathic remedies I have learned while out and about on God’s Good Earth.

Naturopathic Remedy Story #1: Black Tea

One day, while I was serving my mission Argentina, my eyes started getting itchy. We were in a new investigators house and the mom started giving my weird looks. I started pulling goop out of my eye.

In no time at all, she said (in spanish) “I think you have conjunctivitis”.

“What’s that?”

She was unable to explain it. Turns out it’s pink eye.

She kindly asked us to leave and sent me and my companion home with a couple of black tea bags. She instructed my companion to steep it, and then use it in my eyes to remove goop and sooth the redness.

10 years later, I keep a stash of black tea in my medicine cupboard for eye irritations. It is the only thing I will use from here on out!

Naturopathic Remedy Story #2: Grapefruit Seed Extract

This one is Patrick’s story.

Patrick was traveling through Nepal in the 2016. He had the fortune of contracting a serious stomach bug.

He met a random traveler from Switzerland or something who advised him to take Grapefruit Seed Extract to kill the bug. And guess what!?

It worked!

And now, of course, we keep that in our cupboard too.

Naturopathic Remedy Story #3: Meditation

Jordi, the server in Montserrat, Spain, taught us this fancy trick.

We were sitting down for dinner at around 8 or 9 PM. He offered us coffee.

“It’s almost bedtime! If we have coffee now, we won’t fall asleep!”

Jordi chuckled at this and said, “Your mind is only quiet when you’re dead! Picture yourself as a tree. Your feet roots, your body the trunk, your head the canopy, and in your canopy the monkeys climbing around. The monkeys are thoughts that whisper and shout and distract you from focusing on the things you want to do. Each fear, every anxiety you have is a monkey jumping around and causing chaos in your canopy. And as the monkeys get louder and stronger they create rocks that you carry around on your back. Rocks that weigh you down and tire you out. When you are meditating, you don’t try to quiet your mind. Look for your monkeys, listen to them, let them speak, and every day have one of those monkeys climb down your tree.”

That is the day we learned the power that meditation had over our health.

Patrick and I have both been working on our meditation practice for a few years now. It takes a while to get “good” at meditation. But it’s worth it! Studies show that a consistent meditation practice lowers stress, anxiety, depression, and a number of other health issues

We also keep this in our cupboard. Just kidding! It is in our schedules though. And our schedules are kept in our Dreambook and Planner from the Dragontree Apothecary. In this Dreambook and Planner, we are able to create time to meditate!

Naturopathic Remedy Story #4: Lavender Oil

Oh yes. Lavender Oil. I learned this one in Bozeman, Montana where I live. And to be honest, I don’t remember who taught it to me. All I know is that it is, hands down, the best treatment for a bump or bruise.

Toddlers are amazing at falling over and hitting their heads on things.

One day, Rufus, my toddler, was running laps on a slightly inclined driveway. It was cute. He was laughing and having a great time. But nature took it’s course and he fell and hit his head on the cement.

I rushed him home, applied lavender to the rapidly blossoming bruise and…. it went away. He never got a bruise. Since then, it has remained in our medicine cabinet. Whenever he hits his head, falls on his knees, or whatever else he does, we rub it on and no bruise appears.

It’s magic! Really though, it’s just the healing powers of nature.

Naturopathic Remedy Story #5: Healthy Eating

Last but not least, healthy eating. Believe it or not, this is the one remedy that people seem to have the hardest time believing. But it’s true. I learned this little trick when I was 25 living on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

When I moved there, I had heard rumor of a thing called the Whole30. This experience changed my life.

It was only then that I started learning about the ingredients in our food, what the fD@ allows. Once you start reading labels, you will finally understand why people are so sick physically and psychologically. They put sugar, (and a variety of other sweeteners,) in practically everything, as well as dyes, chemicals, preservatives, and other known toxins. Be warned, once you start reading labels, there’s no going back. You will forever be disgusted by our food.

My first time doing the Whole30, I kinda did it wrong. I started right enough. I got through the sugar withdrawals, the dairy withdrawals, and the carb withdrawals. But as soon as the 30 days were up, I binged on pizza. Literally the next day I broke out in the worst acne I have ever had. I had acne from the top of my head to literally my back and chest. It was gross.

And a huge blessing. I could literally never deny the power of healthy eating ever again.

I am not perfect at it. I am known to have a sweet or processed foods now and then but overall, I eat really clean. Since my clean eating journey began, I have overcome a hypothyroid, largely overcame my body image issues, don’t have acne, am conquering a pre type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and am generally speaking much happier with my health.

BONUS! Naturopathic Remedies at a glance:

• Coffee: For when you are backed up.
• Makers Mark Whisky: For when you are feeling sick in your stomach (but only a little bit).
• Oatmeal bath: Sooths irritated skin.
• Clove oil: Applied directly to gums helps teething pain.
• Fresh chopped garlic, ginger, and lemon juice tea with a little local honey: Excellent for sore throat.

To learn about the health code of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click HERE

It is not commonly accepted in American culture to be naturopathic or holistic.

We are trained from a young age to consume whatever we want, whenever we want. My transformation from an average American consumer into a naturopathic remedy, holistic nut job has been long and arduous. I have spent a lot of time reading labels, seeking out non-toxic options, and being looked at weird. It’s worth it though. I am grateful to finally be in this place in life.

Good luck in your journey! I hope this helps kickstart your journey!