Recently a friend said something to me that really made a lot of sense…God created us and didn’t leave us with no way to treat our ailments.  He created food for medicinal purpose as well as nourishment.  He created natural cures for aches and pains.  I remember as a child, a friend’s mom who had an aloe plant…natural relief for sunburn. So many natural cures, yet we have been trained to run to the doctor whenever we are sick.  Yet so many things can be treated naturally, without medical intervention.

A few weeks after the birth of our newest blessing, Libby (4 months old now), I woke up feeling achy all over and running a fever of 102F.  I felt like I had the flu.  I realized this must be mastitis.  I contacted my midwife and she said I could take an antibiotic or try some natural remedies.  I began to research natural antibiotics and cures for mastitis.  One thing I came across was the fact that raw garlic is a natural antibiotic.  I always have cloves of garlic on hand for cooking…but for medicine?  Well, I decided it couldn’t hurt to try, so I chopped up a clove of garlic that morning and swallowed all the pieces like little pills and went back to bed.  I took a total of 3 cloves that day and the following day.  Within 12 hours of starting the garlic, my fever went away and so did my body aches. (Warning: I did sweat garlic when my fever broke and my breath smelled horrible!)   Within 48 hours all of my symptoms had disappeared completely!  I have to admit I was pretty much in shock.  No doctor visit, no medication (better yet no side effects from medication), back to normal.  I was sold.  I told everyone who would listen about garlic as an antibiotic.

Fast forward a few months and my newborn baby begins coughing.  It started off as a runny nose and a tiny cough from time to time.  I decided she must have her first cold.  Well, the cough was not going away and in fact by a few weeks later seemed to be getting worse.  I started rubbing a homemade “vapor rub” on her feet and chest, mostly at night so she could sleep.  Then I began doing it during the day.  This did help her cough, but it was lingering and beginning to sound like more than a cold. Since I was breastfeeding, I began taking garlic and I upped my dose of fish oil on the recommendation of my chiropractor.  I started searching online for a more potent way to give her garlic, rather than me taking mega doses.  I came across several sites that said to crush it up and rub it on the bottoms of her feet.  I crushed a clove of garlic mixed with coconut oil (about a tablespoon) and rubbed it on the bottoms of her feet and covered them with socks.  I reapplied the mixture throughout the day until it was gone.  I began to notice a difference in her cough by that night.  I did the same the next day with another clove and coconut oil.  Within 48 hours her cough, that had been lingering and getting worse for several weeks, was GONE!  I will never be without garlic in my home!  I have told everyone I know about this awesome natural remedy.

Modern Alternative Mama has a post on alternatives to antibiotics that was super helpful to me.

Keeper of the Home has a great post on the history and uses of garlic, as well as a recipe for garlic oil for treating ear infections.

Have you ever tried garlic as a remedy?  What have you used garlic to treat?

Kayla North

Kayla North is co-founder of One Big Happy Home and is considered an expert on childhood trauma. Along with her husband, she has developed training materials and programs for parents, churches, and schools educating them on trauma and its impacts. Kayla is also an affiliate trainer with Trauma Free World, an ETC Parent Trainer, TBRI practitioner, and the Executive Directory of Tapestry. She speaks at churches, schools, conferences, and retreats nationwide.