The 5 Health Foods and Home Remedies You Can Make Yourself

At Parsley we have a hit list of DIY home remedies and health products to share with our members. With a bit of prep and patience, being a healthy person is easier and cheaper than you think.

Having better wellness is a daily practice and choice. As you choose healthier options more often, cook your own food, make your home remedies, and experience better digestion and energy as a result, it’s natural to want more.

Chanel your inner artisan and take your health literally into your own hands with these easy home remedy recipes.

As you know, preparing your own food is always best. You know what goes in it- from the oil used to the amount of salt added. You’re less likely to be fooled by nutrition labels or subject to the hidden kitchen of your favorite food store or restaurant.

Making your own healthy products and home remedies can be fun and cost-effective too. Here are 5 to start with:

1.Nut Milk

Milk substitutes on the grocery store shelves are often full of additives, sugar , and very little actual nut. As a result, you wind up consuming something much less nutritious. We like to make our own almond and coconut milks. It may take a little extra effort, but they taste damn good and can be added to anything.

Coconut Milk

Ingredients

• 4 cups filtered water
• 1.5-2 cups of dried, shredded coconut

Directions

1. Heat water to warm it up, not boiling
2. Add coconut to blender and add water
3. Blend for 2-3 minutes until creamy
4. Strain over a bowl to remove coconut pulp, use a spoon to push out all liquid
5. If desired, add a touch of vanilla extract
6. Store in a large mason jar will tight lid and refrigerate
7. Usually lasts up to a week if refrigerated

2. Sauerkraut

This probiotic rich mix of cabbage and salt is uber beneficial for your gut . You can usually find great raw, organic brands at the local health food store or Whole Foods. Although challenging, making your own is possible at home. Our favorite recipe is from our friend, Robyn Youkillis’ new book Go with Your Gut .

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cabbage, any variety
• 1 tablespoon sea salt, more if needed
• Filtered water, as needed

Additional minor ingredients you can add (make sure your mixture is mostly cabbage):

Thinly sliced apple or pear, shredded beets thinly sliced onions, garlic, finely chopped

Optional add-ins:

Caraway seeds, dried juniper berries, peeled and grated ginger-root.

Directions:

1. Pull off and set aside 2 outer leaves from the cabbage. Finely shred the remainder.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix the cabbage with the sea salt by hand. You’ll want to spend quite a bit of time on this, until the cabbage starts to get all juicy and you have liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Taste it throughout; it should taste very, very salty. Add any additional ingredients now.
3. Pack the veggies into a fermenting vessel (a 24 ounce Mason jar and lid works great). You’ll want to stuff the jar with an inch or two of cabbage and pack the veggies tightly down, then add another inch or two and repeat. Liquid should come up and cover the veggies at each stage of the packing and layering. Pack the veggies until you reach the top of the jar with about an inch or two of space. You want to make sure your veggies are below their liquid. If you need to, add a splash of filtered water or you may need a smaller jar (depending on size of cabbage used).
4. Layer the top of the veggies with the reserved folded outer cabbage leaves and seal the jar. Leave it at room temperature in a cool, dark place.
5. You’ll want to “burp” your veggies every day or two. Simply unscrew the lid and allow the air to escape. You may want/need to pack your veggies down with your fist again.
6. After about 1 week, you can taste your kraut. It should taste sour and slightly salty with a tangy flavor and have a nice but strong aroma. If it tastes good, it’s good. If it tastes bad, you may need to scrape off the top layer and discard it, then see if the kraut tastes yummy beneath the liquid. Allow it to ferment until your heart desires! I find that anywhere between 10 days and 1 month tastes great (but you can let some ferments go a year or more!). Once the taste is to your liking, seal and store it in the fridge for months.

Note: You’ll want to use a fresh, clean fork every time you serve your kraut or whole brined vegetables. This keeps the unique bacterias in your mouth from mixing and multiplying in your jar.

3. Sunscreen

As we all know, most of us are deficient in Vitamin D and we know that the use of sunscreen blocks our bodies’ ability to absorb it efficiently. Not only that, but many sunscreens are laden with toxins. Although making sunscreen from scratch may sound like a big undertaking, it’s actually quite simple. There are many natural oils that contain a natural SPF–coconut oil, almond oil, and carrot seed oil. Here’s a great recipe adapted from our friend Dr. Axe.

Ingredients

• 10 drops lavender oil
• 1 tbsp carrot seed oil
• ¾ cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp zinc oxide
• 2 tbsp shea butter
• Glass jar

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except zinc oxide into a jar
2. Place a saucepan with 2 inches of water on stove over medium/low heat.
3. Place jar in saucepan and stir contents until ingredients start to melt.
4. Once all ingredients are combined, add in zinc oxide and stir well.
5. Store in a cool place.

4. Bug Spray

It’s no secret that traditional bug repellent contains harmful toxins and chemicals. Making your own ensures that you not only protect and nourish your skin, but you also keep those bugs at bay naturally.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup witch hazel
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 40 drops essential oils (eucalyptus, lemongrass, citronella, tea tree, or rosemary)
• Glass spray bottle

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in 8oz spray bottle
2. Spray over all portions of the body but avoid repellent in eyes and mouth

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5. Moisturizer

Keeping skin hydrated is key to anti-aging and keeping the skin’s outer barrier strong and resilient. There are products right in your kitchen cabinet that will do the trick without the inclusion of harmful chemicals. We love this blend of shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter (all super home remedies in their own right) to keep skin nourished and glowing. It’s kind of an all-purpose home remedy for a lot of skin issues .

Ingredients

• 1 cup shea butter
• 1 cup cocoa butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

Directions

1. Create a double broiler with a pan of water and a smaller empty pot on top.
2. Bring the water in the bottom pot to boil, and then place your cocoa butter in the empty pot above it. Allow the cocoa butter to melt without burning.
3. When it has melted completely, put the pot of cocoa butter in the freezer for a few minutes.
4. In the meantime, combine the shea butter and coconut oil in the blender.
5. Remove the cocoa butter from the freezer (it should still be liquid but no longer hot) and combine it with the other ingredients in the blender.
6. Blend briefly, until everything is nicely mixed.
7. Pour the mixture into your waiting container and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and then voila!

Feeling inspired to make your own home remedies? Start with one and try it out. We’d love to hear how it goes!

If you’re into this post and want to dive further into the whole DIY / clean / green products thing, you might our Natural Beauty Rituals or this list of 5 Ways to Clean Up Your Skincare Routine .

Excited to see you at Parsley this summer!

You deserve a better doctor.



Schedule a free call with one of our health experts to learn how Parsley’s approach to comprehensive, whole medicine can bring you to life changing health.