Hints in Regard to Health and Well Being

The Thrifty Garden/Home actually started out as my home building blog (This/New House) in 2006.  After the building process was complete, gears were changed to include learning how to live more frugally thru gardening, home cooking and managing our household on one income.

Today I'm taking the blog in another direction as I've run out of frugal living tips but have much to share about old time wisdom I have come across in many written accounts in various cook books published in the 18th and 19th centuries.  In times before modern health care, many a homemaker was the first responder to her family's well being both preventative and hands on.  With the advent of the industrial revolution, women going off into the work force, duel incomes, etc. the important tasks of the homemaker were neglected.  When at one time knowledge to ward off illness was life or death wisdom that was commonly carried across the prairies with the pioneers, in today's world such information has been forgotten leaving people to rely solely on 'modern' medicine.

It seems that western medicine has taken on the roll of sick care, instead of health care.  What I'm about to share is a bit of folk wisdom, grandma's remedies and old time common sense knowledge minus the avarice of modern insurance plans that place profits ahead of a patient's well being. Let's learn how to stay healthy together.

Disclaimer:  I am not a medical doctor and, therefore, am not giving medical advice.  Simply, I'm relaying some older generational remedies to mostly prevent sickness and bodily harm. 

"An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure"

by:  Benjamin Franklin, American Statesman and Inventor

1706 ~ 1790

The current readings are selected from the book, The Original White House Cookbook, 1887 edition

(I will often quote word for word as such books are well past the 100 year copyright date and beg to be shared)

From page 494, Hints in Regard to Health:  

     "It is plainly seen by an inquiring mind that, aside from the selection and preparation of food, there are many little things constantly arising in the experience of every-day life which, in the combined effect, are powerful agents in the formation (or prevention) of perfect health.  A careful observance of these little occurrences, an inquiry into the philosophy attending them, lies within the province, and indeed should be considered among the highest duties, of every housekeeper.

     That one should be cautious about entering a sick room in a state of perspiration, as the moment you become cool your pores absorb.  Do not approach contagious diseases with an empty stomach, nor sit between the sick and the fire (heater) because the heat attracts the vapor."

Simple put .. we are to not only know the importance of proper food preparation AND how to observe and know properly how to attend to a sick family member without greatly risking our own health.  We will learn much more on the importance of temperature control in rooms and the ill effects to our bodies.

Stay tuned ...