For centuries, people have been using home remedies as their first treatment for common ailments. With easy access to over-the-counter drugs, though, people have turned away from home remedies in the last several decades. There are still plenty of inexpensive options that work well, however. Which are your favorite home remedies?

Apple Cider Vinegar:

One ever-popular remedy, apple cider vinegar, starred in a mid-20th century book, Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health. In it, Dr. Jarvis promoted the use of apple cider vinegar and honey. Although he was perhaps the most enthusiastic proponent of this remedy, he learned about it from his patients. They, in turn, had learned about it from their parents and grandparents. The use of apple cider vinegar as a home treatment for a range of ills can be traced back to colonial times in New England.

Although most doctors have not embraced vinegar of any sort, many people still maintain that it can be helpful. We talk with Rosemary Gladstar, an herbalist and author of Fire Cider!: 101 Zesty Recipes for Health-Boosting Remedies Made with Apple Cider Vinegar. In it, she describes multiple uses of apple cider vinegar, especially in combination with hot peppers (fire cider). These strong flavors may not be for everyone, but some people swear by fire cider. How do they use it?

What Are Your Favorite Home Remedies?

We’d like to hear about your favorite home remedies, whether you are using an herbal tea to soothe indigestion or have found a creative use for a drugstore product. (Lots of people tell us they put Vicks VapoRub on the soles of their feet to calm a nighttime cough. We first heard about this unorthodox use from a listener more than a decade ago.)

Call In Your Questions and Stories:

After you listen to Rosemary Gladstar, we invite you to tell us about your favorite home remedies. Joe and Terry will respond. Our lines are open for your questions and comments this week. Call 888-472-3366 between 7 and 8 am EDT on Saturday, December 7, 2019. You can also reach us by email: radio@peoplespharmacy.com.

This Week’s Guest:

Rosemary Gladstar is a star figure in the field of modern herbalism, internationally renowned for her technical knowledge and stewardship in the global herbalist community. She has been learning, teaching and writing about herbs for over 40 years and is the author of eleven books. Her work includes Herbs for Common Ailments, Medicinal Herbs, a Beginners Guide, Herbal Healing for Women, Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, and The Science and Art of Herbalism, an extensive in depth home study course. She is the Founding President of United Plant Savers, former director of The New England Women’s Herbal Conference and founder and past director of the International Herb Symposium. Her newest book is Fire Cider!: 101 Zesty Recipes for Health-Boosting Remedies Made with Apple Cider Vinegar

The photograph of Rosemary Gladstar is by Jason Houston.

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