Welcome to the Herbal First Aid Kit series! Here, we’ll talk about different herbs and how they can help you in a first aid setting. All the herbs I mention in this series can be found in my Herbal First Aid Kit. Today we’re going to talk about ginger and charcoal.
Ginger
In my first aid kit I use ginger in an oil. It’s harder for people to deal with ginger if it’s fresh or in a powder form in a first aid type setting. A lot of people feel like it’s a little strong to drink, especially if you have children. So, I put it in a roller bottle.
Ginger is actually one of my very favorite herbs because it allows any herbs that you’re using to be taken to the area quicker. So, if you have stomach pain, a lot of people know you can try ginger because it helps calm the stomach, right? One of the reasons it does that is because it can get there quickly and start working but if you have pain, ginger is a really good one to use. So, use it with something like lavender and it will calm and heal the pain.
In clinical studies we’ve found that ginger acts just as strong as Dramamine. If you have nausea and vomiting and want to use something like Dramamine, I recommend something like ginger.
I prefer to use the roll on, especially with kids, it’s really good to take to an amusement park or on a car trip and help ease that nausea right when it comes up.
I also like to use ginger for migraine pain. I’ve already said it’s really effective for pain. Studies have been shown with ginger that it can reduce pain with arthritis, even with rheumatoid arthritis. So it’s really powerful to rub it in.
Internally, if you ingest it, it gives a piggyback ride to other herbs. It just really helps quicken the ability to use them.
It’s great for managing blood sugar. If you know of anyone that gets a little hangry, you can use ginger to help calm the blood sugar.
It’s also really good for runny nose and seasonal allergies and anything like that. So if you’re dealing with a constant runny nose, try taking ginger. You can take ginger tea and it’s really good at easing up the congestion that you might be feeling.
It’s also really good for food poisoning. My go to is always charcoal powder, but if you are sick and need that charcoal powder to work better, try ginger with it.
It’s really good for acid reflux. It’s great for menstrual cramps. So if women are experiencing pain, just rub it on their abdomen and that can really help ease the pain.
If you use ginger fresh, I recommend just grating it and putting it in with a little bit of warm water and some honey. It’s really delicious. My kids love ginger tea, but if you carry the powder with it, you can just sprinkle it onto a wound, put the powder in the water and drink it just like that.
Ginger is really simple to use. Most people like the flavor and it’s really effective.
Charcoal
Charcoal powder is a must have, especially if you have children. It is so good with helping with poisoning of any kind
Seven years ago my family was preparing to move to Samoa. I tend to attract every living mosquito and wanted to do something to help my blood be less tasty to those horrible blood suckers.
I read a few articles that suggested that taking a Niacin supplement would help, so I ordered a huge bag of this powder (can you tell where this story is headed😱).
I put a small amount in 3 cups for each of my boys (all under the age of 7). I took a larger amount and we all drank together.
Next thing I knew my boys started screaming. I ran over to them and saw that their skin was turning bright red. They were itchy and feeling sick. Just then my husband walked in from work.
I was panicking over the thought that my kids were having a severe allergic reaction and I was killing them.
I then started to feel my skin burning. My heart felt like it was stopping and I could hardly breathe. I told my husband to call 911. My voice was scratchy, but I tried to apologize to my husband for killing me and the kids. I held the boys close and tried to tell them to start throwing up. I then remembered charcoal powder.
I told my husband to grab it and get us all to drink it so we wouldn't die (YOU GUYS, I LITERALLY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO DIE!!!). As we all drank some my husband was told from the operator at 911 that we were experiencing a Niacin flush and that we would all survive!
I burst out laughing! The charcoal helped us all immediately start feeling better, but I couldn't stop laughing/ crying over forgetting about the side effects of Niacin.
It was a huge relief to know that we would be okay. It was also comforting to know that I had charcoal powder easily available for such an emergency.
When it comes to charcoal powder, I recommend doing it activated. That means that there’s not any other chemicals and that it’s been cleansed and you’re able to use it internally. Activated charcoal powder has the ability to absorb. So it can take the poisons in and absorb them so that they’re not a problem for you. It also neutralizes the problems.
It’s also really good for mosquito bites and bee stings. My seven year old son has an allergic reaction to every single bug bite he gets and so we always put a little charcoal paste on it. I just mix a little bit with water and put it right onto the wound that he has and it helps neutralize the sting, especially if you can get it immediately. It really helps pull out the pain that they’re feeling.
It’s also great for water purification, if you’re out traveling and can’t filter the water, you can use charcoal powder. I put it in my toothpaste to help keep my teeth white and clean. It’s really good at cleansing. It’s also good for acne, detoxification and infections. It will just stop it.
The fact that it can help with kidney health is one of my favorite things. It can really help flush out your kidneys. So, try and drink it occasionally just because it’s really good to help your body stay clean.
Conclusion
That’s how to use ginger and activated charcoal in a first aid setting. If you would like to have these herbs in your first aid kit, go ahead and head over to our store and look for our Herbal First Aid Kit! It’s a great way to care for you and your friends and family in a first aid setting in a holistic and natural way.
