Gosh JBR there is SO much out there to be found I wouldn’t know where to start.
I have a number of actual books which I doubtless got from Amazon years ago. They range from general natural remedies to a comprehensive book on all herbs and spices and their specific benefits and uses and other books.
Have a wander around Amazon and you’ll find a lot of that.
When you are interested in a specific ailment or condition then just Google it with natural remedies. i.e.
“Natural Remedies for Arthritis”
You’ll find a plethora of useful websites offering good information.
In terms of sourcing ingredients I have 2 main websites.
Firstly, Grapefruit Seed Extract, which I never go anywhere without, a most massively useful product with 100s of internal and external uses.
I buy from www.Citrosept.co.uk but they are now using their sister site for sales which is here:
https://sunflowerhealth.co.uk/brands/Citrosept.html
Remember, this is Grapefruit, citrus so not usable by those people who can’t have such fruits which includes people on Statins and so on.
Secondly, to source the rich and varied tapestry of different herbs out there I use Neil’s Yard Remedies
Ignore all the skincare and other stuff there and look in the “Wellbeing” section where you will find “Dried Herbs” and “Herbal Tinctures”.
Their range of these herb based products is extensive.
You can Google the benefits of each herb and then order the ones you need. You can then mix them together as you wish to make a kind of “tea”.
My remedy cupboard in the kitchen always has the following items as standard:
Large tub of 500mg Vitamin C (Calcium based - Ester C)
(I avoid plain Vit C tablets which are just Ascorbic Acid as they are acidic and irritate the stomach)
Large tub of Liquorice Root capsules
(These fight tooth infections and other dental conditions like abscesses as well as helping gastro issues where they help line and repair the stomach walls)
Tub of Turmeric capsules
(I only use these if I can’t get raw turmeric into my meals)
Cod Liver Oil Capsules
(High Omega stuff and provides good Vitamin D)
Bottle of Sage Tincture
(Sage is a great herb but not always easy to put in meals. A few drops of this tincture in tea creates a herby tasting drink)
Tub of Health/Epsom Salts
(Salts have a variety of uses. Predominantly they relax/open the digestive tubes allowing food to go through easier and for those with gallbladder issues it helps stones go through thereby relieving the pain and letting the body rid itself of stored toxins. The salts can also be used as a laxative if needed)
Tubs of Charcoal
(Never needed to use but there in case of emergency. If you inadvertently ingest a poison of some kind charcoal is a good way to get it out of your system quickly.)
Echinacea capsules or tincture
(always have some form of Echinacea to use as a preventative and cure aid)
Aside from these stock items I always have a collection of dried herbs from Neil’s. There are about 10 in my collection.
Then I ALWAYS have in my kitchen:
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A bunch of unwaxed lemons
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A large chunk of fresh ginger
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Large bulbs of garlic
I incorporate these into many meals and also make powerful immune boosting “tea” with the lemons and ginger and herbs.
As you probably also read in other threads, I also make my own Sauerkraut which is naturally fermented cabbage together with fennel and caraway seeds. Highly nutritious and packed with about 10 times more lacto-bacteria than the little yoghurt pots (Yakult, Actimel etc which are horrifically full of sugar!)
I avoid sugar where possible. I NEVER EVER buy bags of white sugar. I never add sugar to anything except on the rare occasions I bake muffins or some other cakey treat. Then I use only very dark brown sugar like Muscovado etc or I use honey or treacle and put about 1/2 of the recipe sugar allotment in.
I drink Coconut Water (Innocent brand which has less sugar content)
I don’t drink fruit juices (like Orange Juice and Apple Juice) as all that stuff is pure sugar and no fibre.
I eat plenty of fibre, that’s really important. Shredded Wheat for cereal or porridge made from organic oats, sometimes a bit of All-Bran though I don’t like the sugar content of that.
I make my own “Gingerbread” Granola in summer to have with yoghurt and fruit. It’s made from muesli oats, various dried fruits (dates, apricots, cranberries, raisins) and various nuts including pecan nuts, flaked almonds and hazelnuts. It’s all bound together with good quality Coconut Oil and a little treacle.
I cook with oils that have a low “smoke point” to avoid creating carcinogenic compounds which is what you get from regular oils at high heat. So I use either Avocado Oil or Rice Bran Oil in the main for all my frying and roasting. I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for dressings and pesto and have used Flax Oil in the past too.
I drink no fizzy pop of any kind ever. No Colas, no Fanta, no Pepsi, no energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster etc. If I go out in the evening with friends I choose a Gin and Tonic or Rum and Ginger Ale. I will drink a glass of red wine with a meal out, but almost never at home.
I cook meals every day using fresh vegetables and well sourced meat and fish. Take-aways are very few and far between. A Chinese maybe twice a year. Fish and chips maybe 10 times a year.
You get the idea I’m sure.
Most of this is simply about keeping the body systems in good order, especially the immune system. There are remedies there in case of sickness but in the main I allow and expect my body to simply “do its thing” and heal itself, which it does quite happily.
Natural Remedies begin with and are under-pinned by a lifestyle in tune with Nature.
Hope some of that is useful.