SOS remedies from your Keto kitchen

Do you remember those SOS remedies that your grandma always recommended? They are usually prepared with one or more ingredients kept in our kitchen. Now, every country and every culture has different SOS remedies. This is also related to the availability and geographical distinctions of a respective area. Yes, you can have a quick relief by utilising some ancient remedies which usually serve as food or spices. From insect bites, skin burns, cuts, irritation, constipation and diarrhoea to migraine or poisoning. Even if you are feeling lethargic, grandmas always had a secret cure. Now, as modern humans, we tend to run to the pharmacy or stock up on pharmaceutical products. Pain killers, antipyretics, antibiotics and the list goes on. Many of them come with awful side effects. That’s the downside of modern progress, especially in the pharmaceutical industry.

Do SOS remedies from our Keto kitchen work?

I noticed that most of the ingredients in SOS remedies used by our ancestors are present in our Keto-oriented kitchen. Especially if you are stocking up on ingredients that are very Keto Mediterranean friendly. For example, Olive oil has many medicinal properties. Coconut oil has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Cod liver oil is like a magic potion! Eggs also can cure many deficiencies. Tallow is the most similar fat to our own skin sebum. Medicinal herbs that usually find their place in our meals as spices are extremely potent if you know how to use them. Milk has been used as a remedy in many cultures, but since on Keto we avoid it, I will concentrate on goat milk! Baking soda, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice… Bone broth… The list goes on and on… Some of them work quickly, others require a long-term application.

Let food be thy medicine – taken literally

In this article, I decided to list some of the main SOS remedies that are actually foods. Well, they can be spices, herbs or cooking fat, but still, they are used to prepare meals. One thing that amazes me about natural remedies that is their side effects are next to nonexistent. If you want to make it simple, here are the pros of home remedies from your Keto kitchen:

1. Immediately available
2. In most cases, they work
3. No side effects
4. No need to go out of your home

SOS remedy from Keto Kitchen #1 – Olive oil

Olive oil was the ultimate remedy for many things in Mediterranean households. Taken orally, applied on the skin to treat burns or sunburns, dropped into ears, taken by a spoon to treat mouth infection… It just works! It possesses certain phenolic compounds which help reduce inflammation. Also, a potent antiviral compound in olive extract (leaves) leads to many types of research and pharmaceutical products that aim to fight viral infection. Some of this compound (oleuropein) is also present in extra virgin olive oil. This compound is a potent blood glucose regulator according to this study performed on healthy humans. This means that you can take a tablespoon or two of top-quality EVOO to reduce blood glucose spikes right before your meal. of course, you will eat a low-carb meal, but EVOO can help additionally if you are suffering from insulin resistance.

Mediterranean women have been using olive oil for soap production for ages and its modern application is especially beneficial for the sensitive genital area. It actually is one of The best things you can apply to sensitive skin. When it comes to the fastest SOS application, use it as an ear infection remedy. To use this method, warm up some olive oil and pour a few drops into your ear. You can also use a small amount of olive oil to treat any skin irritation. When mixed with milk, (goat milk) it serves as a powerful acne treatment. It works miracles when mixed with baking soda, vinegar or honey. Now, honey might not be something that a Keto kitchen regularly has, but it can find a new purpose. Use a mix of honey and olive oil on a hygienic pad to treat vaginal discomfort. You will be surprised!

#2 – Coconut oil

Coconut oil goes everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean it literally! It could be the safest lubricant! Yes, you got this right! 😉 Furthermore, are you having haemorrhoids? Just mix it with olive oil and apply it! Do you have bad breath? Brush your teeth and mouth with coconut oil and baking soda. Mix it with Saint john’s wort oil for a perfect wound balm. Furthermore, mix it with sea salt for a body or face scrub. It’ll help with constipation on both ends! ;). The fastest SOS application would be to apply it to an area that is affected by a fungal infection. This also works for pets if the infection is not severe. For example, apply a lot of extra virgin coconut oil to your feet. Wrap them with parchment paper and then wear thick cotton socks. Sleep with this remedy and wash your feet with well-infused sage tea in the morning. Dry well and apply some more coconut oil. Repeat for 4 nights…

#3 – Butter, ghee or tallow

Saturated fats are not the bad guys as you might read online. In fact, their molecular structure is very similar to our own body fat. Studies have also shown that saturated fats do not harm our blood lipid profile. It gets even better, they can actually improve it. Tallow, especially lamb tallow is always a great addition to the Keto kitchen. I already published my recipe for homemade hand creme, as well as face serum featuring tallow as the main ingredient. But as an SOS remedy, it’s even more impressive! Whip up some room temperature tallow with a couple of eggs and use it as a hair mask, dry skin mask or to treat broken skin on your feet. You can use butter or ghee the same way, but nothing soothes broken lips like some ghee or butter. Try it also for reducing sunburns. Slightly melt the butter and mix it with yoghurt. Apply to sunburns and let it work for at least an hour before rinsing with lukewarm water. Then apply some more butter to moisturise the skin.

#4 – Garlic and onion

You would be surprised how many things can be fixed with a little garlic or half an onion. How is this possible? Well, it’s not only that everything tastes better when you start cooking with garlic and onion. They also can serve as potent SOS remedies. The quickest application is actually to cut an onion in half and apply it to burnt or irritated skin. It works immediately. Onion is rich in sulphur compounds and quercetin. These two components help heal superficial burns. Onion juice is also an effective pain reliever and lowers the occurrence of blisters. The most potent ingredient in garlic is allicin. It contains oxygen, sulfur, and other chemicals that give garlic antibacterial and disease-fighting properties. It’s a natural antibiotic and you can mix it with olive oil, and coconut oil and use it for any bacterial infection. For sore throat or mouth infection blend garlic with apple cider vinegar and sage tea. If you get herpes on your lip after a fever, treat it with some garlic juice and apply some coconut oil afterwards.

A quick list of additional ingredients that you can use for SOS remedies

Besides these 4 main Keto ingredients, your KMD kitchen should always have the following natural additives:

1. Mediterranean herbs (sage, thyme, peppermint, oregano, rosemary, nettle, yarrow, fennel, lavender, chamomile, rosehips…)
2. Aluminium-free baking soda
3. Sea salt or flower of sea salt
4. Vinegar, citric acid from lemon or actual lemon
5. Cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, cloves, nutmeg

Do you have anything to add? Perhaps some specific homemade remedy recipe from your part of the globe? Let us know in the comments, let’s use the internet to spread some positive ideas about the old-fashioned lifestyle. Something that we have to fight to preserve in today’s world!