Learn about European Naturopathic Healing Methods

Milk and Milk Products





Milk


The story has it, that Cleopatra, the Egyptian empress washed herself with donkey milk. Maybe she knew the soothing effect of lactalbumin to the skin...

Today, we know, that milk in bathing water is very beneficial for the stressed skin. By the way, goat milk and even horse or donkey milk  is said to  be more effective.

Many doctors in Germany recommend that babies or children with itchy skin or neurodermitis get whey baths. Whey is a leftover product from butter production. There are ready made products available - (at least in Germany. ) If there is no whey bath available 1 quart of buttermilk to one bathtub with warm water does the trick as well. It is also able to restore the skins natural pH level. Using whey or buttermilk in your bath, you should stay away from any kind of soap, as soap counteracts the pH restoring qualities of the whey. Whey baths are excellently tolerated by babies. For extreme dry skin heavy whipping cream can be added as well.

The possibilities of applying milk are by no means  exhausted yet:
A glass of warm milk with a tablespoon of natural honey is probably  everybody‘s Grandma‘s recipe for  a good nights sleep. But, how about the other Grandma recipe? Ever heard of Onion Milk? Onion milk alleviates symptoms of cold, sore throat and cough. That‘s how it is done:
Three large onions get finely  minced and with their skin layered in an earthen pot, add 1 tbs. brown sugar, 1 branch of thyme, cover with water and let it slowly cook for 2 hours in the oven. Then sift and press the juice out of the onions. 1/2 a cup of this onion juice is mixed with 1/2 a cup of milk .Drink this onion-milk three times a day. 



Whey


Whey if you drink it as a cure, regulates the intestinal flora and normalizes digestion. Dabbing inflamed or dermatophyte infested skin with whey helps restore the natural pH level and the skin heals faster.



Lactose


To relieve constipation naturally  try lactose. - especially babies whose mothers smoked through pregnancy develop a severe constipation as they crave the nicotine once the umbilical cord is cut. Lactose to their milk helps to loosen their stool  and fights all constipation symptoms 



Quark (=Curd)


Ever heard of Quark? If you haven‘t been to Europe, probably not. In the US it is available in German delicatessen stores only. Quark is a ferment treated milk product. Its not only tasty to eat (and can by no means compared what's sold as „ricotta“) but also makes a terrific remedy for all kinds of inflammations.Quark is applied externally and you should not put it on mucous membranes (like eye-lids) or open wounds.The rennet ferment contained in the Quark would „digest“ the tender tissue. A Quark poultice helps always, when an inflammation has caused some heat. This can be on joints, varicose veins, abdomen, bronchi  - whatever. To make a Quark poultice you put a thumb thick layer of Quark on a damp cloth. Then this poultice is applied - Quark side to the skin - and wrapped with a towel . During the application (2 hours) you should stay in bed and rest. After two hours the Quark, that looks really dry now, is thrown away. If sensitive skin feels irritated after a Quark poultice, some almond oil or other fat containing body lotion can be used. QUARK WRAP for SUNBURNS: Mix Quark with buttermilk or yoghurt and spread on a linen cloth and put it on the burnt skin. Leave there for about half an hour and eventually replace until the heat is gone.



Yoghurt

Yoghurt is the remedy for a healthy vaginal flora  - especially when there is already a problem with discharge and itching. Then a tampon is dipped into yoghurt briefly and then inserted. Leave in time is 3-4 hours. No douche afterwards to allow the vaginal flora to regenerate.


Whipping cream

If the gall bladder is not working properly, this is a very old „house-remedy“
First you mix 1 Tbs. honey with one egg yolk and eat it As you don't heat the egg yolk  you should see that you get the best quality of eggs and as fresh as possible! After an hour you eat 2 Tbs. freshly grated horseradish with 2 Tbs. of heavy whipping cream. Sounds odd? Yes, but as long as there are no gall bladder stones involved, there is nothing better than that. Another bile juice activator is artichokes. But more about that under „Vegetables“
Butter
Butter is en excellent remedy to quiet the urge to cough. Allow a knife tip of butter to melt in your mouth, that smoothes the sore throat and voice box immediately. Butter is also a good base to make natural ointments with herbs. Of course this ointment (recipes in the chapter about healing herbs) has to be kept frozen, otherwise it would be rancid in no time....