Much of the work we do as gardeners involves pulling weeds, and many of us can attest that this is not our favorite part. The good news is that there are many common garden weeds you can leave right where they are.

Edible weeds have been a common food source throughout history and a regular part of the American diet up until the rise of the supermarket and the shift towards large-scale agriculture. More recently, people have been re-discovering these nutrient-rich plants as part of a healthy, organic diet, and, as a result, educational opportunities abound. There is a variety of books, websites, classes and entire schools dedicated to teaching how to harvest and prepare these foods. If you read up on the subject, you will also find many wild, edible weeds offer the added benefit of medicinal properties.

Getting Started

The best way to get started is to learn how to identify your garden weeds. There are some very useful book resources out there with colored guides to positively identify the plants you are looking for and “weed” out poisonous look-alikes. Petersen Field Guide: Edible Wild Plants, by Lee Allen Peterson is a handy all-around reference that includes more than 370 edible plants, colored illustrations, photographs, and directions on preparation. If you want to get a little more in-depth on some of the more common wild edibles, Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods from Dirt to Plate by John Kallas, Ph.D. includes thorough identification and recipes. There are also many local wild food groups popping up in towns everywhere, and an internet search should turn up local organizations.

There are also many local wild food groups popping up in towns everywhere, and an Internet search should turn up local organizations, workshops, and plant walks. Social media sites like Facebook offer another resource for national and local plant identification groups. On-line communities are a great place to ask questions, post-plant pictures, and benefit from the collective knowledge of others. Once you feel comfortable with identification, you can go out and start shopping for free in your own backyard.

Dandelion

The first and most common of these weeds is the dandelion. This plant is tenacious, managing to grow everywhere from cracks in sidewalks to all over your lawn. There is a huge agrichemical industry geared towards the American homeowner and the idea that a well-kept lawn is a weed-free lawn, with the dandelion depicted as the number one enemy. People are convinced they should spend their time and money eradicating the dandelion with harmful herbicides. The truth is, dandelions are very useful and are easily managed by hand-pulling and regular harvesting. The greens that emerge in the early spring are rich in antioxidants, Beta-carotene, vitamin C, Vitamin D, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, sodium, and a variety of trace minerals. They are also fairly high in protein. Not only can you eat the leaves, but the cheery yellow flowers make an excellent addition to colorful salads and can be added to stir-fries. My favorite thing to make with them are dandelion fritters for a festive springtime meal. In addition, the root makes a delicious coffee-like beverage when roasted, ground and brewed.

The value of dandelions doesn’t stop there. They are used as an herbal remedy for anemia, blood disorders, promoting digestion, improving liver and kidney function, regulating diabetes, lowering blood pressure and high cholesterol, and slowing the growth of cancerous cells.

Plantain

Not to be confused with the banana-like plant of more tropical regions, this common garden weed has a similar nutritional profile to dandelions and grows in equal abundance. Often this weed can be found growing everywhere from garden beds to lawns and roadsides. The green oval-shaped leaves sprout from the center of a rosette with a stalk covered in seeds rising from the center. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked in sautés, soups, and stews. They are often blanched before they are added to salads or frozen for later use. The shoots when young and green are excellent sautéed in olive oil, and still edible once older, but the fibers present a bit more work for eating. The seeds can be stripped off the stalk and eaten as well, although this is a somewhat tedious process.

Plantain leaves can also be mashed between your fingers and applied as a topical poultice for relief of cuts, scrapes, bruises, and especially insect bites. Plantain is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Dried leaves can be steeped for an herbal tea for general enjoyment and to treat liver and kidney disorders, urinary tract infections, gallstones, ulcers and bronchitis.

Chickweed

This plant gets its common name from the affinity chickens have for it, and those chickens are definitely on to something. Chickweed grows in a network of long, succulent stems with pointed leaves and tiny, white star-shaped flowers. It grows in gardens, lawns, and even in the shade under the canopy of trees. These tender greens are best harvested in May through July and if transplanted or sown by seed, it can be cultivated in a cold frame throughout the winter when fresh greens are hard to come by. It’s also a good plant to keep around in the garden because it decreases insect damage to other garden plants where it grows. The stems and leaves make an excellent salad green and sandwich fixing and they can be added to soups and stews, chopped stems and all. Chickweed is highly nutritious, providing vitamins A, B complex, C, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, manganese, sodium,

Chickweed is highly nutritious, providing vitamins A, B complex, C, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, manganese, sodium, copper, and silica. Due to the high content of saponins, it helps increase the body’s absorption of nutrients. It is so highly nutritious, in fact, that it was commonly recommended for convalescents and people recovering from illness to help build strength.

Externally, finely chopped chickweed will soothe and heal cuts, scrapes, burns, eczema, and rashes. Steeped as a tea, it has diuretic properties that promote kidney and urinary tract health. It is also considered an old wives’ remedy for obesity, due to its ability to break up and flush out excess fat cells.

Lamb’s-Quarters

This common weed is also known as “wild spinach”, and while it is quite similar, it is much easier to grow. This plant has tall stems with diamond shaped leaves that are green on top and whitish underneath, and appear dusty at a distance. Tiny green clusters of flowers grow from the top in spikes. Anywhere where soil has been disturbed, lamb’s quarters loves to fill in the spaces, which conveniently happens in our garden beds in the spring. It is best harvested before it goes to seed, as it spreads quickly through the garden. It is also important not to harvest it in areas contaminated by chemicals or synthetic fertilizers, as it readily absorbs and stores them.

Lamb’s-quarters is much higher in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, B Vitamins, calcium, phosphorous, niacin, iron, and protein than spinach and most of the other domesticated greens. You can use lamb’s quarters the same way you would use spinach in any dish. Like spinach, it is high in oxalic acid, which inhibits absorption of iron and calcium. Small amounts of raw lamb’s quarters are fine to eat, in things like salads and smoothies, but larger amounts should be cooked to break down the oxalic acid. It is rumoured to taste better than spinach when steamed, so be prepared for a treat.

Medicinally, lamb’s quarters are used as a tea or simply eaten to treat stomach upset and diarrhea. A simple external poultice can also be made by crushing up the leaves to soothe swelling and burns.

Nettles

And finally, my favorite superfood, stinging nettle. If you live on acreage or near a park, you may find them nettles in patches at the edge of wooded areas or find them in the shady parts of yards, often next to buildings. You may have had unpleasant run-ins with this plant, making it difficult to imagine any warm, fuzzy feelings towards it, but learn to handle it right and you’ll have a great ally in the plant kingdom.

In the spring, if you put on your garden gloves and pinch off the top few inches of the stalk and leaves, you can steam, stir-fry, puree or brew away the troublesome spines for a culinary delight.

Nettles are so high in so many nutrients, that you can’t help but feel like a superhero after eating them. Not only are they chock-full of Vitamins A,C, E, F, K, P and B Vitamins, they are also high in zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, selenium, boron, bromine, calcium, chlorine, chlorophyll, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, iodine, chromium, silicon, sulfur, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Top that off with 16 free amino acids, beta carotene, antioxidants, protein and fiber, and its no wonder they are referred to as nature’s multi-vitamin!

Nettles are delicious in soups and broths. They make a vitamin rich tea, pair nicely with eggs in scrambles and quiches, and even make a lovely pesto when substituted for basil.

Medicinally, nettles are used as a spring cleansing tonic, a blood builder, a PMS treatment, and as a diuretic. Nettles have also gained notoriety as a natural remedy for allergies, asthma, hay fever, hives, and respiratory issues. Topically, the nettle’s sting has been successfully for treating arthritis and tendinitis.

The Benefits of Edible Weeds

When it comes down to it, it is much more efficient to cultivate plants that are already thriving where they’re growing. They will require less watering and overall care. If they are a spreading weed, you will just need to make sure you keep harvesting enough to keep it contained. By working with, rather than fighting some of these plants, you will also benefit from freeing up extra time and energy to devote to other areas of your garden. You can’t get much more local than food harvested right out of your back yard, and you will know it was organically grown and chemical-free. When it comes down to it, what better way to get revenge on your garden weeds than to eat them!

Recipes:

Mountain Hearth Dandelion Fritters

Ingredients:

• a few handfuls of freshly picked dandelion flower heads
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• cooking oil of choice for frying
• sesame oil, cider vinegar and tamari for dipping sauce

 In a bowl, mix dry ingredients, then whisk in water and egg with a fork. Heat enough oil in the bottom of a skillet to create a layer for frying. This can be to your preference, but I try to aim for 1/2 inch depth. Dip each flower head in the batter until thoroughly coated and fry until crispy. In a smaller bowl, mix sesame oil, cider vinegar and tamari to a consistency of your liking for the dipping sauce. Serve hot as a delicious spring appetizer.

Other Recipies: 

• Baked Plantain
• Chickweed Salad
• Lamb’s Quarters Soup
• Stinging Nettle Recipes

Further Reading:

• Purslane and Recipes
• Mulberries and Mulberry Recipes
• Elderberries and Recipes

Resources:

• Wild Food Adventures
• Edible Wild Food
• Wild Edible
• Nettles: a traditional medicinal plant – Nettles for Health

GMO foods are very common in American and Canadian diets. Not because people choose to eat GMOs, but because they are unaware of how pervasive GMO ingredients have become in processed foods. Biotech companies have been very successful in lobbying to prevent labeling. There are no requirements to label GMO foods, despite concerted efforts by consumer groups.

Unnatural Isn’t Always Bad

As a general rule, the more natural and unadulterated a food, the better it is for you. Selective breeding is an exception to this rule. Selective breeding, or artificial selection, is the process of interbreeding plants to enhance positive qualities and eliminate or diminish negative qualities. Some cultivars are much better for our health than the original. For example, wild almonds contain amygdalin, a substance that is converted to cyanide in the body. Sweet almonds are the domesticated cultivar. Though they are less “natural,” they are better for you than their wild counterparts. Selective breeding is the good kind of unnatural.

But It Usually Is

The bad kind of unnatural is almost everything else that is being done to our food, including the majority of practices adopted by modern agriculture. Chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, concentrated animal feed operations, grain fed meats (vs grass fed), pasteurized foods, irradiated foods…the list goes on and on. Genetically modifying our foods is the latest insult to our food supply, and it is as unnatural as it gets.

One of the most common types of genetic modifications is to modify a crop so that it can withstand unlimited Roundup applications. This enables farmers to spray their whole fields with Roundup, killing the weeds while sparing their crops. Of course by this process, we end up with foods that have been soaked in herbicide. But this is not the only way that your food could be doused with Roundup.

Round Up Sprayed Just Prior to Harvest

Wheat, sugar cane, and other crops are often routinely treated with Roundup just prior to harvest. Of course some of this pesticide is making its way into our food. The Non-GMO project allows this practice. Non-GMO only means a food is not genetically modified. It could still be treated with all kinds of pesticides.

Recently, the World Health Organization released a report stating that the world’s most widely used herbicide, Monsanto’s Roundup, probably causes cancer.

What is a Genetically Engineered Food?

GMOs are made from combing genes from two or more unrelated species into one organism. The two most common types of genetic modifications are modifying crops to produce pesticides or modifying them to be immune to herbicides (making them Roundup ready). Sugar beets have been modified to be Roundup ready. Both kinds of genetic modifications have been done to corn and soy in the same seed.

What’s so bad about them?

GMOs have not undergone long-term studies. When biotech claims GMOs have been tested thousands of times, they’re referring to 90-day studies or studies done for less than two years that have been funded by the industry.

There have been several studies linking GMOs to numerous health problems. The most common problems associated with long-term GMO consumption are kidney and liver damage, faulty insulin regulation, accelerated aging, cancer, and infertility. To look at the results of these studies, please see the link below.

How to avoid GM Food

When asked, more than half of all consumers say they avoid eating GMOs. Sadly this isn’t the case at all. Consumers probably would if they were labeled. Over 90% of Americans and Canadians eat GMOs on a regular basis. If more of us knew what was genetically modified, we wouldn’t eat these foods, and Monsanto and other businesses would be forced to find another way to make money.

Buying organic is the easiest way to avoid GMOs, and when you buy organic you also avoid pesticides and other chemical additives. Non-GMO project verified is a safe bet that the food is free of GMOs, but other toxins from conventional methods of agriculture are a given if the food is not organic.

The eight most common GMO crops are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, papaya, zucchini, and squash. Unfortunately, hundreds of other genetically modified foods are in development. It is only a matter of time before GMOs become much harder to avoid.

GMOs are almost always in processed foods. Soy, high fructose corn syrup (now also called fructose) or sugar from sugar beets are found in almost every processed food. Over 90% of soy, corn and sugar beets grown in the U.S. have been genetically modified. If you see these ingredients in your food, you can bet it has been genetically modified.

You have to Avoid GMOs to Detox from GMOs

Of course you can’t keep eating GMOs if you wish to fully detox from them. This means no restaurants (unless you eat at organic restaurants, which are very hard to find), and no processed foods, unless they are organic, or Non-GMO project verified.

Why Detox Genetically Modified Organisms?

Detoxification is defined as the removal of toxic substances from the body. This is often an emphasis of alternative medicine. The benefits of removing toxins from the body are numerous, too many to list in their entirety. Some of the better-known benefits are increased energy, improved sleep, weight loss, and lowered risk of diseases, such as colds, flu, and cancer.

How to Detoxify GMOs

In order to detox from GMOs, you’ll need to eat a diet rich in produce with lots of raw foods and sulfuric vegetables. A high fiber diet is essential. Drinking lots of clean water, and getting lots of exercise aids our bodies in detoxification. Salads and smoothies are staples of a detox diet. Detoxifying genetically modified organisms takes time, a clean diet, lots of clean water, and a healthy digestive tract with a strong and healthy ecosystem of beneficial flora. Speed up the process by eating large salads (recipe), killing candida and healing the gut, drinking lots of cranberry lemonade (recipe), and using a clean and pure nutrition formula with spirulina and chlorella (recipe).

Recommended Supplements:

• Formula SF722 (Kill fungi that inhabits unhealthy gut)
• Floramend-Prime by Thorne (Feed beneficial bacteria that GMOs killed)
• Total Nutrition Formula (Pull toxins out of the body, and multi-vitamin/mineral)
• Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse (Clean and heal intestinal tract, kill bad guys)
• Shillington’s Intestinal Detox (Heal and pull toxins out of intestinal tract)
• Systemic Enzymes – (For eliminating damage which is fibrin buildup, and they eliminate foreign proteins and many chemicals – this can aid the body in eliminating toxins).

Further Reading:

• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Doctors Against GMOs – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Doctors Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Scientists Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• GMO Facts and Arguments
• GMO Science
• How to Avoid GMOs
• The Difference Between Heirlooms, Hybrids, and GMOs

Sources:

• Bitter Almonds vs. Non Bitter – E How
• IARC Monographs Volume 112: evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides – International Agency for Research on Cancer WHO
• WHO Report Links Weed Killer Ingredient to Cancer Risk – NBC News
• GMO Dangers – Institute for Responsible Technology

The human body is about is 70% water. Newborns are roughly 80% water, and elderly are as little as 50% water. Our muscles are about 75% water. Even our bones, which seem completely solid, are 25% water. Without food, we would eventually die, but without water, we would die a lot sooner. Depending on the amount of fat and muscle in our bodies, most of us can live several weeks without food, 5-7 weeks on average. The average person can only survive 5 days without water. Undoubtedly, water is life.

A Constant State of Dehydration is the Norm, not the Exception

Most people do not drink enough water. So of course, dehydration is very common. People normally drink water only when they are thirsty, or when their mouth is dry. Thirst and a dry mouth are signs of dehydration. If we drink water only when thirsty, we are perpetually dehydrated.

Too often, when people increase the amount of water they drink, they find they spend way too much time running to the bathroom. Naturally, they believe frequent bathroom trips are a symptom of too much water. Even though this may sound counterintuitive, this is usually not the case.

When we are not getting adequate water, our bodies go into a kind of survival mode and release aldosterone, a hormone that encourages water retention. Water is retained for vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.

Toxins and waste build up in this retained water – toxins and waste that our bodies ideally eliminate on a daily basis. When we increase our water intake, the body begins flushing out the water that has been retained in our organs and tissues, replacing it with clean water. With adequate hydration, this process will continue for a few days to a week before the frequency of urination decreases.

Signs of Dehydration

There are many other signs of dehydration including:

• Back pain
• Cramps
• Constipation
• Decreased urine output
• Dizziness
• Dry skin
• Dry, sticky mouth
• Fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Feeling lightheaded
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Irritability
• Indigestion
• Yellow urine

Less common, but other possible signs of dehydration include:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Migraines

Signs of severe dehydration include:

• Confusion
• Extreme thirst
• Extremely dry mouth
• Delirium
• Fever
• Little to no urine, or very dark colored urine
• Listlessness
• Low blood pressure
• Rapid breathing
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sunken eyes
• Skin so dry and shriveled that it loses elasticity
• Unconsciousness

Doctors are Unlikely to Diagnose Mild to Moderate Dehydration

When you go to the doctor with complaints of back pain, constipation, muscle cramps, persistent headaches, or other symptoms of dehydration, doctors are more likely to prescribe medication than suggest you drink more water. There are many reasons for this. Doctors make more money when they write prescriptions, and their patients might think their money wasted if the medical advice they paid top dollar for was simply, “Drink more water.” Also, sadly, many doctors may not recognize the symptoms as dehydration.

“At medical schools more than 600 hundred teaching hours are allocated to the use of pharmaceutical products. Only a few hours are allocated to instructions on diet and food.” F. Batmanghelidj M.D.

Staying hydrated is good advice that is rarely taken seriously. Nearly all of the body’s functions run on water. Water is needed as the delivery system for oxygen, and nutrients. It is a crucial component of our nervous system and the medium by which the nervous system sends its signals. Water is also needed for our bodies to efficiently remove toxins.

When dehydrated, even when mildly dehydrated, our joints are robbed of fluids, since the body considers these areas of the body to be less vital. Cartilage is around five times slicker than ice; it is the ultimate lubrication for our joints. Nothing man-made functions as well as cartilage does. One of the best ways to keep cartilage in good condition is to stay hydrated; cartilage is 80% water. Dehydration wears down cartilage. Sadly, joint replacement surgery is a poor replacement for healthy joints. Replaced joints only last 10-15 years, and they don’t work as well as the real thing.

Back Pain is A Common Symptom of Dehydration

Do you ever suffer from back pain? If so, does your back hurt more in the morning? Many of us lose water throughout the night with nighttime bathroom runs and night sweats. If we don’t think to replace those fluids, dehydration results which inflames the kidneys, and this can cause to back pain. Whenever your back hurts, try drinking several glasses of water. The pain usually subsides. This makes sense because the fluid inside the body’s spinal discs supports 75% of the body’s weight.

“When the disks in your spine lack water, they begin to degenerate and herniate more quickly. It’s similar to driving a car on underinflated tires. The tires will either wear out faster or eventually blow out.” Don Colbert M.D.

Water is What Does All the Work

Water is the workhorse of our digestive system. Water is the primary part of all of our digestive fluids. Saliva, bile, stomach acid, pancreatic juices, and the mucus that lines our gastrointestinal tract are mostly water. Without adequate water intake, the digestive system doesn’t work as it should. The mucous layer in our stomach is actually 98% water, and this is the best protection against heartburn. The mucous layer contains bicarbonate, which effectively neutralizes stomach acid. When our bodies have adequate water this mucous layer is thick, but when we do not it is very thin. Contrary to popular belief heartburn is not caused by an antacid deficiency, but rather it is usually caused by a water deficiency. Water is the most effective heartburn medication there is, and the cheapest, too. Water doesn’t just help to prevent heartburn, water helps in all stages of digestion. We recommend that you avoid drinking lots of water with your food, because this can water down your digestive fluids. Drinking a lot of water before or an hour after eating is ideal.

A Natural Cure All

People who suffer from asthma and/or allergies typically have high histamine levels. Histamine forces the muscles in the bronchial tubes to constrict, which inhibits airflow through the lungs. Studies have shown that histamine levels drop as water intake increases. If you suffer from asthma or allergies “…water may improve your symptoms more than the latest round of inhalers or pills from pharmaceutical companies.” Don Colbert M.D.

Water is good for vascular health as well. Blood is more than 80% water. Adequate water intake can help to lower blood pressure, and it can play a part in preventing strokes and heart attacks. When we are dehydrated our blood is thicker and more prone to clotting.

Our brains, which are very sensitive to dehydration, are about 85% water. One of the easiest ways to improve brain function, especially your memory, is to increase water intake.

Water also enhances immune system function. Common medical advice is to drink lots of water when we are sick, but if we drink adequate amounts of water all the time, we are less likely to get sick in the first place. Daily intake is dependent upon weight, climate, and activity level – roughly half a gallon to a gallon a day for a person weighing 150 lbs. Drink enough water that you don’t feel thirsty.

Tap water is full of chemicals including pharmaceuticals, fluoride, chlorine, and chemical contaminants. Tap water is not the best water to drink. Bottled water can be better, but some bottled water is literally just tap water in a bottle. There are very few regulations controlling bottled water, and it’s hard to find water from a good source. Ideally, water should be from a natural source, high in minerals, very low in contaminants, and sold in a glass bottle. But the ideal is hard to find, especially at an affordable price. When ideal water isn’t available and affordable, we recommend buying distilled water. Distilled water is bereft of minerals but eating a variety of raw produce easily replaces those minerals. Spending a little more on higher quality water is an investment in your health and is certainly worthwhile.

Many people drink other fluids instead of water. Although it is true that these drinks are mostly water, the caffeine, sugar or artificial flavors and colors put a strain on your body in various ways, and this can cost your body more water than what was consumed in the drink. For those who want to drink more water, but need flavors and sweetness, here’s a recipe for cranberry lemonade that helps detoxify the body as well. If you love juicing, skip the sugar and try doing the truly healthy fresh juices like with this Golden Milk Tea Recipe.

Conclusion

If you’re not consuming enough water, you’re increasing the strain on your body, and accelerating the aging process. It is harder than most people think to drink too much water, and drinks that contain caffeine or sugar are very poor substitutes that rob the body of water (and minerals) with high acidity. There is no other substance that is as important to our health as water is. For more on detoxifying, lowering blood pressure, and getting the most from water, check out the previous cranberry lemonade link, and Hot & Cold Hydrotherapy. For the best water to detoxify with, see the first source below.

Further Reading:

• What’s the Best Water for Detoxifying and For Drinking?
• Why Water Fluoridation Continues, Despite Flying in the Face of Science
• What’s in Your Water?

Sources:

• The Healing Properties of Water – Dr. Brifa.com
• Diseases and Conditions Dehydration – Mayo Clinic
• Dehydration – Medline Plus
• Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life by F. Batmanghelidj M.D.
• Seven Pillars of Health by Don Colbert M.D.

There is a purpose to activism. It is a means to educate, to communicate grievances, and to effect social change. But the activism of late seems to fall short of  lofty goals. What did Occupy Wallstreet and its knockoff occupy protests across the country achieve? Did we learn anything other than the phrase, “We are the 99% ?” We already knew our banks and corporations are corrupt.

There was, however, an occupy movement that began on Earth Day, April 22, 2012, that did make a difference. They called themselves Occupy 2.0.

For 80 years, the University of California, Berkley managed land called the Gill Tract, acres gifted to the university, as a public trust. This prime farmland was mostly used for agricultural research. But in 2012, the university revealed their plans to sell the land to be used for housing and retail.

On Earth Day, 200 urban farmers descended on the property with 15,000 seedlings, tools for planting, and tents to set up camp to protect and nurture the newly claimed community garden.  Their occupation, protest, confrontations with police, meetings with campus officials, help and support from the neighborhood, and their final outcome were all recorded on film by director Todd Darling whose documentary chronicles the event from start to finish.Occupy the Farm is an engaging film that uplifts the soul and inspires the closet rebel. It is a tribute to non-violent protest and community activism.

Occupy the Farm is an engaging film that uplifts the soul and inspires the closet rebel to break out and support a worthy cause. It is a tribute to non-violent protest and community activism – a must see film.

Check the website for updates and additional information:

occupythefarmfilm.com

April 14: Santa Barbara, CA

Pollock Theater, 7 PM
Ocean Road, UCSB
carseywolf.ucsb.edu
Q&A to follow screening with filmmaker Todd Darling and Effie Rawlings of Occupy The Farm.

April 18: Hollywood, FL

Cinema Paradiso, 1pm matinee
2008 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, FL 33019

April 19: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Cinema Paradiso, 1pm matinee
503 SE 6^th St,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 525-3456

 April 20-23: Eugene, OR

Including Earth Day!

Bijou Art Cinema, 7 PM  Speakers nightly.
492 East 13^th Ave
Eugene, OR 97401

April 21-­‐22: San Francisco, CA   including Earth Day!

Roxie Theater
3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA in the Mission District
Q&A to follow 7 pm screenings
roxie.com

April 22 –   Earth Day! St. Augustine FL

Corazon Theater, 7 PM
36 Granada St, St Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 679-­‐5736 corazoncinemaandcafe.com

Turmeric is a spice that comes from the Curcuma plant. If you want to purchase fresh turmeric, you may be able to find it at a farmer’s market. If not, look for it online.

The rhizome (commonly called a root) looks a lot like ginger root with its brown peel, but it is bright orange to yellow inside. You can cut it up, grate it, juice it, crush it through a garlic press, and add it to almost anything (smoothies, beans, lentils, quinoa, meat, etc.).

Dried turmeric is a powder whose color ranges from orange to yellow. You can make your own turmeric powder by peeling, boiling, drying, and then grating fresh rhizomes, but consume fresh, uncooked turmeric to maximize its health benefits. When using in recipes that require cooking, try adding some before the cooking process and then grate some fresh turmeric on top of the meal before eating.

In recipes, one tablespoon of fresh turmeric is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried turmeric for taste.

Turmeric is one of the basic and best known ingredients in curry (which is a combination of spices) and is a commonly used spice in Indian and Asian cooking. It is delicious in salad dressings or heavily sprinkled on salads and is a welcome addition to vegetable dishes, dips, and sauces.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric, with its active ingredient, curcumin, is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with numerous medicinal uses. The more serious diseases treated and prevented with turmeric include inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer.

Numerous studies have shown that turmeric helps the body destroy cancer cells, helps prevent tumor formation, slows or inhibits the spread of cancer cells, and induces apoptosis (cell suicide) of mutated cancerous cells.

How To Consume Turmeric For Maximum Benefit

Research shows the combination of onions and turmeric (combining quercitin and curcumin) reduces both the size and the number of precancerous lesions in the intestinal tract.

The combination of curcumin and phenethyl isothiocyanates, a photochemical found in cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, pack a powerful punch. In mice studies, each nutrient retarded prostate cancer cells, but when combined, these two nutrients significantly reduced tumor growth and the ability of the cancerous cells to metastasize.

Curcumin is fat soluble. Mixing curcumin with fat significantly aids in absorption. Black pepper increases curcumin’s potency by 1000 times. Mix it with olive oil or coconut oil. Sprinkle turmeric on an avocado. Blend it into coconut and avocado smoothies.

For the best results, choose the highest quality, fresh, organic turmeric, fresh organic pepper, and organic, beneficial fats. Check out this Enhanced Golden Milk Tea Recipe, and see Foods, Vitamins, and Herbs That Kill Cancer for more cancer fighting foods.

Further Reading:

• The Health Benefits Of the Curry Spice Blend
• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe
• Foods, Vitamins, and Herbs That Kill Cancer
• Garlic – The Most Amazing Herb On The Planet
• Cayenne and Capsaicin, Natures Miracle Medicine

Sources:

http://naturalsociety.com

http://running.competitor.com

A lot of people are growing vegetables to beat the credit crunch. Growing vegetables is the best way to turn your gardening expertise into a means to save significant money. There are numbers of inexpensive vegetables that can easily reduce your food expense. Here is the list of the specialty crops worth planting.

Cilantro

You either love it or hate it, but if you pay for it, you undoubtedly want to consider growing it. Cilantro is worth more than $20 per sq ft. Also, keep in mind that you always grow cilantro close to some other taller vegetables to shade it in the warmer weather.

Arugula-Roquette

Arugula or Roquette, is a family member of the mustard family. This spicy bite compliments the particular sweeter lettuces and it is also best for your salads. This plant could completely be farmed, or individual exterior leaves could possibly be cut from the plant. It is advisable to grow it just like you grow cilantro, in between the taller plants.

Green Salad Mix

Mesclun and lettuces are standard salad ingredients. Once you start eating the green lettuces, you will save iceberg lettuce for baloney sandwiches. Green salad mix can definitely help you save some serious income.

Chives

Mix chives into scrambled eggs or cottage cheese, or add to a baked potato. You must have this in your garden. It’s easy to grow in the ground or in a container. Did you know it grows in winter?

Dill

Dill is worth more than $16 per square foot. You can use it in salads, quick breads, and also you can have it with fish. You should try tuna pasta salad with a bit of chopped garlic, green pepper and dill Trust me; it’s simply awesome.

Lettuce

Any lettuce, from the salad bowl to Romaine could save you more than $18 per a square foot in your garden. With lettuce, many varieties can be grown from its seeds.

Cherry Tomato, Modest & Method

You should definitely try Red Cherry, Sweet Million or Sweet 100. You can consume it directly into salads without slicing it. With these tomatoes you can save over $15.00 per square foot.

Herbs

Herbs have become much more popular in the last two decades. You can make use of them in cooking, for herbal products, and for medicine herbs. They are a value-added item to grow in your garden.

Lavender

Growing lavender is a great way to turn your love for herbs into a solid income.  Once planted, lavender will continue to produce hundreds of blooms for 15 years.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are easy to grow in a small space and expensive to buy in the supermarket.

You can also grow the 10 veggies to save a huge amount of income. They are worth $6 to $10 dollars for each square foot.

• Turnip
• Squash
• Basil
• Celery
• Tomato, large
• Pumpkin
• Tomatillo
• Radish
• Cucumber
• Chard

Recommended Reading:

• Things You Should Know About Garlic – DIY, Recipes, Other Tips
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Permaculture Agriculture: The Transition to a Sustainable Future
• Companion Plants for Organic Gardening
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Many people believe the word “superfood” is a term used for click bait and nothing more, but superfoods not only exist, they are the superheroes of the food world. Spirulina is one such food.

In the Central African Republic, Catholic nuns are using the blue-green algae to fight malnutrition at the St. Joseph Health Center. Bangui, where the nuns are located, has been dealing with the effects of a conflict that has made resources scarce. The lack of food has had an especially pronounced effect on children in the region.

After a meeting with a French pharmacist who advised them on how to grow spirulina, the nuns at St Joseph Health Center were able to successfully harvest the algae to combat malnutrition.

Spirulina is a remarkable source of nutrients, containing the highest natural source of complete proteins, omega fatty acids, iron, and antioxidants. The health applications of a superfood like spirulina can translate across countless circumstances, from saving lives in the Central African Republic to providing everyday nutrients to anyone around the world.

Working Smarter – and Making a Difference

The number of children who suffer from severe malnutrition in the Central African Republic is on the rise. Compared to last year, reported cases of acute malnutrition have tripled as conflicts in the region leave families unable to plant crops, to earn a living, or to access sanitation, clean water, and health care. Provisions from aid organizations are an inconsistent food source, as security issues often keep the protein supplements from reaching their intended targets. These are the struggles facing the nuns at St Joseph as they care for vulnerable children and mothers.

Spirulina has given them an inexpensive, effective, and reliable way to feed the people who come to the health center. Once a solution to the malnutrition problem presented itself, the nuns obtained the materials to build the algae tanks from the community through begging and borrowing. People are paying attention to St Joseph Health Center because of how effective the spirulina has been and the inspiring initiative shown by the nuns who work there.

The sisters at St. Joseph are proud of how many children they are able to help. After such great results, others in the Central African Republic and areas beyond who suffer from malnutrition see the sisters as both an inspiration and a source of practical knowledge.

Why Spirulina is Awesome

Most people are familiar with algae. It’s the murky, clingy, dingy green stuff in ponds and dirty aquariums. Unappetizing as it sounds, spirulina is among the most nutritious foods on the planet with 18 vitamins and minerals, 8 amino acids, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. The stuff is loaded. In addition to that goodness, its soft cell walls make it easy to digest. It also absorbs heavy metals and toxins. Eating algae plain might not be for the squeamish, but a quality green nutrition powder can give you the benefits of spirulina without the slime.

Spirulina is incredibly eco-friendly; it yields 25% more nutrition per square foot than any other plant. If you find yourself inspired by the nuns at St Joseph and want to try some DIY spirulina at home, the Internet is here to help. Great DIY tutorials like the one here can get you started on a window aquarium filled with spirulina. It may take more than one try to get it to work, but, in time, you’ll be able to guarantee a quality supply of homegrown spirulina, perfect for survival and prepping, too! The use of spirulina in the Central African Republic has shown the great impact it can have on health. This Total Nutrition Formula is the perfect recipe for your spirulina, and it’s the best multi-vitamin/mineral/protein supplement I know of. Even if building an algae farm isn’t a viable option, finding a quality source of it can give you access to even better health.

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula

Further Reading:

• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins

Sources: 

• Algae-growing nuns in Central African Republic fight malnutrition with ingenuity – PBS.org
• To Fight Malnutrition, These African Nuns Grow Protein-Rich Spirulina Behind Their Health Clinic – True Activist
• Press release Three times more children treated for severe acute malnutrition in Bangui hospital than this time last year – UNICEF
• Food of the Future: Window DIY Spirulina Superfood – Instructables