One of my favorite ways to strengthen physical health is to use plenty of wild medicinal and edible plants in the diet. Why wild? You may ask... There are some very good reasons to incorporate more wild plants in your diet. Some of these reasons include: *They are genetically stronger than other foods *Most edible plants and weeds are more nutritious than hybridized store produce. *Eating local wild plants means that the plant fights off the same organisms as your body - therefore making them highly beneficial for the immune system. *These herbs and foods will be free of chemical pesticides/fungicides/herbicides/chemical fertilizers (as long as you arent picking them in an area where these toxins are used) *These plants will be free of irradiation, toxic waxes, and other toxic procedures much produce endures before arriving at the supermarket *Edible and medicinal wild foods are fresh and full of life force *Wild edibles are high in health promoting enzymes, minerals, and chlorophyll! *You will save money - Wild foods are free, AND you will decrease health care costs by improving your health! Also wildcrafting (picking your own) edibles means you get exercise, vitamin D (sunshine) and get to be in a natural, relaxing setting. This allows you to connect more with nature and be an active participant in the harvesting of your own foods and medicines! Some great wild medicinals and edibles you can begin incorporating include: *Dandelion leaves, flowers, and roots (be sure no chemical sprays have been used on the dandelions) - young leaves are great in salads, older leaves can be steamed like spinach or used in soups, flowers can be sauteed, and roots can be made into a cleansing healing tea *Greater plantain leaves - young tender leaves are wonderful in salads, older leaves can be steamed or used in teas *Stinging nettles - leaves can be steamed, used in soups, or teas (be sure to wear gloves or practice extreme caution when harvesting to avoid being stung by nettles.) *Purslane leaves- can be eaten raw in a salad or smoothie, or sauteed *Chickweed leaves - excellent fresh and used in raw dishes or in a soup * Horsetail/shavegrass - makes an excellent healing and repairing tea *Wild clover - the leaves are excellent in salads, red clover blossoms are excellent for a healing tea *Wild mushrooms (oysters, wood ears, and other safe edibles) - great source of vegan protein, minerals, vitamins, and immune boosting nutrients. Most mushrooms are strong cancer fighters and tumor reducers. Excellent in stir-fries, soups, etc. * Wild edible berries - eat out of hand, add to smoothies, baked dishes, etc. The leaves of many berries are also medicinal, such as wild raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, and more. *Bitter melon/bitter gourd - the leaves are a strong cleansing medicine that can be used in a tea or extract, the small gourds are edible- best if steamed or boiled *Prickly Pear/Tuna - you can eat the purple fruits and the leaves. Be sure to peel the leaves and cook before eating. *Green seaweed and kelp - harvest, rinse, and add to soups or stirf-ries This is a short list of the many common wild medicinal and edible plants that you can start sourcing, harvesting, and eating. Be sure to do a bit of research for proper IDs and methods of use. Be well educated. Make sure you harvest from areas free of agricultural and environmental chemicals. Harvest with respect and love - never wiping out or destroying plants. If you can’t clearly identify a plant and you don’t know if it’s poisonous, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Dont harvest a plant if it has: -Milky or discolored sap -Spines, fine hairs, or thorns -Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods Bitter or soapy taste -Dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsley-like foliage “-Almond” scent in the woody parts and leaves -Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs -Three-leaved growth pattern Many toxic plants will exhibit one or more of the above characteristics. Bear in mind that some of the plants I suggested above have some of these attributes, yet they’re still edible. The characteristics listed are just guidelines for when you’re not confident about what you’re dealing with. If you want to be absolutely positive that an unknown plant is edible, and you have a day or two to spare, you can always perform this Edibility Test: ehow/how_2156033_perform-universal-edibility-test.html
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 14:10:28 +0000
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