magnesium

Superfood 101: Walnuts!

The walnut tree is found from the Balkans to China. It is a slow-growing tree, and its fruit has been eaten by Europeans for more than 8,000 years. The ancient Greeks began cultivating the trees and the practice spread throughout Europe. The walnut tree came to North America with the English settlers in the early 19th century –  and thus the walnut got its name the English walnut. Today the largest groves of walnut trees are found in Kyrgyzstan at high elevations.

Nature’s Nectar: 7 Sweeteners That Aren’t White Sugar

There are so very many reasons why more and more people are trading in the well-known white sugar, also known as table sugar, for natural sugar and other natural sweeteners. Some people seek a healthier lifestyle, whether by choice or medical necessity, while others may simply choose by taste or preference.

Superfood 101: Blackstrap Molasses!

The production of molasses was developed in India in approximately 500 B.C.E.  Arab invaders brought the product to Spain, and a century later it came to the West Indies with Christopher Columbus. The British began cultivating sugar cane in Barbados in 1646, and by the end of the century molasses was a commodity. It is not clear when blackstrap molasses was first used for human consumption.

5 Herbs That Will Chill You Out

Taking deep breaths and putting your head between your knees doesn't always work for those wonderful, anxious moments. Stress-related ailments are more common than ever in our fast paced technology driven society. But, the good news is, there are lots of ways to get your chill on – and most methods are pretty cheap and easy to implement into a daily routine. These 5 herbs will calm your parasympathetic nervous system (or “fight or flight response”) and help you chill right out.

Superfood 101: 3 Superfoods Currently Enjoying the Spotlight

Superfoods will always be a thing: That's because they're loaded with important nutrients humans need to flourish, such as fiber and vitamins. These nutrients can lead to overall better health and even fight diseases.

Why You're Not Sleeping (And What to Do About It)

If you’re not getting sleep that is arguably the best of your life, on a nightly basis, you’re just not snoozin’ like you could, and should, be. Falling asleep, and staying asleep, can be much more difficult than it sounds. We all know that, no matter how much we want to get plenty of beauty rest, actually achieving it is often up in the air; let’s face it—sleep, like that one relative we all seem to have, is a temperamental subject. However, due to its notoriously unpredictable reputation, it’s easy to overlook the little things that may be causing us to not sleep in the first place.

Superfood 101: Brown Rice!

Brown rice is believed to have first been cultivated in China about 9000 years ago. Arab travelers brought the grain to the Middle East and subsequently rice traveled throughout the world. The whole grain is known as brown rice – it contains the inner grain, the hull and the germ. Together, they are a rich source of minerals, vitamins, and proteins.

Superfood 101: Tahini!

Tahini is ground sesame seeds – it’s a product which is rich in nutrients and has been used in recipes and as a healing agent for centuries. The sesame plant is native to India and was found growing naturally from northeastern Africa to the far east. The seeds were primarily used for their oil, as a base for perfumes and as a seasoning. The name sesame is derived from the ancient Egyptian word sesemt and later from the Greek word sesamon.

Superfood 101: Peppermint!

Peppermint is in the genus Mentha which includes more than one hundred species, and is thought to be a natural hybrid of spearmint and forest mint. Its origin is believed to be in North Africa and the southern Mediterranean basin, and has been used in recipes and as a medicinal herb since 1500 B.C.E.  It found its way as far north as Scandinavia and was mentioned in the Icelandic Pharmacopoeias in the mid-13th Century.

Superfood 101: Hemp Seeds!

The hemp plant has been cultivated for approximately 12,000 years and is one of man’s earliest crops. The benefits of the seeds have been known for about 3000 years, where it has been used medicinally and is a dietary mainstay in China. Hemp seeds are a compete protein containing all twenty amino acids.