minerals

Do you remember taking those little fruity Flintstones multivitamins? Well, as a child, I ate them because they were pretty darn close to being plain ol’ candy. Now, as an adult, I don’t have to buy any daily vitamins because I’m already buying foods that are great sources of necessary vitamins and minerals. Plus, the best part about adulting is that it gives you the freedom to buy actual candy, if candy is what you crave (don’t we all from time to time?).

I began smoking at far too young of an age, though any age is too young to start such a habit. Eventually, I decided to quit. There are so many doctors out there who are quick to put you on prescription medications and nicotine substitutes in order to help you quit smoking. However, this method really just amounts to replacing one bad habit with another. It is very important that if you DO replace a habit to make it be a good habit that takes the place of the bad. Of course, each person is different, so different methods work for different people.

For clever farmers, alfalfa is a nitrogen-fixer, but for those of us who aren’t quite on that scale yet, alfalfa sprouts add a fabulously light, crunchy, young-green flavor to any meal. And they taste even better when you grow them yourself…in your kitchen…with materials you (probably, hopefully) already have on hand!

As a society, we are constantly bombarded by conflicting information as to what is “good for us” to eat—and what is not.

For example, a pervasive myth exists that “salt is bad.” While an excess of salt in the diet can be harmful, and in some cases a person may need to monitor salt intake based on certain health conditions—it is important that we don’t throw out salt altogether. Salt is actually an incredibly important element of our diet that we require to function, feel good and thrive on a daily basis.

The key here, of course, is moderation.

There’s a popular folklore about the man who made stone soup. While the man in that story was a hungry but quick-witted fibber, replace the stone with bone, and you actually have an amazingly nutrient-rich liquid which would please even Hippocrates – in that it’s food that’s also medicine. But seriously, what’s so great about boiling some bones in water, and then drinking it?

The benefits of bone broth

The Ancient Aztecs used the Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia spp.) as food and medicine. I know it doesn’t look like something you’d want to grab – or even eat – but it’s packed full of powerful properties.

The sunflower is native to North America and was cultivated by the Native Americans in approximately 3000 B.C.E. in what is now New Mexico and Arizona. The sunflower is believed to be older than corn. They developed the single flowered plant with seeds that are black, white, red and multi-colored stripes of white and black. It was a common food throughout the continent: the seed was pounded into flour for cakes, mush and bread.

Kale is a member of the species Brassica oleracea, which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower and broccoli. It has been cultivated for more than 2000 years and though originally found wild in the Mediterranean region it is a cold climate tolerant plant. The term kale is derived from the Scottish word “kail” and the word was used in the 19^th Century, referring to dinner.

Chia is a species of the sage plant which produces pods filled with tiny seeds. It is a New World plant that has long been used by the Native Peoples of Central America, northern South America and southwestern North America. The term chia is the Aztec word for strength. When soaked in water, it changes into a gelatin-like consistency that was used to make refreshing drinks and porridges. The Aztecs also dried and ground the seeds to make flour for baking breads. They sprouted the seeds for salads and sprinkled them on many dishes and stored the seeds for future use.

I love fruit. Any kind. However, the amount of fruit I’d like to eat does not match up with the amount of fruit that is healthy for anyone to consume on a daily basis. The same goes for drinking fruit juices, I’ve learned; drinking juices that are primarily fruit-based does not always bode well for the digestive system. My partner and I have gotten into a lovely routine of making our own juices, and it’s become an important part of most mornings for us.