Want Your Hair in a Tail? Eat Horsetail!

And not to mention you would be minimizing your risk of bone fractures…

But, really, horsetail is a common weed can be found in your local health store and the reason why it is such a miracle plant is because of its high silica content.

The silica compounds found in horsetail are important for preventing bone fractures, osteoporosis and for repair of connective tissues, skin, nails, hair and even teeth.

The recommended intake is 10 mg elemental silicon per day.

From Dr. James Duke’s The Green Pharmacy

Not Just A Pretty Weed

Purslane, also called pigweed, is commonly eaten in Europe. In North America it is regarded as a weed, but little do we know that it is one of the best dietary sources of calcium.

Just 10 grams of dry leaves provides 500 mg of elemental calcium which studies has shown to yield increased bone density in less than 18 months.

Purslane is a superfood that has yet to become famous. Its leaves are also the best vegetable source of omega 3 fatty acids (five times that of spinach) and the stems are high in Vitamin C.

Its flavor is fresh and clean with a slight hint of lemon. Purslane is wildly popular in Latin America where it’s known as verdolaga. It is reputed to have been Ghandi’s favorite vegetable, is used in soups and salads throughout the Mediterranean, and found in the cuisines of India, Africa, Australia and China. Ironically, what we view as a lowly weed is making a name for itself on expensive restaurant menus.

Its dark green, attractively shaped crispy leaves are great in salads and dressed with just olive oil, squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper, it is a tasty salad on its own. Purslane complements grilled fish or chicken beautifully.

It’s also a weed you don’t have to scour your or your neighbours’ backyards for; it can be easily obtained from your local health store. If you a lacto-ovo vegan, you probably have it in your kitchen… or do you?

Even if you are not a vegetarian, what are you waiting for, you should be snatching it like a hot potato – didn’t I already mention in this blog that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 women over 50 have osteoporosis?

Information adapted from books by Dr. James Duke and an article by Sukhi Hertz

Kale Incredible

Kale is a member of the cabbage family. It is also the most robust vegetable; it grows in any soil and rarely suffers any diseases although it prefers cooler climates and rarely grows in tropical conditions. The good news here is, kale which has a delicious, earthy flavor, is available all year round!

Kale is incredibly rich in vitamin K, which is involved in osteoblastic cell function (cells that deposit new bone). Studies show that seniors especially tend to have inadequate intake of vitamin K. A diet that does not include enough vitamin K leads to excessive phosphorus in the body compared to calcium which correlates with increased parathyroid activity and increased bone resorption.

Other sources of vitamin K are green leafy vegetables in general, such as cabbage, parsley, spinach, watercress, broccoli and brussels sprouts.

Kale is also abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A and C. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Canadians.

The “Icing on the Kale” are the natural occurring all important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer.

Make kale leaves a regular addition to your salads. A sautéed side dish of kale, onions, and garlic drizzled in olive oil is a treasure you may have yet to discover. Another culinary kale treasure is Stephanie Gallagher’s Roasted Kale with Sea Salt crispy recipe:

Roasted Kale with Sea Salt (2 servings)

* roasted kale 4 cups firmly-packed kale
* 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp. good-quality sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and trim the kale: Peel off the tough stems by folding the kale leaves in half like a book and stripping the stems off. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for five minutes. Turn kale over. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until kale turns brown and becomes paper thin and brittle. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.

Next time you are at the vegetable stand, just remember your ‘vitamin Kale’ and you won’t go wrong!

Information modified from Dr. Linda Posh’s eArticle, The Health Benefits of Kale
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Linda_Posh

Peppercorns – Not Just a Gourmet Spice

Most of us are carefull when we help ourselves to the salt shaker and the pepper shaker. We know that too much salt is bad for our blood pressure and too much pepper may upset our stomach.

Little do we know that peppercorns are some of the most pharmaceutically active spices in the kitchen.

They contain at least eight anaesthetic compounds (pain relief), including four anti-coagulant (blood thinner), eight anti-inflammatory, four antioxidant, six anti-ulcer, 14 bactericidal, 21 cancer-preventive, 10 fungicidal, 6 hypotensive (lower blood pressure), 23 insect-repellent, 31 pesticidal, 7 sedative (calming) and 8 spasmolytic (relieve cramps, especially of smooth/involuntary muscle) compounds.

Wasn’t this a mouthfull! Well, next time you help yourself to the pepper shaker, don’t be so timid. And any connoiseur would agree that hot paprika or pink peppercorns paired with chocolate are, well, a spicy combination.

Information in this post modified from Dr. James Duke’s The Green Pharmacy

A Wonder Fruit

Did you know that one in four Canadian women and more than one in eight men over 50 are affected by osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disorder that affects the strength of our skeletal system. It is one of the most common conditions associated with advancing age. Both nutritional and hormonal deficiencies are involved. Research suggests that suplements and diet modifications can be as effective or more effective than pharmaceutical options.

Avocado is a fruit that, unlike most other foods, is a natural source of vitamin D, also called the ’sun vitamin’ because it is obtained naturally when skin is exposed to sunlight. Non-natural sources of vitamin D, such as vitamin D added to milk, are less easily absorbed by the body.

More specifically, a kilogram of avocado oil contains 40, 000 IU of vitamin D. Just 10 grams of avocado oil provides the daily requirement of 400 IU of vitamin D.

Of course, this does not mean that daily exposure to sunlight is less important if one supplements with avocado oil. Even just exposing your face to natural sunlight daily can produce more vitamin D in your skin. For those of us who live in areas with less sunlight, in addition to this practice, taking avocado oil daily can be an excellent preventive measure.

Eating 1-2 avocados several times a week also supplements us with much needed ‘good fatty acids’ and can help alleviate skin conditions and baldness.

Information in this article has been modified from Dr. James Duke’s The Green Pharmacy, Herb-A-Day and other books of his.