What's that Weed?
The Dandelion
So what’s the deal with the dandelion? A lot of people spend large amounts of money hiring a company to spray their lawn and kill this weed, or buy herbicides from a lawn and garden store to spray themselves in an effort to “snuff” the yellow weed that seems to be impossible to kill. And it is! If you leave even a tiny piece of the root in place, it will regenerate the entire plant. That is impressive! Dandelions are unique in that the entire plant can be eaten or used medicinally – roots, stems, seeds, flowers and leaves! It is actually a powerhouse of nutrition and an amazing herb for immune support. It literally has everything we need in nutrition, and it happens to grow everywhere! Our entire lawn turns golden yellow each spring and you can hardly see grass there are so many dandelions! Dandelions also attract pollinators in large masses, and it is the honeybee’s favorite since the flowers contain large amounts of pollen. Despite what allergy sufferers may think, pollen is very healthy for humans as well and is a nutrient dense food rich in proteins, minerals, b vitamins, and also amino acids. At the time of year when dandelions are everywhere, if you see someone’s lawn that doesn’t have any, you can bet that it is sprayed. Do not walk barefoot on that lawn.
The medicinal use of dandelions dates back over 5000 years. If you ate an entire plant – seeds, leaves, stems, flowers and roots, you would be consuming a very nutrient rich meal that is complete in almost every way. The leaves are rich in chlorophyll and many vitamins and we add them into our mineral broths each week. They freeze pretty well, although they tend to break down into pieces. Dandelions are considered “bitters” and very useful as a digestive aid, are powerful liver cleansers, anti-inflammatory, are a diuretic, and much more. There are way too many uses to count! So as my daughter goes skipping through our lawn barefooted and picking dandelions to build fairy houses with, I ask her to be sure not to toss them away, but to toss them into the soup!
So what’s the deal with the dandelion? A lot of people spend large amounts of money hiring a company to spray their lawn and kill this weed, or buy herbicides from a lawn and garden store to spray themselves in an effort to “snuff” the yellow weed that seems to be impossible to kill. And it is! If you leave even a tiny piece of the root in place, it will regenerate the entire plant. That is impressive! Dandelions are unique in that the entire plant can be eaten or used medicinally – roots, stems, seeds, flowers and leaves! It is actually a powerhouse of nutrition and an amazing herb for immune support. It literally has everything we need in nutrition, and it happens to grow everywhere! Our entire lawn turns golden yellow each spring and you can hardly see grass there are so many dandelions! Dandelions also attract pollinators in large masses, and it is the honeybee’s favorite since the flowers contain large amounts of pollen. Despite what allergy sufferers may think, pollen is very healthy for humans as well and is a nutrient dense food rich in proteins, minerals, b vitamins, and also amino acids. At the time of year when dandelions are everywhere, if you see someone’s lawn that doesn’t have any, you can bet that it is sprayed. Do not walk barefoot on that lawn.
The medicinal use of dandelions dates back over 5000 years. If you ate an entire plant – seeds, leaves, stems, flowers and roots, you would be consuming a very nutrient rich meal that is complete in almost every way. The leaves are rich in chlorophyll and many vitamins and we add them into our mineral broths each week. They freeze pretty well, although they tend to break down into pieces. Dandelions are considered “bitters” and very useful as a digestive aid, are powerful liver cleansers, anti-inflammatory, are a diuretic, and much more. There are way too many uses to count! So as my daughter goes skipping through our lawn barefooted and picking dandelions to build fairy houses with, I ask her to be sure not to toss them away, but to toss them into the soup!
Thistle (written by my daughter, her photo included!)
People have been repeatedly trying to get rid of thistle with toxic pesticides. But, actually, this medicinal plant is very healing and can have many uses! Put it this way: you want a kind of gum with not so many ingredients. Sometimes you wish there was even one simple, healthy ingredient in the gum you chew! Well, if you want a natural gum with one ingredient, try chewing the purple tops of the thistle flower! It truly works and plus, it's really delicious and sweet! From my perspective, I think it's toothpaste and gum put together. I have been hearing a lot of complaints from people lately about how annoying those thistle thorns are. Yes, they may groan but they also have have no idea that the thistle thorns can cure cancer! Catmint can also cure cancer, but we'll talk more about that later. A full grown adult thistle with a thick stem is just like a cactus. It holds pure, clean, fresh water with tons of minerals that you can actually drink! You can eat the root of the thistle too. Every part of the thistle can be used. It helps your gall bladder, your liver, and reduces fevers! Thistle smoothies are really good, and thistle flowers are awesome in salad! Thistle root tea is really great for you too. It relieves constipation, helps digestive problems, and prevents headaches. Milk thistle can prevent liver diseases and cure it too. It heals damaged liver cells. Blessed thistle makes you not have the munchies, cures many diseases such as malaria and smallpox. Blessed Thistle also encourages bowel movements, helping stuffy noses and gets all the mucus out, and helps urinary diseases. I know it seems if you have anything bad going on, you could eat a thistle and all would go away! Thistle is one of the most healing medicinal plants.
Remember, God put everything on this planet for a reason. People should respect that. Now, go make some thistle lemonade and remember: "He who wants a rose must respect the thorn" -Persian Proverb
That's exactly what I'm talking about. :-)
People have been repeatedly trying to get rid of thistle with toxic pesticides. But, actually, this medicinal plant is very healing and can have many uses! Put it this way: you want a kind of gum with not so many ingredients. Sometimes you wish there was even one simple, healthy ingredient in the gum you chew! Well, if you want a natural gum with one ingredient, try chewing the purple tops of the thistle flower! It truly works and plus, it's really delicious and sweet! From my perspective, I think it's toothpaste and gum put together. I have been hearing a lot of complaints from people lately about how annoying those thistle thorns are. Yes, they may groan but they also have have no idea that the thistle thorns can cure cancer! Catmint can also cure cancer, but we'll talk more about that later. A full grown adult thistle with a thick stem is just like a cactus. It holds pure, clean, fresh water with tons of minerals that you can actually drink! You can eat the root of the thistle too. Every part of the thistle can be used. It helps your gall bladder, your liver, and reduces fevers! Thistle smoothies are really good, and thistle flowers are awesome in salad! Thistle root tea is really great for you too. It relieves constipation, helps digestive problems, and prevents headaches. Milk thistle can prevent liver diseases and cure it too. It heals damaged liver cells. Blessed thistle makes you not have the munchies, cures many diseases such as malaria and smallpox. Blessed Thistle also encourages bowel movements, helping stuffy noses and gets all the mucus out, and helps urinary diseases. I know it seems if you have anything bad going on, you could eat a thistle and all would go away! Thistle is one of the most healing medicinal plants.
Remember, God put everything on this planet for a reason. People should respect that. Now, go make some thistle lemonade and remember: "He who wants a rose must respect the thorn" -Persian Proverb
That's exactly what I'm talking about. :-)