Spinach, in all its varieties, is one of the most nutritious “regular” foods in existence. One only needs to look at its bright, vibrant leaves to understand that this annual flowering plant, which is native to central and southwestern Asia, is brimming with all the essential nutrients that our bodies need for maintenance and growth. This article takes a closer look at the health benefits of spinach. Most of these benefits relate to cooked spinach,…
The aromatic and flavorful onion has a long and productive history with mankind. The ancient Indians, Sumerians and Chinese, for instance, valued onions for their ease of growth and hardy constitutions, which made them less perishable (and more transportable) than other vegetables grown at the time. The ancient Egyptians, on the other hand, worshiped onions as symbols of eternity due to their circle-within-a-circle structure. And then there were the ancient Romans, who loved onions for…
Along with the single-celled green algae chlorella, spirulina is one of the most widely-studied foods on the planet. In fact, studies in the last decade alone have shown that the regular consumption of spirulina can enhance brain function, improve white blood cell count, stimulate antibodies, boost liver health, and more. Spirulina can also help remedy almost any nutrient deficiency due to its incomparable concentrations of vitamins and minerals. A study published in the March-April 2014…
Few plants have been as revered throughout recorded history as hemp. This green herbaceous plant, which is a high-growing variety of Cannabis sativa, has been cultivated for centuries to make durable clothing fibers, nutritious oils, building material, and even paper. Traditional medicine, particularly ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, also prized the plant for its significant medicinal properties. Since hemp does not contain large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the mind-altering ingredient found in regular marijuana, hemp…
Oil pulling is a process of swishing an edible oil around the mouth for between 10 and 20 minutes, ideally upon awakening, for detoxification purposes. Its origins lie in the Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, and countless people from all backgrounds swear by it. In fact, if one believes the online reports written by those with first-hand experience of oil pulling, there doesn’t seem to be any condition that it can’t at least…