Yacon, also called the Peruvian ground apple, is a species of daisy native to the Andes mountain range of South America. With its bright yellow flowers and ability to grow to over two meters in height, yacon is certainly a striking plant, and bears more than a passing resemblance to the sunflower to which it is closely related. Unlike the sunflower, however, the yacon grows large, tuberous roots that can be eaten raw like a…
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…
Rooibos tea, also called red bush tea, is a herbal tea derived from the leaves of the rooibos plant. Though consumption of the tea was once confined to the South African regions in which the plant grew, rooibos tea is becoming more popular in Western countries due to its sweet taste and numerous health benefits. List of Health Benefits Rich in antioxidants – Rooibos tea is extraordinarily rich in a diverse array of antioxidants, including…
It is not difficult to find research proving that regular white flour is bad for us. Consuming foods made from this popular flour, which has been processed, bleached and stripped of all its essential nutrients, has been linked to cancer, brain fog, acne, constipation, and many other medical conditions. Moreover, due to its extraordinarily high glycemic load, white flour has significantly contributed toward the Western epidemic of diabetes and obesity. Fortunately, there are a growing…
Quinoa is a grain crop native to the Andean Mountains of South America. Although the leaves of the plant can be consumed as a leaf vegetable, quinoa is primarily grown for its seeds. These seeds, which are cooked in a similar way to rice, come in three colors (red, white, and black) and are much-loved for their significant health benefits. In fact, 2013 was crowned “The International Year of Quinoa” by the United Nations due…
