Reishi mushrooms, also called lingzhi mushrooms, are a species of medicinal mushroom characterized by their kidney-shaped cap and tough texture. Though widely appreciated throughout the countries of their native Asia, reishi are especially venerated in China. In fact, practitioners of ancient Chinese medicine have been prescribing reishi for a host of medical conditions such as high blood pressure and fatigue for at least 2,000 years. Even today, reishi are held in high regard by the Chinese, and have retained their traditional…
Wheatgrass is a gluten-free food prepared from the young shoots of the wheat plant, Triticum aestivum, which grows in temperate regions throughout Europe and the United States. Consumption of wheatgrass only became popular in the Western world in the 1930s, when an American chemist, Charles L. Schnabel (now known as the “father of wheatgrass”), began to popularize it. Schnabel became well-known in the 1940s for stating that “fifteen pounds of wheatgrass is equal in overall…
Spirulina is a type of green algae that grows in fresh water bodies. It is a survivor plant which, unlike most flora, is able to withstand considerable temperature variations and still thrive. It is cultivated worldwide and has been harvested as a food source for thousands of years. According to David Wolfe, author of the excellent book, Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future, spirulina is one of the most nutritious foods in the…
Chlorella is a single-celled, green algae that grows in the sunniest parts of freshwater bodies. According to Dr. Beth M. Ley, author of the book Chlorella: The Ultimate Green Food, it is one of the Earth’s oldest living organisms, and has been harvested as a food source for thousands of years. However, a true understanding of chlorella’s nutritional value only emerged in the 20th century, when Western scientists began to study its chemical composition. By…
The Brussels sprout is a plant widely cultivated in Europe for its edible green vegetables. These vegetables, which resemble diminutive cabbages, are usually steamed or boiled and then added to meat-based dishes, including traditional Christmas dinners. It’s not an accident that Brussels sprouts, like other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale, have a famously unpleasant taste. These vegetables are packed with so many antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that their appeal to our taste buds…