How to get some health benefits cheaply
I get it, some people say it’s expensive to be healthy, but there are some free ways to look after your health. The real old fashioned way! Foraging is a great way to get some really nutritious food into your body.
Dandelion gets a really bad press & it is so healthy for us.
What isn’t good for us is the Roundup weed killer that is insisted we use to try and eradicate the wonderous dandelion. I’m a bit cynical and wonder why we can’t let it be and even better still be eaten for it’s medicinal properties, it’s a powerful cleanser & reported to help with UTI’s, swollen tonsils, kidney infections & is a balancer of the digestive system and it’s FREE. They are high in antioxidants - betacarotene. I take it to give the liver a boost. Any bitter foods help the liver, like chicory, rocket etc.
April & May seem to be the best time to pick it. So get picking. Make sure you are picking it away from constant exhaust fumes and also away from where lots of dogs might go.
The flower
Pick the flowers, dry them out and they can be used as a tea. Herbalist use it to detoxify the liver & gallbladder. The flowers are high in Vitamin A & C
My rich pickings. Drying out
The Leaves & Stems
These are great washed and put strain into your salad. They are great for circulatory issues like poor circulation, they purify the blood. As the leaves are bitter they are great for stimulating the digestion, squeezing out toxins and they also push out bile that we no longer need. Note: if you really dislike bitter foods you really need to be consuming it!
They are high in calcium & phosphorous, carotenes & potassium.
Look at these substantial leaves! So much nicer than buying a packet of leaves from the supermarket. Also some nettle for similar benefits.
The Root
I have to say I haven’t consumed the root yet. This is real detoxification & I haven’t quite managed it yet. But I understand it can really nourish the liver. If you have heavy metals in your body possibly from amalgam fillings. But also Heavy metal poisoning may occur as a result of industrial exposure, air or water pollution, foods, medicines, improperly coated food containers, or the ingestion of lead-based paints. And lets face it we really don’t know if we have it or not. Unless we seem unbalanced in our bodies.
There are so many more benefits listed here in Medical news today including to help regulating blood sugar levels, reducing inflammation, aiding weight loss & being great for the skin.
The nectar ready to make into tea.