Saturday, October 24, 2015

Remedial Dandelion

While most people consider the dandelion plant ‘Taraxacum officinale’ as an annoying garden weed, the truth is that this common garden weed is packed full of vitamins as well as minerals.

The young dandelion leaves are generally used to flavour salads or sandwiches, while the more mature (bitter) dandelion leaves are more suitable for use in brewed teas. The dandelion roots are better if dried and ground before steeping or infusing, and have proven to be an excellent coffee substitute for those trying to reduce their caffeine intake. It has also been reported that the dandelion flowers have been used in the production of certain beers and wines.

The dandelion plant is a common garden plant consisting of a rosette of leaves extending approximately 25cm with a distinct yellow or orange daisy like flowering head. The smooth uneven bright green leaves have jagged edges, of what looks like, backward facing teeth, and for this reason the plant was given the name dandelion which derives from the French ‘dent de lion’, meaning lion’s tooth. The hollow flower stem rises to approximately 30cm with one yellow daisy like flower head that sets into a puff-ball looking seed head with fluffy parachutes designed to carry each seed in the wind.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Manuka Honey Heals

Manuka honey has long had a reputation as a "healing" honey. The bees that produce this ‘mono floral’ honey only gather pollen from the Manuka bush (Leptospermum Scoparium) indigenous to New Zealand. This particular bush is more commonly known as a variation of the Tea Tree plant.

Most honeys contain a naturally occurring active agent that is believed to support good health, but is easily destroyed when exposed to heat and light. Manuka honey contains an extra, naturally occurring active ingredient that makes it distinctive from other honeys. This additional component is stable and doesn't lose its potency when exposed to heat, light or dilution. The quality is detected through laboratory testing in order to gain the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) rating that decorates jars of medical grade honey. Aligning with the UMF rating, the type of Manuka honey to keep in the medicine cabinet is that which has an ‘Active’ quality, meaning that its enzymes create chemical reactions within the honey. For the Manuka honey to be properly effective you should be looking at ‘Active UMF 10+’ or higher.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Beneficial Coconut Oil

Coconut oil received criticism regarding its high volume of saturated fats and how they impact on heart health, cholesterol levels and body weight.

Recent medical studies have shown that the exact opposite may now be true. Virgin oil extracted from coconuts actually has some extraordinary health benefits.

Most significant among these is lauric acid, something not found in any other natural source. In addition, coconut oil contains the anti-oxidant properties of vitamin E, vitamin K, and minerals.

The health benefits of coconut oil include proper digestion and metabolism, weight loss, maintaining cholesterol levels, diabetes, stress relief, high blood pressure, hair care, skin care, dental care, bone strength, and stimulation of the immune system. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid, and its properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal.