JUL 14, 2021 JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
The Jerusalem artichoke also known as Helianthus tuberosus is very commonly found along roadsides. It has a yellow sunflower appearance with broad oval rough leaves. It has a hairy stem You will not miss it.
It is found throughout the United States. The tuber can be peeled, sliced and eaten raw. It is an excellent food source. I try to pick them NOT along the roadside of a busy section as I worry about lead contamination The tuber taste like a chestnut
You can make a tea using the flowers and stems. This tea is great for arthritis. This is different from Globe Artichoke leaves which I use to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Try the tea Call Botanical Bounty 646 723 1823
Until tomorrow…
JULY 13, 2021 ASHWAGANDHA
If there is one herb that everyone should be on -it is Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera ) This is not a uncommon herb as it has been traditionally used for over 4,000 years in India. It is from the Solanaceae family. In Ayurvedic medicine its name means promotes learning and memory retrieval
The reason I feel everyone should be on it is because it cannot help stress. It is an adaptogenic herb As an adaptogen herb it can adapt to what is going on at that time. During the last year I have seen many individuals who are stressed due to the pandemic.
It is referred to an Indian Ginseng or Winter Cherry The word actually means “ the smell and strength of a horse.” This is refers to his aphrodisiac properties. It is traditionally used for emaciation, impotence and premature aging
It is used in other cultures to help support normal sleep patterns
For more information , you can try Ashwagandha tea by calling Botanical Bounty 646 723 1823
Until tomorrow…
JULY 12, 2021 LEMON BALM
There are many fragrant herbs. Some of these fragrant herbs are healing herbs as lavender. One of my favorite which is from the Mint Family is Lemon Balm ( Melissa officinalis) Why do I love this herb besides its fragrant smell. Melissa is the Greek word for Bee. Some refer to Melissa as Bee Balm. The honeybees lobe Bee Balm. It has historically been used as a culinary, cosmetic and medicinal herb. It is used medicinally for anxiety. I use the herb for hyperthyroidism or when the thyroid is over active. In conventional medicine there is a drug called Tapazole which slows down the thyroid when in an overactive state.
The herb, Lemon Balm is very effective for slowing down the thyroid with two other herbs which also are from the Mint Family. The other herbs are Motherwort and Bugleweed.
Other illnesses where Lemon is used are in digestive disorders, use with fevers, and to increase perspiration
If you want to try Lemon Balm as a tea ..call Botanical Bounty at 646 723 1823
Until tomorrow…
JULY 9 -11, 2021 A NEW CANCER TEST
A simple blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer before any clinical signs or symptoms of the disease emerge in a person is accurate enough to be rolled out as a screening test, according to scientists.
The test, which is also being piloted by NHS England in the autumn, is aimed at people at higher risk of the disease including patients aged 50 or older.
It is able to identify many types of the disease that are difficult to diagnose in the early stages such as head and neck, ovarian, pancreatic, esophageal and some blood cancers.
Scientists said their findings, published in the journal Annals of Oncology, show that the test accurately detects cancer often before any signs or symptoms appear, while having a very low false positive rate.
The test, developed by US-based company Grail, looks for chemical changes in fragments of genetic code – cell-free DNA (cfDNA) – that leak from tumours into the bloodstream.
The Guardian first reported on the test last year and how it had been developed using a machine learning algorithm – a type of artificial intelligence. It works by examining the DNA that is shed by tumors and found circulating in the blood. More specifically, it focuses on chemical changes to this DNA, known as methylation patterns.
Now the latest study has revealed the test has an impressively high level of accuracy. Scientists analysed the performance of the test in 2,823 people with the disease and 1,254 people without.
It correctly identified when cancer was present in 51.5% of cases, across all stages of the disease, and wrongly detected cancer in only 0.5% of cases.
In solid tumors that do not have any screening options – such as esophageal, liver and pancreatic cancers – the ability to generate a positive test result was twice as high (65.6%) as that for solid tumors that do have screening options such as breast, bowel, cervical and prostate cancers.
Meanwhile, the overall ability to generate a positive test result in cancers of the blood, such as lymphoma and myeloma, was 55.1%.
The test correctly also identified the tissue in which the cancer was located in the body in 88.7% of cases.
Until tomorrow…
JULY 8, 2021 MUSHROOMS FORAGING
There are many individuals who do perform mushroom foraging. Those mushroom foragers practice good harvesting practices . I have found that these forgers ( one which I am not …yet) know mushroom safety. There are some basic guidelines which I want to share with you
Learn the land. I think to know this you must be familiar with the edible and poisonous mushrooms of the area you are foraging. You must know how to identify them There are many books on this subject as well as attending some courses.
Know the risks. I do not think anyone should experiment with eating mushrooms that you don’t know. The effect of ingesting a poisonous mushroom can be lethal but can vary from individual to individual. In the North America there are no poisonous mushroom that can be absorbed through the skin—they must be eaten
If you know the mushroom you are foraging you must always COOK your mushroom Never eat a mushroom without cooking it.
Be prepared for your foraging. Have all the proper tools- a knife, pen and wax paper( or paper bag) a pen for labeling, a basket, and the very important Mushroom field guide
Always take the whole mushroom not just the cap or the stem