Arugula is also known as “rocket” and is originally a Eurasian cruciferous plant related to cauliflower, kale, and mustard. It grows wild in Asia and the Mediterranean basin and takes its name from the Latin term “eurca,” meaning caterpillar, because of the plant’s hairy stems.
Farro is an ancient food of the people who lived in the Mediterranean basin. It fed the Roman army, was a biblical food, and is the national dish of Lebanon. Not only was it a staple but it was also a cure for many maladies. Farro was found to have first been cultivated in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East 10,000 years ago. Its initial use was as the main ingredient in bread. It is also known as emmer and by the 20th century was replaced with durum wheat.
For centuries, the people of Mexico have used the flat leaves (or pads) of the prickly pear cactus as a food staple. The pads, called nopales, come from the family of cactus known as Opuntia ficus-indica and are an economically important source of income throughout Mexico.
Black rice has been known as the Forbidden Rice in China for millennia because it was only served to the Emperors. Research done by Judith A. Carney reveals that the grain was imported to the Carolinas in the United States with the slaves who established it as a crop.
Red rice is a whole grain that gets it color from compounds called anthocyanins that are found in red vegetables like red cabbage and red onions.. It is found in the outer layer of the grain, known as bran, and is closely related to bioflavonoids. Red rice is also an effective antioxidant. It has been considered an exotic grain, especially in the United States, and is grown in several regions throughout the world.
The yogis and rishis of old sat in lotus, immersed in Samadhi, listening to the sounds of the ether and bringing through timeless information from the cosmos. How did they reach this state of peaceful bliss and cosmic consciousness? This article points you in the direction of the mystical kundalini energy referenced in the practice of yoga as well as introduces you to the all-important Vagus nerve, and how these two are related.
Millet is a prehistoric grain native to western Asia. By approximately 3000 B.C.E. the grain had found its way to China where it became one of the five sacred grains. Of the many varieties of the genus the common millet arrived in Europe about 200 B.C.E. where it got its name, which meant “cereal” in Old English.
Sorghum is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and was first harvested in the Nile River basin approximately 7000 years ago. It became a crop in India around 3000 B.C.E. and found its way east by way of the Silk Road. It was brought to Rome from India in approximately 60 C.E., then to Spain and finally Europe in the 12th Century. Benjamin Franklin introduced the plant to North America and it eventually became a major crop.
There are a multitude of herbs that have reportedly numerous healing properties and can be effective for treatment in a wide array of conditions. Ashwagandha is one of these herbs. Ayurvedic practitioners in India have been utilizing this ancient herb for many issues, especially for conditions that have root in the brain, including memory, cognitive functions in general, the regulation of neurotransmitters and insomnia.
Bulgur is processed wheat that is native to the Mediterranean basin region and is one of the earliest processed foods that began being used approximately 4000 years ago. It is made by steaming wheat then drying it and cracking the dried kernels. Bulgur was initially processed by boiling wheat in a huge pot for many days to be sure it was thoroughly cooked; then the contents of the pot were spread out on roofs to dry in the sun.