Your taxi is late and the flight is about ready to depart; you’re hungry but the only thing on the way to the gate is a fast food frenzy of unhealthy options. Stressed and out of options, you board the plane.
As we progress through November, it is easy to think that the harvest season is over. There are many plants, however, that are still ready to harvest and make a great addition to your fall larder. Acorns and wintergreen are mostly found in deciduous forests such as those found on the East Coast of North America; however, you can find different varieties of the same plants in many places. For instance, the greatest acorn producing oak tree on the east coast is the white oak, whereas the scrub oak is prevalent in the Rocky Mountain region.
Ever notice how certain foods make you cranky? Or sad? Or tired? How does that work, anyway?
The beginning of autumn is an incredible abundant time of harvest, and many plants are just coming into the height of their fruiting. This includes many plants that would normally be considered “weeds.” Many of these plants, however, are performing important ecosystem services in addition to being beneficial to humans. Get out your wild edibles guidebook and go hunting for these three plants you can find in early fall.
When I started herb school, one of the teachers mentioned having a meltdown the day after eating a pint of ice cream. She knew it would happen, from experience, but really wanted the ice cream. I remember thinking “Really? Distraught on the bathroom floor just from eating ice cream?” Then the class did an elimination-provocation diet, and wow!
Nourishing your skin from the inside out makes sense, but few of us use this in practice. It’s easy to slap on drugstore sunscreen and spend hours outside but there are unseen, and often unacknowledged, dangers in conventional sunscreen. Protecting yourself from ultraviolet radiation is important in avoiding sunburns, sunspots, wrinkles, and dry, peeling skin, but some unprotected sunshine is also needed for optimal absorption of vitamin D.
Spring is the season to clear out the cobwebs and nurture growth. It’s also the perfect time to check in with your environmental wellness—that is, your health as it relates to your relationship with nature and your environment. Environmental wellness is a holistic approach to maintaining your health, the health of those around you, and the health of our natural world.
“Respect your elders”
Did you know that 30.3 million people in the U.S. have diabetes? That’s 9.4% of the U.S. population, according to the Center for Disease Control National Diabetes Statistics Report from 2017. And the CDC estimates that 7.2 million people in the U.S. with diabetes are undiagnosed (23.8%).
When you eat a well-rounded diet of lean protein, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies, you probably notice the benefits. You feel more energized. You build longer and leaner muscles. Your hair and nails may even get stronger and shinier. Sticking to a healthy eating plan when you go out to a restaurant, however, can be tricky.