Nutmeg is native to Indonesia on the Spice Islands and grows on an evergreen tree known as Myristica fragrans. Its name is derived from the Latin word “mix,” meaning nut, and “muscat,” meaning musky. Nutmeg was exploited by a few traders who knew where the archipelago was located and they monopolized the market.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you’ve probably heard that the future of nutrition is living, raw, plant-based foods. Especially if you’re an athlete, certain superfoods are best equipped to feed the complex layers of your biological makeup, not just your wayward taste buds—whether you’re training for your first half-marathon or your sixth Iron Man.
One of my favorite summer fruits is the beloved and magical fig. My grandmother had a huge fig tree in her backyard and every summer we would make fig and ginger jam. I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this jam was. And how wonderful the smell of the cooking jam was. I used to eat it on toast and straight out of the jar by the spoonfuls.
As a young girl, I just enjoyed the delicious flavor of figs and had no idea how healthy figs are for you.
Ahhh...strawberry rhubarb pie season. Or, have you ever tried a rhubarb apple pie? Perhaps you’ve seen delightfully dainty rhubarb tarts and pastries in the local café? Some towns around the U.S. love rhubarb so much that they host a rhubarb festival celebrating the unique late spring-early summer crop.
I first discovered purslane while pulling weeds from my garden. The plant was succulent-like, with thick padded leaves, brightly colored red stems, and tiny yellow flowers. I inspected it closer. It looked like a vegetable I had seen sold at the farmer’s market and so, with a few stems in hand, I went to my computer to investigate.
Up until recently, mangosteen was illegal to import into the United States. When I first moved to the U.S. from Canada, no one understood what I was inquiring after when I asked grocery stores if they carried this superfruit. In Vancouver, British Columbia, where I grew up, mangosteen can be bought at Asian grocers or large markets like the popular Granville Island, where I often bought this delicious fruit for special occasions. Where I first found out about them, in Tahiti, mangosteen is sold like green juice is in the U.S.
Today’s walk through Mother Earth’s Medicine Cabinet will lead us down a path to check out Pine Pollen. All pine trees produce this magnificent pollen that can be harvested or purchased at a health food store. The pollen is not actually pollen -- it is technically considered to be a form of seed. It isn’t packed with flavor but it has a light nutty taste.
Cranberries are more than just the lumpy, coagulated red side dish on your Thanksgiving dinner table, and certainly more than the name of a 90s rock band. These acidic red berries do more for your health, and perhaps more for your taste buds, than you think. Read on to find out why it’s worth it to take a second look at cranberries.
The practice of yoga is designed to assist the body in aligning the spiritual and mental bodies with the physical. Within the body itself, yoga works to align bones and soft tissue, and even more specifically, it helps to balance the very important endocrine glands and their corresponding chakras. Maca root, grown in the mountains of Peru, is an excellent adaptagenic herb that specifically targets the glands of the endocrine system and assists in bringing harmony and health.