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bethestaryouareradio · 5 years

Text

Fall forward and Waste Not!

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1315/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Fall-forward-and-waste-not.html

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” Oscar Wilde

In the fall of my freshman year at UCLA, I began working at one of the very first health food stores ever created in California. It was called Nature’s Health Cove and all the offerings were organic: pesticide, insecticide, and colorant-free. The fruits and vegetables were pathetic looking. Worms bored into apples, the Swiss chard had holes from munching snails, greens boasted fringed tips, a gift from hungry marauding rabbits, tomatoes were cracked, zucchini was malformed. Yet the produce tasted delicious and even though the prices were at least double of anything one could purchase at a grocery store, the crops sold rapidly. One of my tasks was to cull through any severely damaged items, putting them in a bucket for a compost pick up by an urban farmer.

Having worked in the fruit drying yards and big barn dehydrators growing up on our farm, it dawned on me that usually, half or more of any fruit or vegetable is salvageable. I suggested to the owner that perhaps we could cut out the decaying parts and create healthy drinks and dried snacks with the ripe remainders. The initiative became an instant success with both students and the general public clamoring for a revolving menu of inexpensive tasty treats.

As summer collapses into fall, my trees and vines are heavy with fruit. As much as I eat and give away, there is still more for the picking. I detest waste and besides canning and freezing the extras, I wanted to create some of the dried fruits of my youth.

While cleaning out one of our barns this summer, I came upon a vintage portable dehydrator that my Grandfather used eons ago to dry his autumn bounty of pears, apples, figs, and grapes. I cleaned the appliance and set to work slicing and dicing. The results are phenomenal.

If you’ve bought any dried fruit lately, you know how expensive it is. But if you are like me and enjoy DIY projects, I have a simple recipe for you to create your own personal organic fruit leathers. You can use trays and dry your produce in the sun the way it has been done for centuries, but it takes longer and critters may creep in to steal your sweets. My suggestion is to purchase a small dehydrator with four or five drawers. My dehydrator has four drawers and only a single heat setting. My thermometer says it’s dehydrating at 125 degrees, which is perfect. Every three hours I move the drawers from the bottom to the top. From start to finish, it takes 24 hours. If you buy a dehydrator with adjustable temperature settings, you’ll be able to dehydrate more rapidly. Here’s what to do: 1. Wash and pat dry your desired fruit and vegetables. 2. You can peel if you wish, but I don’t. Cutaway any bruised or damaged parts. Cut into slices about ¼ to ½ inch thick. 3. Some vegetables including eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and radishes need to be blanched for a few minutes. 4. Cut the slices in a bowl and toss with lemon juice or apple vinegar to reduce browning. Although this step is optional, it helps in preservation. 5. Spray the trays with a light spritz of canola or olive oil to prevent sticking. 6. Place slices of the same fruit or vegetable on dehydrator racks in a single layer without overlapping. Use different trays for different varieties. 7. Check on the process until when done. Let the racks cool before removing the fruit. 8. You can enjoy your items immediately but if you want to store your stash, pack the dried fruit in glass jars or sealable plastic bags. Shake jars or bags once day to make sure there is no condensation. If there is any moisture, return the product to the dehydrator for a bit more drying. 9. Store in a pantry or room temperature darkened area. 10. Voila! Your very own dried fruit and leathers.

You can also put the dried fruit in bags and freezer. I’ve experimented with over-ripe bananas, apples, pears, Asian pears, and I even made raisins with chardonnay grapes, seeds, and all. Crunchy! Everything turns out delicious and I know these dried trials are nutritious because except for the bananas, they originate in my organic orchard. My next testing will be to make sweet potato chips from the sweet potatoes I’m growing. I plan to go exotic by drying mangoes, strawberries, pineapple, and papayas.

Recently we witnessed a rise of what I call the “ugly fruit”. Stores, farmer’s markets, and on-line sites are popularizing the value of imperfect produce. This is a giant step forward in eliminating waste and re-educating our families to value all products provided by nature. Farmers using organic methods know that crops are not always pretty, but the nutritional value and health benefits outweigh perfection of form.

As summer slowly fades into fall, I wish you abundance and a garden of eating.

Cynthia Brian’s Mid Month Gardening Guide

PRUNE “widow makers”, dead branches on trees. You can identify the dead branches before the leaves fall from the rest of the tree. CHECK the crape myrtles in bloom. If you are considering planting a tree or two later in autumn, this is the perfect time to decide what color will be an advantage to your landscape. Crape myrtles are excellent specimens for year-round attractiveness. The leaves will turn red and golden in late autumn, the bark is bare and beautiful in winter, the leaves are shiny green in spring, and the tree blooms midsummer to late fall. REFRIGERATE crocus, tulips, and hyacinths for six weeks before planting. ADD aged chicken manure to your soil if you are noticing that it is less fertile. MARK your calendar for a visit to the Be the Star You Are!® non-profit booth at the Moraga Pear and Wine Festival on Saturday, September 28th. Thanks to our sponsor, The Lamorinda Weekly. Details at https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org/events.

DEADHEAD tuberous begonias to keep them blooming until frost. The flowers are edible with a tangy, citrusy flavor. ENJOY the final days of freshly picked tomatoes tossed with basil or cilantro. HARVEST tangerines, Asian pears, and grapes as they ripen. PHOTOGRAPH your deciduous trees as the changing colors emerge. The contrast of colors will amaze you as you reflect on the time-line. DEHYDRATE extra fruit and vegetables for tasty snacks. Kids especially love these dried sweets. CUT and compost the damaged parts from “ugly” produce and cook with the rest. WASTE NOT! Be a steward of our planet with simple up-cycling. WELCOME the cool and crisp days of autumn. Fall forward!

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

See photos and read more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1315/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Fall-forward-and-waste-not.html

Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, raised in the vineyards of Napa County, is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s Radio show and order her books at www.StarStyleRadio.com.

Buy a copy of her new books, Growing with the Goddess Gardener and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store.

Hire Cynthia for projects, consults, and lectures. [email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

keywords: #dehydrator,#driedfruits, #barns,#uglyproduce,#wastenot,#autumn,#fall, #fruits, ,#gardening, #cynthiabrian, #starstyle, #goddessGardener, #growingwiththegoddessgardener, #lamorindaweekly

#dehydrator driedfruits barnsuglyproducewastenotautumnfall fruits gardening cynthiabrian starstyle goddessGardener growingwiththegoddessgarde

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goddessgardener · 5 years

Text

Fall forward and Waste Not!

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1315/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Fall-forward-and-waste-not.html

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” Oscar Wilde

As summer slowly fades into fall, I wish you abundance and a garden of eating.

Cynthia Brian’s Mid Month Gardening Guide

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

See photos and read more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1315/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Fall-forward-and-waste-not.html

Buy a copy of her new books, Growing with the Goddess Gardener and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store.

Hire Cynthia for projects, consults, and lectures. [email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

keywords: #dehydrator,#driedfruits, #barns,#uglyproduce,#wastenot,#autumn,#fall, #fruits, ,#gardening, #cynthiabrian, #starstyle, #goddessGardener, #growingwiththegoddessgardener, #lamorindaweekly

#dehydratordriedfruits barnsuglyproducewastenotautumnfall fruits gardening cynthiabrian starstyle goddessGardener growingwiththegoddessgarden

0 notes

lopezdorothy70-blog · 5 years

Text

Top 7 Foods to Help Fight Depression

While there are hundreds of articles, dietary strategies, government agencies and food manufacturers designed to offer information on how to fight disease and optimize your health, you may be surprised to find that before the featured study, none concentrated on brain health or mental disorders as recently as 2007.1

In September 2018, researchers reported the results of a study focused on finding the best foods to eat to help fight depression. Dr. Laura R. LaChance and a team from the University of Toronto, and Drew Ramsey from the department of psychiatry at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, tackled the initiative. According to the study:

"A systematic literature review was conducted to derive a list of Antidepressant Nutrients from the 34 nutrients known to be essential for humans using level of evidence criteria.

Nutritional data was extracted for a subset of foods with a high content of at least (one) Antidepressant Nutrient using a USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) database. These foods were analyzed for Antidepressant Nutrient density resulting in an Antidepressant Food Score (AFS)."2

The list of antidepressant foods based on the AFS3 is headed by watercress, the plant food with the highest score of 127 percent, with the highest animal-based food being oysters with a score of 56 percent, as you'll see below.

The prevalence of depressive disorders, as well as the potential expense and current state of inadequate management of such conditions, was the driver for developing the AFS. The researchers stressed that each of the top foods can be integrated into any type of eating plan.

You may notice that not all the foods are necessarily familiar to everyone throughout the world; people in the U.S., for example, especially historically, have not found bivalve foods or seafoods readily available, just as people in some areas may not have access to leafy greens or other vegetables.

However, availability doesn't always mean people avail themselves of the easy access to healthy foods; in fact, most of the adult population in the U.S. fails to meet the daily recommendations for vegetable intake. The Healthy People 2010 initiative, designed to increase vegetable consumption and other healthy habits, revealed that only 27.2 percent ate three or more servings per day.4

What Nutrients Fight Depression Best?

The scientists concluded that the top antidepressant nutrientsshould be considered when other researchers design future intervention studies, and by clinicians developing dietary options to help prevent depression. Their top 12 antidepressant nutrients deemed best for such disorders were:

Folate

Iron

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA)

Magnesium

Potassium

Selenium

Thiamine

Vitamin A

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B12

Vitamin C

Zinc

The Prevalence of Mental Illnesses and a 'Recipe' for Hope

LaChance and Ramsey's study noted that among people aged 15 through 44 years, mental conditions, including depression, are the leading cause of disability worldwide. Increasing treatment options, including by considering “antidepressant” foods, should be “imperative” for dealing with the growing number of people struggling with such issues. Further:

"A growing evidence base, including the first randomized controlled trial, suggests that dietary pattern and food choice may play a role in the treatment and prevention of brain-based disorders, particularly depression … They recommend following a traditional dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean diet … and avoiding processed foods, for example those high in refined carbohydrate or sugar.

Furthermore, an international consortium of mental health and nutrition researchers recently recommended 'nutritional psychiatry' become a routine part of mental health clinical practice."5

The basis for their research was centered, in part, around a meta-analysis6 involving scientists from Australia, Spain, Finland, the U.K. and France. Its aim was to address such disorders through dietary recommendations, along with a randomized controlled trial from 2017, dubbed “SMILES"7 (Supporting the Modification of Lifestyle in Lowered Emotional States).

SMILES, incidentally, involved the collaborative efforts of multiple experts from centers based in neuroscience, psychiatric, dietary, medical and other research centers throughout Australia. It concluded with the premise that "dietary improvement may provide an efficacious and accessible treatment strategy for the management of this highly prevalent mental disorder."8

It also noted that addressing the association between what a person eats and what they don't would very likely impact the number of related deaths. However, the idea for nutritional psychiatry becoming a “routine part of mental health clinical practice” came from LaChance's and Ramsey's use of Lancet Psychiatry's fundamental observation:

"Evidence for nutrition as a crucial factor in the high prevalence and incidence of mental disorders suggests that diet is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology.

Evidence is steadily growing for the relation between dietary quality (and potential nutritional deficiencies) and mental health, and for the select use of nutrient-based supplements to address deficiencies, or as monotherapies or augmentation therapies."9

The Highest-Scoring Plant Foods for Mental Health

One important observation scientists made in the course of the featured study was that deficiencies in long-chained omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and vitamin D are unquestionably implicated in the “pathophysiology” of depression.

More specifically, the impact foods have on inflammation,10 and the influence of dietary fiber on your gut flora,11 are two important factors when looking at the best foods to eat for mental health. One source came from a study focused on the "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables most strongly linked to lowered chronic disease risk.12 That said, the highest scoring plant-based foods for depression are:

Leafy greens - Watercress, spinach, mustard, turnip, chicory and beet greens, Swiss chard, dandelion, collard greens and the herbs cilantro, basil, parsley and kale

Lettuces - Red, green and romaine lettuce

Peppers - Bell, Serrano and jalapeno

Cruciferous vegetables - Cauliflower, kohlrabi, red cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Vegetables are highly nutritious, often with an amazing array of phytonutrients that can't be obtained from anything else, but there are downsides, thanks to modern food production.

Case in point: Although it's been labeled a probable carcinogen, glyphosate, one of the most common and problematic pesticides, continues to be used on crops, poisoning many of your foods. Birth defects, infertility, neurological disorders, endocrine disruption and cancer are all listed as potential risks of exposure, according to multiple studies.13

Genetically engineered (GE) growing operations are some of the worst examples of what's being done to your food, and GE crops are commonly sprayed with glyphosate. As a result, an estimated 60 million acres of farmland are now overrun with glyphosate-resistant superweeds, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.14

Based on the USDA's Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Report,15 the Environmental Working Group16 provides annual lists of the "Dirty Dozen," the vegetables and fruits with the highest amounts of pesticide residue (a list that changes slightly year by year) and the "Clean 15," the plant-based foods that are the least likely to contain pesticide residue.

The 2018 list shows spinach as second on the list, and sweet bell peppers as twelfth, but there's a remedy when you're not sure how to deal with vegetables that may be contaminated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals: Scientists report that washing your fruits and veggies in baking soda can get rid of as much as 96 percent of the toxic pesticides that contaminate most fruits and vegetables. Buying organic is also important.

The Highest-Scoring Animal-Based Foods for Mental Health

In regard to eating foods to offset depression, the focus has shifted from studying individual nutrients to evaluating overall dietary patterns. Traditional and whole foods (aka a healthy diet) can definitively be linked to symptoms becoming fewer and further between.

One study,17 among others, notes that people on the so-called "Western" diet, rife with unhealthy fats and sugars, may have a higher risk of depression, attention-deficit disorder18 and other problems.

As an example, an analysis known as the SUN cohort study followed more than 10,000 university students over a four-year period and found that those who stuck closest to the Mediterranean diet model had a more than 30 percent lower risk of developing depression in contrast to those with the lowest adherence to the Mediterranean diet.19

While caribou and whale liver, blackfish, boar, antelope and longan fish were all excluded from the featured study due to the lack of availability, the highest-scoring animal-based food groups include the following foods, followed by possible caveats for your health:

Bivalves (soft-bodied invertebrates in a two-part hinged shell) - Oysters, clams, mussels

Various seafoods - Octopus, crab, tuna, smelt, fish roe (fish eggs), bluefish, wolfish, pollock, lobster, rainbow trout, snail, spot fish, salmon, herring, snapper

Organ meats - Spleen, kidneys, or heart, and poultry giblets

It also should be noted that papaya, lemons and strawberries, each with a score of 31 percent, had higher AFS scores than several of the seafoods, such as snail, salmon, herring and snapper. Fish is considered the ultimate superfood, but be careful when purchasing to make sure it's not on the list of the worst fish, as it's liable to be tainted with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) and/or radioactive poisons.

There's also rampant issues with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which more often than not involve diseases, pollution from excrement, a diet of too much grain and animal byproducts, banned antibiotics and carcinogens, not to mention horrific environments.

Tuna, with a score of 15 to 21 percent on the AFS, is one of the most-consumed seafoods, but it has serious issues for your health due to mercury toxicity. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is one of the best foods you can eat, but be sure when purchasing that it's not farmed fish, aka "CAFOs of the sea," as it's likely to be toxic due to its diet of GE soy and corn, not to mention mercury and other heavy metals.

Herring are one of the top five healthiest fish. According to NPR, Geoff Shester, California campaign director for the marine protection group Oceanalert, describes it as a "local, sustainable food source," and says, "Herring are delicious, with flaky, mild meat and oil ... ."20 Also, note that smaller fish like sardines, anchovies and herring generally have fewer contaminants and are high in omega-3 fats.

These Seven Real Foods Are Your Best Bet for Fighting Depression

It's very important (not to mention encouraging) that the medical community seems to be grasping the fact that food - not solely medical intervention in the form of drugs and/or psychotherapy - may very possibly be the best hope we have of regaining the mental foothold required, individually and collectively, to both approach and be successful at life. To sum up, the top seven foods to help fight depression are as follows:

Oysters, but avoid those from contaminated waters

Mussels, also be sure they're from unpolluted waters

Seafood, particularly wild-caught Alaskan salmon, herring, sardines and anchovies

Organ meats, but only those from grass fed animals (not CAFO animals)

Leafy greens

Peppers

Cruciferous vegetables

Making it even easier for people to eat good foods without becoming overwhelmed by erroneous dietary restrictions, the researchers of the featured study noted another study from BMJ in 2016.21 It addresses issues with foods that many medical professionals had until recently insisted were "harmful." The old-school narratives on saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium are being overturned based on more recent research.

Moreover, the harmfulness and potential benefit of nutrients such as saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium for both physical and mental health are being reevaluated based on more recent research, and cholesterol is no longer considered a nutrient of concern according to the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The study authors also observe that mental health professionals may or may not be equipped to support behavioral changes, of which dietary change is simply an example. But the AFS list can be used as a tool, if not by medical personnel to refine their nutritional recommendations for their patients, then by you as a consumer to intelligently refine - or redefine - your nutritional choices.

0 notes

paullassiterca · 5 years

Text

Top 7 Foods to Help Fight Depression

In September 2018, researchers reported the results of a study focused on finding the best foods to eat to help fight depression. Dr. Laura R. LaChance and a team from the University of Toronto, and Drew Ramsey from the department of psychiatry at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, tackled the initiative. According to the study:

“A systematic literature review was conducted to derive a list of Antidepressant Nutrients from the 34 nutrients known to be essential for humans using level of evidence criteria.

However, availability doesn’t always mean people avail themselves of the easy access to healthy foods; in fact, most of the adult population in the U.S. fails to meet the daily recommendations for vegetable intake. The Healthy People 2010 initiative, designed to increase vegetable consumption and other healthy habits, revealed that only 27.2 percent ate three or more servings per day.4

What Nutrients Fight Depression Best?

Folate

Iron

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA)

Magnesium

Potassium

Selenium

Thiamine

Vitamin A

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B12

Vitamin C

Zinc

The Prevalence of Mental Illnesses and a ‘Recipe’ for Hope

LaChance and Ramsey’s study noted that among people aged 15 through 44 years, mental conditions, including depression, are the leading cause of disability worldwide. Increasing treatment options, including by considering “antidepressant” foods, should be “imperative” for dealing with the growing number of people struggling with such issues. Further:

“A growing evidence base, including the first randomized controlled trial, suggests that dietary pattern and food choice may play a role in the treatment and prevention of brain-based disorders, particularly depression … They recommend following a traditional dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean diet … and avoiding processed foods, for example those high in refined carbohydrate or sugar.

Furthermore, an international consortium of mental health and nutrition researchers recently recommended 'nutritional psychiatry’ become a routine part of mental health clinical practice.”5

SMILES, incidentally, involved the collaborative efforts of multiple experts from centers based in neuroscience, psychiatric, dietary, medical and other research centers throughout Australia. It concluded with the premise that “dietary improvement may provide an efficacious and accessible treatment strategy for the management of this highly prevalent mental disorder.”8

It also noted that addressing the association between what a person eats and what they don’t would very likely impact the number of related deaths. However, the idea for nutritional psychiatry becoming a “routine part of mental health clinical practice” came from LaChance’s and Ramsey’s use of Lancet Psychiatry’s fundamental observation:

“Evidence for nutrition as a crucial factor in the high prevalence and incidence of mental disorders suggests that diet is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology.

The Highest-Scoring Plant Foods for Mental Health

More specifically, the impact foods have on inflammation,10 and the influence of dietary fiber on your gut flora,11 are two important factors when looking at the best foods to eat for mental health. One source came from a study focused on the “powerhouse” fruits and vegetables most strongly linked to lowered chronic disease risk.12 That said, the highest scoring plant-based foods for depression are:

Leafy greens — Watercress, spinach, mustard, turnip, chicory and beet greens, Swiss chard, dandelion, collard greens and the herbs cilantro, basil, parsley and kale

Lettuces — Red, green and romaine lettuce

Peppers — Bell, Serrano and jalapeno

Cruciferous vegetables — Cauliflower, kohlrabi, red cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Vegetables are highly nutritious, often with an amazing array of phytonutrients that can’t be obtained from anything else, but there are downsides, thanks to modern food production.

Case in point: Although it’s been labeled a probable carcinogen, glyphosate, one of the most common and problematic pesticides, continues to be used on crops, poisoning many of your foods. Birth defects, infertility, neurological disorders, endocrine disruption and cancer are all listed as potential risks of exposure, according to multiple studies.13

Genetically engineered (GE) growing operations are some of the worst examples of what’s being done to your food, and GE crops are commonly sprayed with glyphosate. As a result, an estimated 60 million acres of farmland are now overrun with glyphosate-resistant superweeds, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.14

Based on the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Report,15 the Environmental Working Group16 provides annual lists of the “Dirty Dozen,” the vegetables and fruits with the highest amounts of pesticide residue (a list that changes slightly year by year) and the “Clean 15,” the plant-based foods that are the least likely to contain pesticide residue.

The 2018 list shows spinach as second on the list, and sweet bell peppers as twelfth, but there’s a remedy when you’re not sure how to deal with vegetables that may be contaminated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals: Scientists report that washing your fruits and veggies in baking soda can get rid of as much as 96 percent of the toxic pesticides that contaminate most fruits and vegetables. Buying organic is also important.

The Highest-Scoring Animal-Based Foods for Mental Health

One study,17 among others, notes that people on the so-called “Western” diet, rife with unhealthy fats and sugars, may have a higher risk of depression, attention-deficit disorder18 and other problems.

Bivalves (soft-bodied invertebrates in a two-part hinged shell) — Oysters, clams, mussels

Various seafoods — Octopus, crab, tuna, smelt, fish roe (fish eggs), bluefish, wolfish, pollock, lobster, rainbow trout, snail, spot fish, salmon, herring, snapper

Organ meats — Spleen, kidneys, or heart, and poultry giblets

It also should be noted that papaya, lemons and strawberries, each with a score of 31 percent, had higher AFS scores than several of the seafoods, such as snail, salmon, herring and snapper. Fish is considered the ultimate superfood, but be careful when purchasing to make sure it’s not on the list of the worst fish, as it’s liable to be tainted with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) and/or radioactive poisons.

There’s also rampant issues with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which more often than not involve diseases, pollution from excrement, a diet of too much grain and animal byproducts, banned antibiotics and carcinogens, not to mention horrific environments.

Tuna, with a score of 15 to 21 percent on the AFS, is one of the most-consumed seafoods, but it has serious issues for your health due to mercury toxicity. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is one of the best foods you can eat, but be sure when purchasing that it’s not farmed fish, aka “CAFOs of the sea,” as it’s likely to be toxic due to its diet of GE soy and corn, not to mention mercury and other heavy metals.

Herring are one of the top five healthiest fish. According to NPR, Geoff Shester, California campaign director for the marine protection group Oceanalert, describes it as a “local, sustainable food source,” and says, “Herring are delicious, with flaky, mild meat and oil … .”20 Also, note that smaller fish like sardines, anchovies and herring generally have fewer contaminants and are high in omega-3 fats.

These Seven Real Foods Are Your Best Bet for Fighting Depression

It’s very important (not to mention encouraging) that the medical community seems to be grasping the fact that food — not solely medical intervention in the form of drugs and/or psychotherapy — may very possibly be the best hope we have of regaining the mental foothold required, individually and collectively, to both approach and be successful at life. To sum up, the top seven foods to help fight depression are as follows:

Oysters, but avoid those from contaminated waters

Mussels, also be sure they’re from unpolluted waters

Seafood, particularly wild-caught Alaskan salmon, herring, sardines and anchovies

Organ meats, but only those from grass fed animals (not CAFO animals)

Leafy greens

Peppers

Cruciferous vegetables

Making it even easier for people to eat good foods without becoming overwhelmed by erroneous dietary restrictions, the researchers of the featured study noted another study from BMJ in 2016.21 It addresses issues with foods that many medical professionals had until recently insisted were “harmful.” The old-school narratives on saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium are being overturned based on more recent research.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/03/best-foods-for-depression.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/181668985541

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magically-devious · 6 months

Text

Chocolate Matcha and Strawberry Swiss Cake Snails 🩷💚

A pair of ovenbaked clay snails made to resemble chocolate matcha and Strawberry Swiss Cake

#snails #snail #effervescent #clay crafts #clay figurines

2 notes · View notes

jakehglover · 5 years

Text

Top 7 Foods to Help Fight Depression

In September 2018, researchers reported the results of a study focused on finding the best foods to eat to help fight depression. Dr. Laura R. LaChance and a team from the University of Toronto, and Drew Ramsey from the department of psychiatry at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, tackled the initiative. According to the study:

"A systematic literature review was conducted to derive a list of Antidepressant Nutrients from the 34 nutrients known to be essential for humans using level of evidence criteria.

What Nutrients Fight Depression Best?

Folate

Iron

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA)

Magnesium

Potassium

Selenium

Thiamine

Vitamin A

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B12

Vitamin C

Zinc

The Prevalence of Mental Illnesses and a 'Recipe' for Hope

Furthermore, an international consortium of mental health and nutrition researchers recently recommended 'nutritional psychiatry' become a routine part of mental health clinical practice."5

The Highest-Scoring Plant Foods for Mental Health

Leafy greens — Watercress, spinach, mustard, turnip, chicory and beet greens, Swiss chard, dandelion, collard greens and the herbs cilantro, basil, parsley and kale

Lettuces — Red, green and romaine lettuce

Peppers — Bell, Serrano and jalapeno

Cruciferous vegetables — Cauliflower, kohlrabi, red cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Vegetables are highly nutritious, often with an amazing array of phytonutrients that can't be obtained from anything else, but there are downsides, thanks to modern food production.

The Highest-Scoring Animal-Based Foods for Mental Health

Bivalves (soft-bodied invertebrates in a two-part hinged shell) — Oysters, clams, mussels

Various seafoods — Octopus, crab, tuna, smelt, fish roe (fish eggs), bluefish, wolfish, pollock, lobster, rainbow trout, snail, spot fish, salmon, herring, snapper

Organ meats — Spleen, kidneys, or heart, and poultry giblets

It also should be noted that papaya, lemons and strawberries, each with a score of 31 percent, had higher AFS scores than several of the seafoods, such as snail, salmon, herring and snapper. Fish is considered the ultimate superfood, but be careful when purchasing to make sure it’s not on the list of the worst fish, as it’s liable to be tainted with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) and/or radioactive poisons.

These Seven Real Foods Are Your Best Bet for Fighting Depression

It's very important (not to mention encouraging) that the medical community seems to be grasping the fact that food — not solely medical intervention in the form of drugs and/or psychotherapy — may very possibly be the best hope we have of regaining the mental foothold required, individually and collectively, to both approach and be successful at life. To sum up, the top seven foods to help fight depression are as follows:

Oysters, but avoid those from contaminated waters

Mussels, also be sure they're from unpolluted waters

Seafood, particularly wild-caught Alaskan salmon, herring, sardines and anchovies

Organ meats, but only those from grass fed animals (not CAFO animals)

Leafy greens

Peppers

Cruciferous vegetables

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/03/best-foods-for-depression.aspx

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jerrytackettca · 5 years

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Top 7 Foods to Help Fight Depression

In September 2018, researchers reported the results of a study focused on finding the best foods to eat to help fight depression. Dr. Laura R. LaChance and a team from the University of Toronto, and Drew Ramsey from the department of psychiatry at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, tackled the initiative. According to the study:

"A systematic literature review was conducted to derive a list of Antidepressant Nutrients from the 34 nutrients known to be essential for humans using level of evidence criteria.

What Nutrients Fight Depression Best?

Folate

Iron

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA)

Magnesium

Potassium

Selenium

Thiamine

Vitamin A

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B12

Vitamin C

Zinc

The Prevalence of Mental Illnesses and a 'Recipe' for Hope

Furthermore, an international consortium of mental health and nutrition researchers recently recommended 'nutritional psychiatry' become a routine part of mental health clinical practice."5

The Highest-Scoring Plant Foods for Mental Health

Leafy greens — Watercress, spinach, mustard, turnip, chicory and beet greens, Swiss chard, dandelion, collard greens and the herbs cilantro, basil, parsley and kale

Lettuces — Red, green and romaine lettuce

Peppers — Bell, Serrano and jalapeno

Cruciferous vegetables — Cauliflower, kohlrabi, red cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Vegetables are highly nutritious, often with an amazing array of phytonutrients that can't be obtained from anything else, but there are downsides, thanks to modern food production.

The Highest-Scoring Animal-Based Foods for Mental Health

Bivalves (soft-bodied invertebrates in a two-part hinged shell) — Oysters, clams, mussels

Various seafoods — Octopus, crab, tuna, smelt, fish roe (fish eggs), bluefish, wolfish, pollock, lobster, rainbow trout, snail, spot fish, salmon, herring, snapper

Organ meats — Spleen, kidneys, or heart, and poultry giblets

It also should be noted that papaya, lemons and strawberries, each with a score of 31 percent, had higher AFS scores than several of the seafoods, such as snail, salmon, herring and snapper. Fish is considered the ultimate superfood, but be careful when purchasing to make sure it’s not on the list of the worst fish, as it’s liable to be tainted with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) and/or radioactive poisons.

These Seven Real Foods Are Your Best Bet for Fighting Depression

Oysters, but avoid those from contaminated waters

Mussels, also be sure they're from unpolluted waters

Seafood, particularly wild-caught Alaskan salmon, herring, sardines and anchovies

Organ meats, but only those from grass fed animals (not CAFO animals)

Leafy greens

Peppers

Cruciferous vegetables

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/03/best-foods-for-depression.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/top-7-foods-to-help-fight-depression

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livingcorner · 3 years

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Grow a Rooftop Garden

Find out best practices and the edibles that thrive in a rooftop garden.

You're reading: Grow a Rooftop Garden

Image courtesy of Storey Publishing Illustration by Mary Ellen Carsley

Read more: Is Having Slugs and Snails In Your Garden Good or Bad? – Pest Control Products

Harbor a desire to grow a garden of Asian vegetables? Edibles on a patio? A formal kitchen garden? Garden writer Niki Jabbour has assembled an intriguing mix of garden types to meet the needs of many types of gardeners, whether they are in it for the canning, a beautiful mix of edibles and ornamentals or have limited space to work with. Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden gives readers the tips and tools they need to make it happen.

Image courtesy of Storey Publishing

One of the more tantalizing garden projects for city dwellers with limited space is the rooftop garden, an opportunity to turn often under-utilized real estate into a lush and productive gardening zone. But there’s more! A rooftop gardens says Jabbour, “is also a wonderful spot for al fresco meals, particularly when enjoyed in the evening under a canopy of stars.” She advises that those considering a rooftop garden also think about aesthetics, and how to maximize their space. “When laying out the beds and containers, leave space for a small table and chairs. Large pots of dwarf fruit trees or trellised crops can be arranged around the nook to offer privacy from nearby buildings and for creating an oasis in the middle of the city.”

Interested in creating your own urban garden in the sky? Follow the example of Seattle urban pioneers Colin McCrate and Hilary Dahl, who share their garden plan in the illustration above and offer their list of edibles that work best on rooftops.

Read more: What to Do with All Those Summer Tomatoes – FineCooking

Guide to Edible Plantings:

Assorted greens: ‘Deer Tongue’, ‘Nancy’, ‘Winter Density’, and ‘Breen’ lettuce; ‘Surrey’ and ‘Roquette’ arugula; ‘Calypso’ and ‘Santo’ cilantro

Beets: ‘Napoli’, ‘Scarlet Nantes’, and ‘Purple Haze’ carrots; ‘Early Wonder’, ‘Chioggia’, and ‘Touchstone Gold’

Onions: ‘Red Rezan’, ‘Polish White’, and ‘French Pink’ garlic; ‘Ailsa Craig’, ‘Prince’, and ‘Ruby Ring’

Perennial herbs: Italian oregano, ‘Aureum’ golden oregano, Greek oregano, common (English) or ‘French’ thyme, peppermint, and rosemary

Kale, broccoli, and Swiss chard: ‘Toscano’, ‘Rainbow Lacinato’, and ‘White Russian’ kale; ‘Bay Meadows’ and ‘Arcadia’ broccoli; ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard

Strawberries: ‘Seascape’

Hot peppers: ‘Thai Hot’, ‘Early Jalapeño’, ‘Ancho’, and ‘Fish’

Dwarf fruit trees: ‘North Pole’ and ‘Golden Sentinel’ columnar apples (need two different apple cultivars with corresponding blooming times to ensure pollination)

Annual flowers: Good choices to support the bee population include calendulas and nasturtiums (edible flowers), anise hyssop (edible leaves), and sweet alyssum and lobelia (non-edible ornamentals)

Squash: ‘Zephyr’ and ‘Gentry’ summer squash; ‘Jackpot’ zucchini

Potatoes: ‘Yukon Gold’, ‘All Blue’, and ‘Colorado Rose’

Tomatoes: ‘Black Prince’, ‘Pineapple’, ‘Sungold’, ‘Black Cherry’, ‘San Marzano’, and ‘Brandywine’ (trellised)

Hops: ‘Cascade’, ‘Centennial’, or ‘Willamette’

Cucumbers: ‘Marketmore 76’, ‘Suyo Long’, and ‘Lemon’ (trellised)

Pole beans: ‘Fortex’ (trellised)

Ready to get started? Niki Jabbour offers these tips for plotting out your city garden.

Tips for Starting a Rooftop Garden:

Start with a plan. Before you head to the garden center, consider whether you wish to install raised beds or would rather garden in containers, and approximately how many of each you’d like to have.

Consult with the building engineer. it’s a good idea to consult with the building manager or engineer to ensure that the roof can support the weight of your garden.

Check into access. You’ll need easy access to the roof to transport materials, tools, soil and plants up and down.

Use sturdy materials. For containers, opt for larger sized pots, such as half-barrel planters, that will be less likely to dry out or blow around in windy conditions. If installing raised beds, aim to make the beds at least 10-inches deep, to ensure adequate soil for root growth.

Find a water source. Rooftop beds and containers will dry out quickly and may need to be watered daily during the hottest parts of summer. If desired, an automatic watering system can be set up to reduce time spent watering.

Look for storage space. It’s no fun lugging tools, fertilizers and soil up to the roof every time you want to garden. A small storage space—even if it’s just a simple wooden box—will keep supplies handy and prevent them from blowing around on a windy rooftop.

Pick the right planting medium. In rooftop containers and raised beds, potting soil is your best friend. Not only does it hold water better than garden soil, but it’s also lightweight and won’t compact over time.

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Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/grow-a-rooftop-garden/

#livingcornernews

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