Eat From the Ground

We are all glad that it’s springtime. We love the warmer weather and the beautiful colors appearing.

I’m also excited to see the wild edibles. Things like dandelion, burdocks, hen bit, and more.

The Bittersweet Truth About Spring Have you ever wondered why those stubborn dandelions are the first things to pop up in your yard? Nature is actually giving us a hint! Dandelions are one of the most powerful (and free!) tools for "spring cleaning" our livers.

• The Science: Bitter greens like dandelion leaves, arugula, and kale stimulate the liver to flush out the winter "sludge." They are high in vitamins A, C, and K, and they act as a gentle diuretic to help clear out puffiness.

• Spring Greens: I have always said God's favorite colors must be green and purple. (That's why I chose those for my own branding! ) Sorry for the side note there. From my observation, those first tiny little flowers that come up in February are purple, and then I start seeing yellows. (dandelions and jonquils, etc) What I most get excited about are the greens. When leaves start budding out and grass begins to grow, we know spring really has sprung!  As I said above, these are all hints for us to follow along with nature. We can gather mallows, dandelion greens, wild violet greens, chickweed, plantains, wild mustard leaves, and lots more. If you don't feel like foraging for all this good medicine, you can look in your health food store to buy it.  If you don't feel adventurous, you can always stick with arugula in your salads. Remember!  It's the bitter that we need to make our belly better!

• Suggestion: Before you go running into the backyard with a fork, make sure your lawn hasn’t been treated with chemicals! If you’d rather not forage in your pajamas, most local stores carry dandelion greens right next to the spinach, and you can find teas in the tea and coffee area that are formulated with dandelion root or burdock root to support the liver.

Spring Cleaning  Are you one of those who do spring cleaning in your house, or garage? There's something about spring that makes us want to open up our windows, get out in the yard, make a fresh start in some area, or do something new. 

We need to think of our bodies in the same way. After a season of cold weather and staying in the house, the  body gets stagnant and sluggish. We need to "open up" and "clean out". Spring is a great time to detox or do a gentle cleanse. 

So, along with consuming all the fresh new greens to help support our liver and detox pathways, we also want to think about cleaning out our system. I'd say this is how to feel like a million bucks.

I encourage people to learn about the free food in their yard. There are several plants that make up a good salad and many beautiful flowers can add visual interest to the greens.

Lambs quarters and dandelion greens along with new lettuces and spinach from my garden make up a wonderful salad.

It’s a great project and learning time for children. Foraging for mushrooms and wild greens is a great thing to do as a family. Just teach them to bring you what they gather so you can check them for safety.

My grandchildren came to my house the other day and were so excited to see the roses. They came running to me saying “can we eat some rose leaves?”

The main thing is to identify plants and make sure no pesticides are sprayed in your yard.

Some wild edibles are called medicinal herbs for a reason. I would love to see more people take advantage of the free food and medicine God provided for us.

P.S. Another reminder... Make sure you are foraging for the correct herbs!

Until next time…

Enjoy God’s providence!