Greetings from a rather damp and chilly Denmark.
I am staying at my boyfriend's house on the island of lolland aproximately one hour and a bit South of Copenhagen. This is my second visit, my first was back in December not long after we first met.
Those of you that follow me will know that I live in Spain and have lived alone off grid in a caravan and little else (no running water, electricity etc) as part of my many experiments! Mainly to prove to myself that I can do it and survive, though of course to 'thrive' is preferable.
In any case, I've learnt an awful lot in the last few years though my interest and research into herbal medicine goes way back...
Even in my childhood in the 70's I was exposed to natural medicine, homeopathy and knowledge of the dangers of the many E numbers in our diets. I was fortunate to have a mother who wished to learn and be aware.
My father was Indian and was a fabulous cook! I grew up with an ecclectic background and diet combining the best of East and West.
As you may have seen in previous articles, unfortunately due to a few catastrophic years, like many who have suffered since the 2020 nightmare, I succumbed to the use of anti depressants and ended up suffering very unpleasant adverse reactions.
Part of my path of recovery over the last couple of months has been with the use of herbal medicine including Milk thistle (Cardo Mariano) and Ashwaganda.
I had already decided that it was crucial to continue with my spring detox and rebalance both body and mind. My boyfriend is of the same sentiment and has been using 'Amanita Muscaria' for many months now with very positive effects on his nervous system. I shall discuss this in the next article as I too have begun to take this amazing mushroom rather than the nasty Benzo prescribed by the medical profession.
Here we have a lush garden full of herbs, dandelions, nettles, fruit trees, wild strawberries, rhubarb and more.
We began by picking the nettles and dandelions ensuring that when picking we did not over pick in any one area and if the bees were around, kept away and picked elsewhere.
Wild Garlic/Allium Ursinum =
Type of Perennial allium variety. Also known as wood garlic, ramsons and bear garlic.
Native to Europe, UK and found in the USA.
Simple to identify by rubbing its leaf which has a clear distinct garlic aroma. Appears before other spring greens, being one of the first to hail the beginning of Spring. Ususally found in damp woody areas, we discovered it growing in large patches throughout the local forest adjacent to the sea. We picked in different areas throughout the forest and did NOT pick the root, just stem and leaf.
Versatile, can be eaten cooked or raw in every type of dish including soups and salads.
We have made a Wild Garlic Pesto and added it to soups, risotto, salad and pasta dishes so far. All parts of the plant can be consumed from the leaves, stems, bulbs and flowers.
Just like traditional Garlic it has many health benefits; Anti-inflammatory, Cardiovascular, detox, antibacterial and antimicrobial, antioxidant. Rich in a variety of nutrients including Iron, Calcium, Vit C and A, phosphorus and Copper, amino acids etc
For interesting historic information and much more, check out the following link: https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/wild-garlic-allium-ursinum
STINGING NETTLE/ URTICA DIOICA =
A perrenial herbacious plant found particularly thriving in wetter climes and has an abundance of health giving properties including:
Used as a tonic in bone and skin health, hormone balancer, supports the adrenal system potentially help in lowering Cortisol and supporting FSH hormones, aids in treating eczema, anemia, gout and enlarged prostate, contains minerals such as Zinc, Calcium, Potassium and Iron, Amino acids, Vit C and more...
We picked the leaves carefully from the back garden wearing gloves and proceeded to place in boiling water to remove the sting.
We added it to soups and other dishes and combined it in a herbal infusion with mint which was particularly pleasant.
DANDELIONS =
Member of the daisy family of plants alongside artichokes, thistle, ragweed, sunflowers and lettuce.
One of the most recognized garden 'weeds' yet simultaneously one of the most versatile and health giving plants we could hope to have to hand.
The flower, leaves and root all contain a myriad of health benefits and are all edible. Perhaps best known for its diuretic properties, each part of the plant has specific properties: For example the root has a success rate in killing off specific cancer cells, acc to 'Dr Axe', a study in 'Oncotarget showed Dandelion root extract was able to kill 95 percent of Colon cancer cells in 2 days!
Personally, I'm going to use the root for its Cholesterol lowering properties as I seem to have a genetic predisposition for high Cholesterol which showed up in genetic testing of both the good and bad variety and my recent blood tests showed a worrying LDL rise despite my healthy diet and lifestyle.
Alongide its powerful antioxidant properties, it's a liver and kidney cleanser and a powerful antimicrobial, aids in eye health and weight loss just to name a few, plus full of vitamins and minerals, including K, C and A, Calcium etc
We have been making tea daily with the flowers which we put through the dehydarator and stored in a jar. I mix the flowers with fresh tumeric root and Cinammon.
The leaves I've used each day in salad and soups and in fact just added to most dishes.
So, there you have it! My experiments that for now mean sticking to those three amazing gifts from nature and monitoring my overall health, mental and physical.
Watch this space...
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