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It’s the Tea Up Here

02 Monday Aug 2021

Posted by in health and wellness, homesteading, organic medicine, Uncategorized

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Hail Brave hearts

Your health, fitness and wellbeing are imperative!  The awesome adventure of your life is within your grasp.  Focus on the achievement, propel yourselves to this destiny.  This is what you live for, life for all that it’s worth.

The aches and pains of your body, cry for help. What remedy will ease this pain and cure the discomfort of the joints and muscles?  The daily workout is becoming the daily grind.  So much tension, so much repetitive strain.  Muscle tension and fatigue.  The more the body works, the more it is capable of work, but the getting there is more difficult than being there.  Our powerful power packs of nutritious blends help us, massage and muscle relaxants work for us, but there are other cures out there.

Way back on the farm in bygone years, the daily toil was a constant strain.  The tilling, the planting, the harvesting, the gain, all come at a price that the body and mind must endure.  Early mornings, long hours, fatigue and toil, provide a constant demand for good nutrition and rest.  The powerful berry patch resolves vitamin and mineral deficiency, but what about the rest?  Perhaps there’s another cure in the berry patch.  Perhaps there’s more to the backyard harvest than we collect.

Tea is one of the most highly consumed beverages in the world.  It’s part of traditions, customs and daily life.  A cup of tea is a welcome drink on a cold winters day or a cold brewed tea on a hot summers day.  The value of some kinds of tea is a powerful cup of anti-oxidant, vitamin, mineral and enzymes that help to complete a balanced diet.  These are the teas that some will find in their own back yards.

There are many opportunities to harvest tea.  Your backyard oasis is calling you, tempting the impossible, rid your body of pain and suffering, add an additional cup of tea.  The red raspberry patch has the additional potency of raspberry leaf tea, or black currant leaf tea, dandelion tea, fireweed tea, apple leaf tea, nettle tea, blueberry leaf tea, to mention a few.  The advantage of tea is the leaf is ready before the berry is and is easier to pick.  A tea needs fewer leaves than berries for a pie, so this is also an advantage.  However, is it healthy enough as a replacement in a lean berry year, or as nutritional benefit at any time?  Perhaps.  This is a list of health benefits of fruit leaf tea.  Be careful what you pick, some of your harvest has poisonous leaves.

Health Benefits of Raspberry Leaf Tea:

What are the health benefits of red raspberry tea?High in vitamin C and gallic acid as well as other phytonutrients, the effects of raspberries and red raspberry tea have been shown to help protect the heart and circulatory systems and slow down the advancement of age-related diseases, according to the Berry Health Benefits Network.

Helps with weight loss.

Drinking raspberry leaf tea is just as beneficial for people suffering from cold, flu, psoriasis, eczema, acne, obesity, indigestion, constipation, high blood pressure, aching joints, and general inflammation. 

Health Benefits of Blueberry Leaf Tea 

Blueberry leaves are rich in antioxidants, which have a number of different health benefits, including lowering fat levels and potentially protecting against hepatitis C. A cup of blueberry tea beside a spoonful of fruit. This amazing kale pesto is only 210 calories and anti-oxidant rich! 

Potential Health Benefits of Blueberry Tea

  • Improved heart health. . High levels of potassium make blueberry tea a heart-healthy beverage.
  • A stronger immune system. . That can make you sick less often and speed up your recovery
  • Better brain function. . Blueberry tea can help your brain work better. 

May Boost Heart Health. Blueberry tea can provide a boost to your cardiovascular system. May Improve Cognition. Might Improve Digestion. Gallic acid is a naturally occurring potential antioxidant in blueberries. May Improve Immune System. May improve vision. May improve kidney function. May help as an anti oxident. May improve bone density. May improve circulation  

Health Benefits of Black Currant Leaf Tea

The major benefits of this tea include its ability to strengthen the immune system, boost skin health, and induce sleep, among others.

  • High in vitamin C
  • Antioxidant activity
  • Antiviral and antibacterial properties. [2]
  • Reducing inflammation throughout the body
  • Protecting the skin against various conditions
  • Inducing sleep and preventing insomnia
  • Boosting mood
  • Regulating hormones
  • Improving cardiovascular health
  • Optimizing digestive function
  • Anticancer potential
  • Treating cold and flu and infections
  • Improving memory
  • Preventing urinary tract infections (UTI)

Side Effects

Drinking an excessive amount of this tea can result in a number of side effects, such as the following: [5]

  • Complications of pregnancy
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Potential bleeding disorders

Health Benefits of Nettle Tea

    1. Nettle Tea for Muscle Pain. Nettle tea is widely consumed to treat muscle pain. 
    2. For Cardiovascular Health. You can maintain your blood pressure levels 
    3. It Maintains Healthy Kidneys. You can reap numerous health benefits from nettle
    4. Improves Digestion.   Nettle tea is a delicious and beneficial beverage that helps reduce oxidative stress, relieve pain and inflammation, and lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. It also gives relief from urinary problems, soothes allergies and hives, gout, and improves skin, hair, and bone health. The tea is a detox drink that helps reduce hay fever, boost the immune system, protect the heart, and optimize digestion among others.
  • Fights oxidative stress
  • Source of antioxidants
  • Blood tonic
  • Hair & nail care
  • Improves kidney health
  • Relieves menstrual problems
  • Increases lactation
  • Promotes weight loss
  • Used for skincare [10]

Health Benefits of Fireweed Tea

  •  Balances digestive health
  • Promotes relaxation
  • Builds immunity
  • Improves mood
  • Strengthens circulation
  • Supports the kidneys and urinary system
  • Detoxifies. The antioxidants in fireweed benefit the digestive system, the circulatory system and the immune system, the lungs, and the skin.
  • Fireweed tea isn’t just dried is fermented. Fireweed tea has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries in Russia and can be a powerful aid in digestion and cultivating a healthy gut biome.
  • Health Benefits of Fireweed. Traditionally, Fireweed has been used to reduce fever, pain and inflammation. It is also considered useful against wounds, tumors and prostate enlargement. Fireweed is used for pain and swelling (inflammation), fevers, tumors, wounds, and enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH). It is also used as an astringent and as a tonic. How does it work? Fireweed might contain substances that reduce swelling (inflammation)
  • Health Benefits of Dandelion Tea
    1. Protects Bones. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body
    2. High in Vitamin K. Vitamin K is an essential fat-soluble vitamin
    3. Cleanses Liver.
    4. Fights Diabetes.
  • 2019-02-08 · 7 Ways Dandelion Tea Could Be Good for You
  • 1. It reduces water weight If you’re feeling bloated, dandelion tea could provide relief because it acts as a diuretic…
  • 2. It Could Promote Liver Health Dandelion root has long been held as a “liver tonic” in folk medicine. It Could Promote Liver Health. Dandelion root has long been held as a “liver tonic” in folk medicine.
  • It Can Act as A Natural Coffee Substitute. You may be able to find this product of pre-prepared dandelion root at your local health food stores, but you can also harvest and make it from yourself.
  • Similarities Between Dandelion and A Weight Loss Drug? A recent Korean study suggests that dandelion could have similar effects on the body as the weight loss drug Orlistat.
  • Dandelion Tea May Soothe Digestive Ailments. Dandelion root tea can have many positive effects on your digestive system, although much of the evidence is anecdotal.
  • It Could Have Future Anti-Cancer Applications. Recently, dandelion root has been studied for its cancer-fighting potential, and so far the results appear promising.
  • It May Help Prevent Urinary Tract Infections 
  • There are a number of impressive health benefits associated with dandelion tea, including its ability to detoxify the body, regulate digestion, help in weight loss, prevent cancer and other chronic illnesses, protect the skin, and increase bone strength, among others. Dandelion tea has many amazing health benefits. 
  • Apple Leaf Tea
  • 1. oral health, prevents tooth decay
  • 2. prevents Alzheimer’s
  • 3. fights Parkinson’s
  • 4. Control of all types of Cancers
  • 5. Lower the risk of Diabetes
  • 6. Reduce Cholesterol
  • 7. Grow a healthier heart
  • 8. Break down gallstones
  • 9. treat diarrhea and constipation
  • 10. treating discomfort bowel syndrome
  • 11. Prevents hemorrhoids
  • 12. weight loss treatment
  • 13. cleanse your liver
  • 14. increase your immune system
  • 15. avoid cataracts
  • 16. rich in antioxidents
  • 17 averting asthma
  • 18 increase endurance
  • 19. promote bone health
  • 20 improve night vision 
  • using the leaves only can improve your skin. acting as a treatment for acne and dark spots and blemishes.  It’s a treatment for darks circles and puffy eyes and helps hydrate the skin to improve radiance.
  • There is also evidence that the leaves can heal obesity, arthritis, bronchial asthma and prevent some cancers and chronic illness

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

August 1, 2021

Losing the Pollinator

06 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by in agriculture, alternative lifestyles, edible flowers, family farm, famine, farm, flowers, food, food production, gardens, health, homesteading, horticulture, starvation, the sustainability plan for food, Uncategorized, vegetables, world hunger

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Hail Oh Brilliant Ones

The food source is in decline. The world warms itself and global warming presents the hazards of Arctic melting and increased glacial melting. The great glaciers recede and the moraine increases. Rubble and rock to replace glacial icecap that melts and sends torrents of fresh drinking water into our rivers and streams. Drinking water for the nation, rivers and lakes, a necessary life giving force. Pure water, from a source that is vanishing at an increasing rate. Global warming. A hazard to us, as weather patterns change and become more unusual. Increasing storms and rising temperatures and decline.

Over hunting and over fishing are signs that we are not protecting the mighty planet as we should. Over harvesting of natural elements changes the face of the earth forever and is the need really there? Our bees are dying by the millions and our food source will become more and more scarce. Pesticides intended to increase crop yields fail as the pollinators die and with the death of these insects, food production declines and variety decreases. A small necessary insect, with enormous impact on the food chain. Bees alone pollinate so many varieties of food that without them, we have scarcity and loss of production.
The planet groans under the weight of so many humans, as they strive to fill their bellies. Plunder and loss, greed and resentment. How to feed the starving.
An age old question, of need and provide, as governments tackle the same questions that have presented themselves throughout history. How to provide for the hungry. Habitat loss and over farming plunders the earth. Natural forces are lost as bees die at an alarming rate. Plant your seeds, oh dear hearts, tend to your plants, nurture and care. But without the pollinator, your efforts are in vain, as the beautiful flower withers and dies without fruit to bear. Our efforts to feed ourselves diminishes as even the weather becomes unpredictable. A crisis at a momentous level.
Pesticides are becoming so poisonous that they are killing the life force that we need for food production. The bee. With the loss of bees, we loose our food supply and hunger increases. As hunger increases, so does plunder and the great planet and the great wild loose to the ravages of so many hungry people that can’t be fed. The food chain is interrupted and food declines.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/death-and-extinction-of-the-bees/5375684 the dying bees

Hail, great planet, cries the needs of so many. Replenish our plates and fill our mouths. Give us sustenance and plenty and nourish us. Provide for us, oh great planet, as we demand that only our stomachs be filled.
Another tree is toppled to make room for the farm. Another seed is planted to raise hopes for that poor, undernourished family. More hope for sustenance and perhaps income for a poor starving family. Not so. As bees die by the millions, the hope and dream of prosperity for those willing to try, diminishes and dies with the pollinator. Hail, almighty human. Use your powers wisely. Save us.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
January 21, 2015

Food! Glorious Food!

06 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by in agriculture, alternative lifestyles, edible flowers, family farm, famine, farm, flowers, food, food production, fruit, gardening, gardens, health, homesteading, horticulture, lifestyle, recipes, starvation, the sustainability plan for food, Uncategorized, vegetables, world hunger

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Good Day, Brave hearts

The plentiful gifts from the planet are oozing with goodness for your health.  Baskets of ripe fruit, fresh, organic produce, berries and vegetables.  The farm.  That country lifestyle of wholesome goodness.  The peace, the quiet, the endless fields of  food.  Take out your recipe books, oh delectable gourmet, this is where your hunger ends and your imagination starts.

The variety of carrots, yellow, purple, orange.  The variety of potatoes, peas, beans and corn.  Grains for baking, soups and bread.  This is your gourmet delight.  The fabulous farm, or even your own slice of garden in your own back yard.  The wholesome goodness of fresh country produce, organically grown.  Your own little world of a vegetable garden, saves dollars at the grocery store, but also has more nutritional value.  Fresh picked tastes better and has a higher nutritional value than produce that has been picked earlier and trucked to stores.

Your larder is overflowing as the berry bushes bow, heavy laden with fruit.  It’s a bumper crop this year, early springtime sunshine and hot, dry weather followed by day after day of rain and  now a non stop supply of early ripening produce.  The canning and processing is in full production and this is early for us.  The summertime fruit cordials are a delicious addition to the pantry.  Pin cherry, black currant, red currant and rhubarb.  The freezer is filling and the bushes are overflowing.   The fruit trees are ripening and the vegetable garden is ready for picking. The great Canadian summer is with us with all of the goodness that if brings.

www/thesustainabilityplanforfood.com

The glorious days of summer!  Dreamy days of endless health.  The wild lands burst with blue bushes of berries, tiny ground growing red and higher crops of ripening purple.  Look up!  Is that berries in those trees?  The birds fill their bellies and the wandering bears lick the bushes clean.  A plentiful crop for the wildlife brings healthy newborns next spring. The forest floor is still a bit dry, but the thundershowers keep blowing in and soon the underbrush will be damp from the persistent rain.  Rain and warmth, sunshine and heat, longer days and warmer nights.  This year has worked it’s magic for us, with our backyard gardens filling our baskets with non stop fruit.  The daily toil, for backyard farmers like us, is the constant delight of filling our bowls with fruit or vegies and trying new recipes. This year it’s fruit cordials, which are an absolute delight.  Elixers and liqueurs, jams and pie.  The fabulous luxury of home grown and homemade.  A superb combination to fill the spare time hours of long summer days.

The wild brings its own delight.  Blueberries for your healthy basket.  Eat and enjoy, this summer won’t last.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

August 15, 2016

The Homestead Part Two

06 Tuesday May 2014

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Her neighbour has the same amount of land. On his plot he houses seven pigs, one boar and six sows for regular pig production. Usually there are 16 maturing pigs, 16 young pigs and 16 piglets. In the first year they will produce 48 piglets, which he will raise large enough to provide meat for himself and some to sell. He has a smoke house for making ham and bacon, so his product is highly valued and he easily sustains himself. The hides are tanned for leather. He also has a garden and an orchard. His trees are four crab apple, mountain ash and chokecherry. He puts in a hedge of raspberry and plants rhubarb, potato, corn for flour, eating and pig food and plants other vegetables as well. He will easily survive. There is enough fruit for pies, preserves, jam and pemmican (if needed). He will also trade with his neighbour, some spun yarn for smoking some meat.
The next property is a gardener. He puts in crops of potato and other vegetables. He turns most of his property into a vegetable garden. He has to have his sheep, goat and chickens to survive, but they are kept in a small pen behind the house. There are zucchini, pumpkin and squash. He also plants lavender and roses and starts a soap production. He purchases a still to make perfumes.
The next property is a goatherd. He has six goats on his land. His primary purpose is dairy. The goats provide milk for cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, butter, milk and ice cream. He plants currants, raspberry, blueberry, saskatoon and oregano, savory, dill, mint, thyme, sage and chives. He needs berries to flavour his yogurt and ice-cream and herbs to flavour his cheese. He has plenty for trade and sale.
All of this without a tractor or a rototiller.
The shepherd is a weaver. She keeps 6 sheep on her small property and plants enough potato and root vegetables for her survival. She also has a chokecherry, a mountain ash and an apple tree. Her sheep provide wool for weaving and knitting, and meat and skins to sell. Her one goat gives her milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and cottage cheese. She dyes the wool from natural products and weaves beautiful blankets. The yearly lambs are slaughtered for meat and the skins are used for furnishings and clothing. There is trade in breeding the livestock. The goatherd and the shepherd keep bucks for breeding. The horticulturalist brings her ewes for fertilization. The lactating ewe provides milk and the offspring are butchered for meat and skins.
The poultry farmer has a dozen chickens and a rooster. She has a dozen eggs to sell every day, or to raise chickens for meat. She plants sunflowers to supplement their diet and her own. She plants corn for flour, currants, berries, potato and spice. Her trade is obvious. A dozen eggs for milk, but eventually she buys her own goat, it’s easier that way.
There are other homesteaders, each doing a variety of the production of the other properties.
The plantings are easy, two fruit bearing trees per corner, with fruit bearing shrubs beneath. Under the shrubs are spices and strawberries. A hedgerow of berries and currants are planted on all sides of the property. The property is divided in half 50’x 100′ for the animals and the rest for the house and gardens. The gardens consist of several rhubarb, corn, potato and whatever other vegetables they desire. Sunflowers and other flowers add to the yield.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes