#day 11: sunflowers for longevity

[thepromptfoundry]

The prompt theme for April 2024 is April Flowers!

Grab your garden gloves, dig out your vases, and check out a book on Victorian flower language! (And click the list image for higher quaility while you're at it.)

If you use this list, please tag me here @thepromptfoundry, I’d love to see your writing and art!

Feel free to combine different days' prompts with each other, or combine them with other seasonal events! Use your OCs, your favorite characters from media, whatever tickles your fancy.

Respond to as many prompts as you want or as interest you, don’t worry about missing or skipping any. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!

If you have any questions or musings, check our FAQ, and if you don't find your answer, shoot me an ask.

Plain text list below the cut:

1 Daffodils Yellow and/or white Associated with springtime and good luck, white ones also associated with death

2 Roses Wide range of colours, including red, white, pink, yellow, orange, and combinations thereof Associated with various forms of love, romance, respect, apology, and congratulations

3 Wisteria Usually purple or blue, sometimes pink or white Associated with longevity and fortune

4 Bird of Paradise Orange or white Associated with freedom, faithfulness, and regality

5 Cherry Blossoms Pinks and/or white Also known by their Japanese name “sakura” Associated with springtime, love, femininity, and mindfulness

6 Sunflowers Usually yellow, sometimes with orange or red Associated with the sun, longevity, loyalty, vigor and vitality

7 Bleeding Hearts Pink or red with white, or white Associated with love, heartbreak, and compassion

8 Hydrangeas Range from blue through purple to pink, white, or green Associated with gratitude, unity, regality, good fortune, and love (particularly for pink blooms)

9 Gardenias White or cream Associated with trust, hope, peace, secret love, and the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus

10 Poppies Red or orange, or less often yellow, pink, white, or black Associated with sleep and death, peace (white), prosperity (yellow), oblivion and loss (black), remembrance of WWI (red)

11 Lilacs Purples, blue, or white Associated with lost love, new love, reflection, and tranquility

12 Coreopsis Colour range from yellow to deep red, often bi-coloured Associated with cheerfulness, gratitude, friendship, and happiness

13 Allium Most often purple or white; also burgundy, yellow, and orange Recognizable as garlic flowers Associated with patience, unity, courage, and protection (such as against vampires)

14 Bluebells A range of blues and purples, occasionally pink Associated with everlasting love, faeries, enchantment, and gratitude

15 Honeysuckle Yellow, white, pink, or red Associated with love, trust, playfulness, and respect

16 Geraniums Red, pink, or white Associated with affection, passion, clandestine meetings, purity (white), and foolishness

17 Morning Glory Blues and purples, pink, red, white, or yellow Associated with young love, unrequited love, renewal

18 Sweet Pea Extremely wide range of colours including pink, cream, red, purple, and blue, but not yellow Associated with farewells, brides, playfulness, and romance (especially red blooms)

19 Buttercups Yellow Associated with youth, playfulness, and happiness

20 Passion Flowers White with purple or blue Associated with strength, hope, care, and the crucifixion of Jesus

21 Hollyhocks Pink, white, red, yellow, or purple Associated with prosperity, privacy, ambition, abundance, congratulations, and encouragement

22 Echinacea Most often purple; also red, pink, orange, yellow, or white Associated with health, healing, wellness, happiness, and elegance

23 Lotuses Wide range of colors including pinks, purples, red, orange, yellow, blue, white, and black Associated with beauty, purity, spirituality and spiritual enlightenment, love (red), tranquility (blue), authority and power (black), and gentleness (pink)

24 Black-Eyed Susans Yellow or orange with a dark brown/black center Associated with friendship, optimism, resilience, and support

25 Hibiscus Wide range of colours and colour combinations, often including red, pink, yellow, and/or white Associated with Hawaii and other tropical areas, prosperity, womanhood and (feminine) sexuality, friendship, and love

26 Lavender Most often purples and blues, sometimes cream or pink Associated with calmness, tranqility, devotion, sleep and dreams, clarity of mind, and France

27 Wallflowers Wide range of colours including orange, yellow, red, pink, and purple, multiple colours of bloom may appear on one plant Associated with faithfulness between lovers, friendship, being overlooked, and shyness

28 Larkspur Purple, pink, blue, or white Associated with protection, dedication, first love, ambition, and respectability

29 Jasmine White or yellow Associated with purity, respect, sensuality, motherhood, devotion, and beauty

30 Dahlias Pink, white, purple, blue, red, and “black” (very dark red) Associated with grace, strength, resilience, commitment, femininity (pink), change (blue), and betrayal (black)

[xtruss]

Longevity Spinach!

I'm about to show you something about this plant that you probably had no idea. This plant is beautiful, but this has nothing to do with the way that it looks. It tastes like spinach, but it's much healthier. This plant is full of vitamins A, C, and t, also known as vital amino acids. Vital amino acids are the building blocks of protein, so if you eat this plant, you're actually getting a lot of the necessary components for your body to make its own perfect protein.

You can add this versatile plant to salads, smoothies, soups, and stir fries. No lie, this is probably one of the easiest plants that you can grow. All you need to do to make a new plant is break a piece off and plant it. It's really that easy, and it grows all over the place. So be prepared, as this thing will vine out before long.

Did I mention it grows 365 days a year? You can literally grow it inside by a window. But if you live in zones 9 through 11, you can grow this plant in the ground, and you will always have a spinach-like green to eat.

Interestingly, in Africa, they use it like diabetes medication to control blood sugar, as it helps stabilize insulin levels.

Its name is Longevity Spinach because of the numerous health benefits it provides. It's got loads of antioxidants and phytochemicals which protect the liver and prevent oxidative stress. These properties not only contribute to its diabetes-fighting abilities but also support overall health and well-being.

In addition to its impressive nutritional profile and medicinal uses, Longevity Spinach is also known for its ability to purify the air. It's an excellent plant for indoor air purification, as it can absorb toxins and pollutants, improving the air quality in your home. This means that not only can you enjoy its health benefits when you consume it, but you can also benefit from simply having it around as a houseplant.

Another interesting fact about Longevity Spinach is that it's not actually related to spinach at all. Its scientific name is Gynura procumbens, and it belongs to the Asteracee famil. which includes plants like sunflowers and daisies. Despite its name and similar appearance to spinach, it's a entirely different plant with its own unique set of characteristics and benefits.

Given all these incredible benefits, would you consider growing this plant? With its easy propagation, adaptability to grow indoors or outdoors, and its year-round availability, Longevity Spinach could be a fantastic addition to your garden and diet. Its nutrient density and potential to support various aspects of health make it a compelling option for anyone looking to boost their nutrition and wellness. Plus, with its air-purifying properties and interesting botanical background, it's a plant that offers both practical and intriguing features for any home or garden.

— From TikTok Video

[edupunkn00b]

Remy & Emile, Chapter 1: Wise Men

Word Count: 2266, Human AU, pre- and during Chapter 1 of Happily Ever After

[ AO3 ]

May Flowers Event Day 11: Sunflowers for longevity

---

Remy Sanders slouched further down into his seat in his Paleoecology class. The professor was droning on and on about the heat death of the Universe and how long we could expect the Earth to last when the Universe itself had grown cold. Remy chuckled under his breath, imagining that his father would have something to say about the flaw in Professor Howard’s logic. The Earth will have long been swallowed by the Sun by the time we reach the heat death of the Universe, Professor. He doodled another sunflower in the margin of his notebook. His musings were interrupted by a shy voice at the front of the room.

“Um, excuse me, Professor, but I am not certain that’s entirely accurate.” Remy sat up in his seat, craning his neck to see who in the lecture hall of over two hundred students had interrupted their professor to correct him. Remy couldn’t quite see who was speaking. The lecture hall was crowded, with every seat filled. Paleoecology was a required course for all Atmospheric and Environmental Science majors and was only offered once every two years, so the class was typically filled to the rafters.

It was unfortunate, because Professor Howard put very little effort into the course. He clearly hadn’t updated his material in decades. The syllabus for the class was a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy. There were places where the original due dates were listed as 1998, with the old year simply crossed out and re-written. There were also rumors that Professor Howard could be vindictive in his grading, where your position on the class curve was based not on scores but on how much the professor liked you. It was not unheard of for unsuspecting students to fail his class the first time.

All of this led to a very packed room. Despite his efforts, Remy could only see the top of the brave student’s head, a bright tuft of curly pink hair.

“Professor, while it is true that the Universe will likely meet its end in complete entropy, or, the so-called ‘Big Freeze’, in several trillion years, our own planet is expected to succumb to the expanding Sun sometime in the next five to seven billion years when our sun reaches its red giant stage, expanding beyond 1 AU and engulfing our planet in its corona.”

“Thank you, ah …,” Professor Howard checked the seating chart, squinting across the rows, “uh, Mr. Patshki. Now, as I was saying - “

“One more thing, sir,” Patshki’s voice was polite but insistent. Remy couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “While our planet will likely be destroyed in that time frame, there are other, more pressing threats to our existence.” Patshki was quiet for a moment and Remy could swear he’d paused for dramatic effect. “Human life on this planet is much more likely to meet its demise well within the next several millennia, through a combination of climate change and an electromagnetic pulse from the Sun similar to the 1849 Carrington Event.”

A tittering of laughter spread across the lecture hall as Patshki sat down, clearing his throat and muttering, “Thank you, sir,” and the professor returned to the lecture. Remy’s attention, however, was solely focused on the small tuft of pink hair he could just barely see through the rows of occupied seats.

—

At the end of class, Remy quickly packed his notebook and computer away and stood, eyes searching for that bright pink shade. He wanted to meet this guy, if for no other reason than to shake his hand for putting this overly-tenured and intellectually lazy professor in his place, even if it was just for a moment.

Remy frowned, about to give up, thinking he must have missed him leaving through another exit, when he finally spotted him waiting in a short line to speak with the professor. Remy made his way down the long aisle like a salmon moving upstream, snaking through the crowd of students trying to leave the hall. Finally, he made it to the lower level and adjusted his bag, looking for Patshki. When Remy spotted him, he stood frozen in place. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Patshki’s voice had been soft and shy, but his courage in correcting a tenured professor in the middle of a lecture drove Remy to expect someone a little … tougher looking.

The boy - Man, Remy corrected himself. We’re not kids anymore. The man was a little shorter than he was, with a wild crown of pink, curly hair. He wore a bright pink oxford shirt and pressed khakis, with pink Chucks and matching laces. Remy stood a bit behind him and waited - mostly - patiently while Patshki spoke with the professor, asking questions about the reading. The professor had stopped packing up his notes and talked with him, a bemused expression on his face.

“The text only briefly mentions the issues around scaling,” Patshki blinked rapidly, tilting his head. “What would you recommend we read to further investigate the best way to reconcile the gaps when applying the same spatial scale to both paleoecological and neoecological studies?”

“That’s an interesting question. It sounds like you’ve read Bennington - “

“And Badgely,” Patshki added, eyebrow raised.

Professor Howard cleared his throat, “Yes, yes, she was a contributor to his work, as well.” He narrowed his eyes at Patshki, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “You’re a Sophomore, aren’t you?” Emile nodded. “Are you TA’ing for any of your other classes?” Emile blinked at the sudden topic change. “My TA for my 100-level course just quit and I could use a replacement.”

Remy wanted to interrupt - a TA quitting more than half-way through the year with a tenured professor - even one as bad as this guy? That’s a red flag, my man. He looked closely at Patshki’s body language. He’d taken a half step backwards away from the professor. Good, he's going to say no.

“I’m not sure if it will work with my schedule,” the pink-haired man carefully replied, shaking his head slightly. “Can I get back to you?”

The professor tilted his head, “You’re planning to eventually apply to the graduate program in Earth and Space Sciences at UW, aren’t you?” Emile nodded slowly. “You will need a good recommendation to get in. I know several of the advisors in that program.”

“Well, I appreciate you considering me, but I have a recommendation from Professor Markovski already and -“

Professor Howard started to frown, pulling out his seating chart and grade book again, ready to make a mark.

“Professor, when does the class meet?” Remy interjected. Patshki turned to look at him, relief washing over his face. Remy swallowed, not sure what he expected to say when the professor responded.

“It’s a Monday-Wednesday class with a Thursday practical, at 2 and 4 PM,” the professor narrowed his eyes at Remy, lips pursed in annoyance at the interruption.

“Oh … you see,” he looked at Patshki, mouth gaping for a half-second when the man's chocolatey brown eyes locked on to his own. Remy took a breath before continuing, “We have a standing study group with Professor Chiang every Wednesday. There’s no way we can get out of it.” He risked a glance back at Patshki, nodding slightly. Come on, accept the save ...

“Right, sorry, Professor, I was afraid I was forgetting something like that.” Both men held their breath as the professor slowly unfolded his arms and shrugged.

“Very well. If you truly have a conflict, I suppose I will need to find another TA, then.” The professor squinted at Remy again, “Croft, did you have a question, as well?”

Remy’s eyebrows knit together. “Excuse me, Professor, but it’s actually Sanders now.” At least it will be in May when I can change it … His face relaxed when he saw Professor Howard update his chart. “But, no. No, sir, no questions from me. I was just going to walk with, um, my friend back to the library.”

Patshki nodded quickly, turning from the professor, “Right, right, we’re running late … Thank you, Professor. See you next week.” He turned away from the professor’s intimidating stare, wide eyes meeting Remy’s again. He mouthed, “Thank you!” and followed Remy back up the stairs and out of the the lecture hall.

As soon as the door closed, Patshki grabbed Remy’s arm, “Thank you so much! Professor Howard was starting to really creep me out.” Patshki leaned against the wall, putting his hands on his knees and bending over, breathing quickly and starting to wheeze.

“Hey … hey, um, you’re gonna be ok …,” Remy began, “What's your first name? I'm Remy."

Patshki gasped, “Em- Emile …”

Remy bit his lip, trying to remember anything from last year's mental health first aid class. Connect, ask … “It’s really nice to meet you, Emile. Can … can we go outside?”

Emile looked up at Remy, blinking rapidly. “Professor Howard will likely come out soon," Remy continued. "Can I help you?” Emile’s eyes grew wide and he nodded. Remy picked up Emile's bag and held out his arm for the other man to grasp and they made their way outside and a little distance from the entrance, sitting on a bench on the Quad.

Emile’s breathing started to calm as soon as they got outside. Remy realized he was counting quietly as he breathed. Remy sat silently, waiting with Emile until he was calm enough to speak again. After several more minutes, Remy could no longer hear any wheezing. He noticed Emile’s shoulders start to lower and he sat a little straighter. Finally, Emile turned to Remy and gave him a small smile. “Thank you - again. I … I hope I am not keeping you from your next class.”

Remy smiled back, “No, no, not at all. That was my last class of the day.” He patted Emile’s shoulder, “Feeling any better?”

Emile nodded, cheeks slightly pink. “I think perhaps I’m a little sleep deprived … blowing things out of proportion.” He shook his head. “I can be a little oversensitive sometimes …” Emile suddenly froze, eyes wide. “I - and I suppose I tend to overshare.” Emile reached for his bag where Remy had set it down by their feet. “I’m sorry … I - “

Remy brushed Emile’s arm, “Please wait, Emile … why are you sorry?” Emile turned, peering closely at Remy’s face and registering no anger or annoyance. “It’s a nice day and we’re sitting outside,” Remy shrugged gently and smiled. “I don’t see anything to be sorry about.” Emile tilted his head, considering Remy’s words. Slowly, he sat back down, relaxing against the back rest.

Remy looked closely at Emile. “Would you rather talk or just sit quietly and people watch?,” he winked, grinning widely.

“People watching sounds quite nice right about now, actually, if you do not mind?,” Remy nodded, leaning back and turning his attention to the students walking around the Quad.

They sat together for almost an hour, interrupted only by a quiet alarm chiming on Emile’s phone. “Oh, I need to get back to my dorm before, um …” his voice trailed off as he stood and picked up his bag again. “See you in class next week?”

Remy nodding, standing, “Yes, yes, definitely!” He opened his arms to hug Emile at the same time that Emile reached out to shake his hand. They both laughed and settled on a fist bump. “It really was nice to meet you, Emile.” Emile grinned and turned, walking quickly down the path toward the dorms. Remy watched for a few moments before retrieving his own bag and walking the opposite way down the path toward the library.

—

Next week in Paleoecology, after the TAs took attendance, Remy noticed that the seat next to Emile appeared vacant, so on the first break, he tucked his notebook and laptop under his arm and sprinted down the aisle. “Hi, Emile,” he began, grinning as his new friend looked up. “Say, um, do you mind if I sit next to you?” Emile blinked at him, lips parted, expression unreadable. Remy’s eyes widened and he shook his head, “Oh, you know, I’m sorry, I’m overstepping - “ he started to move back toward the aisle and his regular seat. “- I - I didn’t mean to be rude …,” Remy turned, ready to rush back up the steps, when Emile stood and reached for his arm.

“Remy, yes, please sit!,” he blurted out, his voice carrying a few rows away and drawing the attention of more than a few pairs of eyes. Emile flushed but gestured toward the empty seat next to him, nodding. He lowered his voice, “Please.”

Remy smiled and settled into the seat just as the professor called the class back from break.

The rest of class was uneventful, with both men drawn back into the lecture. The time passed quickly and before either were really aware of it, class was over. Remy packed his bag and stood, hands in his pockets. He grinned at Emile. “Are … are you busy? Maybe we could, um, work on our presentations together?”

Emile smiled, starting to nod, but then froze, eyes wide, when his phone began to ring, playing Chris Brown’s Go Crazy. “Actually, I - I apologize, I need to take this.”

“Oh, of course … see you later, then.” Remy waved and smiled, starting up the aisle.

Emile pressed the call button on his phone, “Hi, Honey, I am just getting out of class right now …”

As Remy started up the stairs, he very nearly managed to convince himself that he didn’t feel that twinge in his chest as he heard how Emile answered his call.

@tsshipmonth2020​

[cureyourhealth]

PLANT BASED DIET

How to achieve good nutrition by eating a plant based diet

what is a plant based diet

A plant-based diet is any diet that focuses around foods derived from plant sources. This can include fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, legumes, nuts and meat substitutes such as soy products.

People often have different interpretations of what ‘plant-based’ eating looks like. Some people still include small amounts of animal products such as meat and fish, while focusing mainly on vegetarian foods – this is referred to as a semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet. Plans that cut out meat but still include fish are referred to as pescatarian diets. People who don’t eat meat or fish but still include dairy and eggs are referred to as vegetarian, while those who cut out any animal derived products, including dairy, eggs, honey and gelatin are referred to as vegan.

People following plant-based diets and consuming a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and pulses are likely to find it easier to meet their five-a-day target. Due to this, they are also likely to have good intakes of fibre and the vitamins and minerals that are present in fruit and vegetables, including folate, vitamin C and potassium, all of which are important for good health.

Plant-based diet benefits

1. Supports The Digestive System

2. For Cardiovascular Health

3. Promotes Weight Loss

4. Safe For Diabetics

5. Promotes Skin Health

6. Keeps Your Body Energetic

7. Promotes Psychological Health

8. Lowers High Cholesterol Levels

9. Combats Insomnia

10. For High Blood Pressure

11. Increases Metabolic Rate

12. Fights Cancerous Cells

13. Promotes Longevity

Plant-based diet for weight loss

The first step towards tackling the daunting task of weight loss is coming up with a plan and finding the best option for you.

The one thing that most nutritionists and experts can agree on is that diets that focus on natural, whole foods tend to have the best outcomes. Replacing processed and refined foods with fresh, natural foods has proven to be effective in not just losing weight, but keeping it off.

Plant-based diet food list

Plant-based diets are generally about the consumption of foods in their most natural state and encourage whole, natural foods originating from plants. This spans a wide range of food groups.

Vegetables

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Spinach

Kale

Peppers

Asparagus

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Squash

Carrots

Beets

Mushrooms

Fruits

Bananas

Apples

Grapefruit

Berries

Kiwis

Pears

Plums

Grapes

Oranges

Cherries

Pineapple

Nectarines

Legumes

Chickpeas

Lentils

Beans

Peas

Whole Grains

Brown rice

Quinoa

Oats

Farro

Corn

Plant-Based Protein

Tofu

Tempeh

Legumes

Whole-grains

Nuts

Seeds

Nuts

Peanuts

Almonds

Walnuts

Macadamia nuts

Cashews

Brazil nuts

Hazelnuts

Pine nuts

Pecans

Seeds

Sesame seeds

Poppy seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Chia seeds

Flaxseed

Sunflower seeds

Hemp seeds

Plant-Based Oils and Fats

Avocado

Olive oil

Sesame oil

Coconut oil

Flaxseed oil

problems with a plant-based diet

1. REQUIRES MEAL PLANNING AND PREPARATION

2. ASSUMING THAT ALL VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN PRODUCTS ARE HEALTHY

3. EXPERIENCING FATIGUE

4. INCREASED GAS AND BLOATING

5. DEALING WITH SUGAR CRAVINGS

READ MORE..

[alternateafterthought]

Golden Time - Part 12

> Pairing: Hybrid Jeon Jungkook x Reader

> Summary: Y/N has been rescuing and recovering hybrids her entire life. Now she has inherited her grandparents hybrid sanctuary. It was a normal rescue, get the hybrid, recover him and give him a choice, stay on the sanctuary or find a life for himself. Why was this one so different?

> Genre: Hybrid!au, romance, smut, angst, fluff

> Warnings: Swearing

> Word Count: 1417

> A/N: Hey guys... here is the next part of my Jungkook hybrid fic!! It’s getting a little darker as it nears the end of the story!! I really hope you guys are enjoying it!! ALSO those who wish to be added to an eventual tag list, please leave a comment or an ask or message me!! Thank you so much for your support!!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11]

HYBRID SERIES LAWS

Y/N was cold. Her head throbbed, the ground beneath her was solid, uneven, and completely uncomfortable. It was not something anyone living and breathing should be lying on. And yet her body curled into herself, her hands moving to hold her head as it ached.

Blinking, trying and failing to open her eyes, even in what seemed like a dimly lit room. Y/N's eyes barely opened, squinting, only making out shadows and shapes, and it wasn't promising. Nothing in her line of vision as she tried to sit up was a good sight.

Finally dragging her cold, limp body against the even colder wall, Y/N finally started to focus. Her eyes skimmed her surrounding, she was in a cage, a cell, metal bars kept her in the cell. Her hands felt around her, she could recognise what she sat on, cement held this cell up, causing her to shiver.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught movement. A thin shadow moved slightly, from what Y/N could make out, the shadow moved backwards. Away from Y/N.

"Who's there?" Y/N voice was scratchy, she needed water.

The shadow stood frozen, crouched into itself and avoiding Y/N. They seemed to think if they didn't move, Y/N wouldn't think they were there. But in a place like this, Y/N would never let her guard down.

"Hello? Who the fuck is there?" Y/N aggressively growled, needing whoever was there to come forth.

Y/N did not, for the life of her, expect to recognise the huddled figure. In the life Y/N had chosen to life, to protect those that needed it most, she would never have expected to see then here.

"The fuck are you doing here?"

xxx

Jungkook was looking forward to getting home. Home... he finally had a home. A home he was proud of. A home he could come home to and be welcomed honestly and completely.

He had found his home.

At 6 o'clock Jungkook and Mr Astor finished in the fields. They decided to walk back to their homes, enjoying the lasting setting sun. Mr Astor saw Jungkook eyeing something in front of the many houses they walked between. With a knowing smile, Mr Astor moved towards the houses and asked if he could take some, before saying goodbye and catching back  up to a stunned Jungkook.

"For your mate." Mr Astor smiled widely, handing Jungkook the flowers. "These are her favourites."

Jungkook smiled down at the small bouquet of sunflowers. They were bright and beautiful and Jungkook just knew that they suited Y/N.

"They mean adoration, loyalty and longevity." Mr Astor continued as they both walked past houses getting closer together. "Y/N always thought that sunflowers would make anyone happy, bring joy. And she always wants to bring joy to people, especially to those who enjoy it. And you seem to bring her joy."

"Do you think so?" Jungkook looked up at the old man who had become like a grandfather to him, wanting his approval as much as anyone's to be with Y/N.

"My boy," Mr Astor put his arm around Jungkook with a soft smile. "I have never seen Y/N smile as brightly as she does when she looks at you. It reminds me of when I first meet my wife."

Jungkook blushed, his hands holding onto the flowers tightly. Jungkook wanted to make Y/N smile. He had always promised to never make her sad, only to see brighter days with her.

When he stepped onto the path to home he expected to see Y/N. Maybe out on the porch waiting for him. Maybe coming out to greet him and Mr Astor.

What he didn't expect was to see the 2 hybrids Y/N was talking about at lunch. The shorter of the two sat on the steps of the porch, his ears twitching, his sharp eyes focusing onto Jungkook as he heard him approach. The other, who had smiled and wave the first time he had seen Jungkook was for the first time not smiling. His ears were alert, his eyes scanning the area, his nose twitching, trying to catch a scent.

"Jungkook..."

The flowers in Jungkook's hand fell, now lying in the middle of the path. Forgotten. Cold. Wilting away.

xxx

Y/N couldn't believe what she was seeing, having to blink a few times. The back of her pale, almost purple hands rubbed her eyes a few time before looking back at the hunched figure.

The thin, frail body, sat rigid in the ever present darkness of the cell. But their eyes. Their eyes were lifeless, having witnessed horror to land themselves in here. Y/N didn't want to think it, but maybe they deserved it. Though Y/N knew that no one deserved to be locked up, caged like an animal... even if they acted worse then a wild animal.

Mrs Bonavich hugged her boney knees to her chest, her eyes were avoiding all contact with Y/N. She saw that Mrs Bonavich seemed to be bitting her nails, she couldn't see much in the dark, but she knew the movement. The nervous tick to bite her nails was enough to make anyone rethink their situation.

The cell was bad enough, but a woman like Mrs Bonavich scared and nervous? Y/N needed to get out of here.

"Where are we?" Y/N asked, her quiet voice echoing in the dark room.

Mrs Bonavich merely shrugged her thinning shoulders. Her eyes scanning quickly over Y/N and away again, towards the cage door. It was like she was scared to speak, scared to move to fast. Even if she was very twitchy and fidgety.

"Do you at least know who bought us here?" Y/N asked again, her hushed voice hurting. "Why they have us?"

Again, Mrs Bonavich avoided answering, turning to the cell door. Y/N caught on, she was waiting, listening to hear if anyone was coming. But from where Y/N sat, you would easily be able to hear anyone moving towards them. The echo of the footsteps would be too easy to hear... so what was Mrs Bonavich really waiting for?

"You're going to be loads of fun to be stuck in here with." Y/N huffed out a breath.

Sooner, rather then later, Y/N's eyes adjusted to the dark. She could see where she was, though there wasn't much to actually see. Mrs Bonavich hadn't moved from her place in the corner of the cell. The cell itself wasn't all that big, but dark enough it was difficult to see too far in front of her.

The only source of light was coming from outside the cell, an almost gross green light coming from the left. The walls were once white, if the stains were anything to go by, dirt and blood and from the smell of it something unpleasant sat on the walls.

This was an animal cage. Y/N was now one of the caged animals.

xxx

"Jeon Jungkook," The panther hybrid moved off the porch steps, stalking towards Jungkook who stood frozen in the middle of the path.

"You're scaring him." The dog hybrid pulled the other back a little bit, putting on an easy smile. "Jungkook, I'm Hoseok. This is Yoongi. We're two of Y/N oldest friends."

"We were the first hybrids she ever rescued." Yoongi nodded, looking away down the driveway then back to Jungkook, blinking a few times. "We need to talk to you."

Jungkook merely nodded. His ears standing straight up, his leg bouncing a few times, trying not to panic. What was going on?

"Mr Astor," Both of them greeted the elder man. "Something has happened." Yoongi continued.

"Y/N was supposed to check in nearly 4 hours ago. We haven't heard from her and came to check in. Then we checked the cameras." Hoseok  balled his fists, hitting them against his leg.

"Someone took her." Yoongi placed a hand on Hoseok shoulder, stopping him from hitting his leg. "We need you to look at the video. See if you recognise anyone."

"Why me?" Jungkook barely whispered.

"We are on lockdown." Hoseok gestured to their home. "We are keeping you and everyone safe. Y/N's orders."

"Y/N has personally dealt with all of our past. She is currently dealing with yours." Yoongi folded his arms. "She doesn't want anything to happen to you. She wanted you to be safe."

"But someone from your past has come to make sure that doesn't happen." Hoseok looked from Mr Astor to Jungkook. "We need your help to make sure Y/N is as safe as you are."

Jungkook nodded. Knowing it was the right thing to do. But even without seeing the video, Jungkook had a hunch to who it was.

They would never leave him alone. They never would.

They wanted Jungkook home.. Even if now his home wasn't with them. They still wanted him.

Tag List

@ariana-winchester95 | @haven-raven012591 | @jennyjq | @Iwannag0h0me-c0m | @cstobitk | @goldenbangtann | @patpus | @lorielulu7 | @bubbletaetaesstuff | @narcissism-iskey | @yoongisabby | @demonslunacy | @sana-b | @chanyeolol | @nanskidoodle | @gracehiii | @legazix | @mintyrae | @the-immortal-dreamer | @kb-bangtanenthusiast |

[themanicnami]

Animal Crossing Magic - Elephant Villagers

Welcome to a general Pop Culture Correspondence post based on Animal Crossing villagers found in the newest game for spell use and “in the forest” magic for those who practice it more in secret. 

This one focuses on the wonderful Elephant Villagers that can be found and invited to your island! It will list correspondences, ingredients and items you can have in real life to relate to them when doing spell work and the energies they’ll bring if you have the present in your game.

General For All Elephant Villagers

🐘 Correspondences: Wisdom, intelligence, strength, leadership, loyalty, memory, longevity, good fortune, patience, grounding

🐘 Element: Earth

🐘 Spell Types: Meditation, grounding, ancestral, memory, recall, astral, luck, prosperity, friendship, scholarly, strength and health

Specific Villagers

Axel

🐘 Correspondences: Strength, victory, athleticism, spiritual strength, will power, energy

🐘 Star Sign: Aries

🐘 Month: March

🐘 Number: 4

🐘 Crystals: Ruby, clear quartz, carnelian, seraphinite, fluorite, agate

🐘 Elements: Earth, Fire

🐘 Colors: Green, Dark Blue, Yellow, Orange

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Thyme, vervain, cinnamon, peony, apple, bay, olive, garlic

🐘 Time of Day: Mid-Day

🐘 Casting: Gesture, Hand

🐘 Magic/Spells: Luck, competitive, energy, fire magic, grounding, stabilizing, physical power

Big Top

🐘 Correspondences: Hearth, rest, grounding, centering, friendship, happiness, patience, forgiveness, sleep

🐘 Star Sign: Libra

🐘 Month: October

🐘 Number: 3

🐘 Crystals: Amethyst, Smokey Quartz, Howlite, Moonstone

🐘 Elements: Earth, Water

🐘 Colors: Gray, Blue, Teal, White

🐘 Herbs/Plants: lavender, green tea, chamomile, rosemary, gardenia, meadowsweet, baby’s breath, lettuce, sweet melon

🐘 Time of Day: Early Evening

🐘 Casting: Aromatic, Sleep, Jar/Bottle

🐘 Magic/Spells: Friendship, bonding, sleep, dreams, grounding, cottage magic, incense, healing, improving one’s communication

Chai

🐘 Correspondences: Energy, youth, friendship, creativity, love, beauty, communication, joy, nostalgia, creation, innocence

🐘 Star Sign: Pisces

🐘 Month: March

🐘 Number: 6

🐘 Crystals: Rose Quartz, Opalite, Selenite, Amethyst, Polished Glass/Sea Glass

🐘 Elements: Earth, Water

🐘 Colors: Pink, Blue, Silver

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Sugarcane, tea, strawberry, peach, fig, cloves, mint, gooseberry, mint, clover, waterlily

🐘 Time of Day: Afternoon

🐘 Casting: Baking, Brewing

🐘 Magic/Spells: Kitchen magic, Cottage magic, love, self-love, tea magic, comfort, youth, bonding, promises

Cyd

🐘 Correspondences: Strength, power, maturity, competition, banishing, focus, concentration, raw emotions, creativity, expression

🐘 Star Sign: Gemini

🐘 Month: June

🐘 Number: 9

🐘 Crystals: Ruby, carnelian, red jasper, agate, obsidian, fire agate

🐘 Elements: Earth, Fire, Air

🐘 Colors: Red, Black, Gray, Violet, Indigo

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Cayenne, black pepper, cedar, violet, clover, wormwood

🐘 Time of Day: Mid-Morning

🐘 Casting: Burning, Wand, Musical

🐘 Magic/Spells: musical, creativity, inspiration, endurance, emotional strength, physical health and strength, banishing, warding against parasites

Dizzy

🐘 Correspondences: Calm, peace, recovery and healing, prosperity, sincerity, promises, happiness, longevity

🐘 Star Sign: Cancer

🐘 Month: July

🐘 Number: 1, 5

🐘 Crystals: Blue lace agate, kunzite, citrine, jade, sunstone

🐘 Elements: Earth, Air

🐘 Colors: Yellow, gold, silver, pale green

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Daisy, sunflower, apple blossom, morning glory, cypress, dandelion

🐘 Time of Day: Evening

🐘 Casting: Written

🐘 Magic/Spells: Writing, peace, emotional healing, joy, cleansing, spiritual healing

Ellie

🐘 Correspondences: happiness, communication, friendship, family, protection, fortune, forgiveness, purity, clarity

🐘 Star Sign: Taurus

🐘 Month: March

🐘 Number: 1, 10

🐘 Crystals: Tiger’s Eye, sodalite, smokey quartz, rhodonite, larimar

🐘 Elements: Earth

🐘 Colors: Light blue, pink, brown, beige

🐘 Herbs/Plants: apple, apricot, coffee beans, allspice, daisy, marigold, mint

🐘 Time of Day: Morning

🐘 Casting: Wand, Brewing

🐘 Magic/Spells: Coffee and Tea magic, Cottage magic, family, friends, communication, meditation, cleansing, purification, wishes, animal companionship, protection of the home

Eloise

🐘 Correspondences: Confidence, expression, glamour, joy, social, success, money, bravery, intuition, justice, beauty, creativity

🐘 Star Sign: Sagitarrius

🐘 Month: December

🐘 Number: 6, 8

🐘 Crystals: Jade, brown and yellow jasper, sunstone, brown beryl, carnelian, topaz and amber

🐘 Elements: Earth, Air

🐘 Colors: Yellow, red, pink, gold

🐘 Herbs/Plants: primrose, morning glory, cinnamon, cucumber, dandelion, flax, ginseng

🐘 Time of Day: Noon

🐘 Casting: Make-Up, Mirror, Spoken

🐘 Magic/Spells: Spoken, business, money, beauty, desire, glamour, emotional strength, confidence, warding, hexing, social growth

Margie

🐘 Correspondences: beauty, happiness, good luck, celebration, tradition, success, prosperity, youth

🐘 Star Sign: Aquarius

🐘 Month: January

🐘 Number: 4, 5

🐘 Crystals: Agate, rose quartz, fluorite, lapis lazuli, amazonite

🐘 Elements: Earth, Water

🐘 Colors: Magenta, gold, blue

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Pecan, hickory, saffron, lemon, peach, sage, banana, tulip

🐘 Time of Day: Mid-Morning

🐘 Casting: Hand/Gestures

🐘 Spells/Magic: Inner Beauty, promote youth, prosperity, success, money, employment, good luck, breaking bad habits, ending bad luck

Opal

🐘 Correspondences: Beauty, love, relationships, expression, knowledge, focus, emotional strength, banishing

🐘 Star Sign: Aquarius

🐘 Month: January

🐘 Number: 3, 11

🐘 Crystals: Opal, onyx, obsidian, ruby, garnet, natural stones and rocks (in general)

🐘 Elements: Earth

🐘 Colors: Brown, gray, black, red

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Elm, Avocado, catnip, leek, plum, thyme, tomato, skullcap, lily, twitch grass (common couch)

🐘 Time of Day: Night

🐘 Casting: Written, Spoken

🐘 Magic/Spells: Love, Outer Beauty, memorization, studying, focus, banishment, cursing, binding, anti-love magic

Paolo

🐘 Correspondences: prosperity, rest, dreams, humor, relaxation

🐘 Star Sign: Taurus

🐘 Month: May

🐘 Number: 1

🐘 Crystals: Amethyst, dream aura quartz, ametrine

🐘 Elements: Earth, Air

🐘 Colors: Magenta, Lavender

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Buchu, huckleberry, lavender, lemon balm, mugwort, onion

🐘 Time of Day: Late Evening

🐘 Casting: Sleep, Sachets

🐘 Magic/Spells: Dreams, rest, rejuvenation, laughter, comfort, sleep, deep meditation

Tia

🐘 Correspondences: Kindness, blessings, peace, calm, home protection, hearth, friendships new and old, healing

🐘 Star Sign: Scorpio

🐘 Month: November

🐘 Number: 1, 14

🐘 Crystals: Milky Quartz, sodalite, celestite, larimar, chryscocolla

🐘 Elements: Earth, Water

🐘 Colors: White, Blue

🐘 Herbs/Plants: lemon, sweetpea, aloe, cotton, grass, honeysuckle, hyssop, juniper, tea, yucca, mullein, lotus

🐘 Time of Day: Afternoon to Early Evening

🐘 Casting: Brewing

🐘 Magic/Spells: Tea Magic, Kitchen Magic, protection, hearth, compassion, calming, blessing, cleansing, curse removal, physical and emotional healing, friendship

Tucker

🐘 Correspondences: Ancestors, history, memory, dreams, nature, rejuvenation, compassion, animals

🐘 Star Sign: Virgo

🐘 Month: September

🐘 Number: 5, 7

🐘 Crystals: Larimar, selenite, amethyst, lepidolite, tangerine quartz (dyed)

🐘 Elements: Earth

🐘 Colors: Brown, yellow, olive, dark green

🐘 Herbs/Plants: Mugwort, wormwood, thistle, wheat, rice, cedar, elm, marigold

🐘 Time of Day: Dawn

🐘 Casting: Dream, Aromatic, Buried

🐘 Magic/Spells: Ancestral, necromancy, spirit calling, retrocognition, past life work, dreams, rest, emotional healing, spiritual journeys, grounding, animal magic, companionship/bonding

How To Use Animal Crossing Correspondences?

🐘 There are a ton of ways! But a few suggestions are listed below for those curious:

🐘 Inviting specific breeds/individual villagers to your island for their correspondences

🐘 Using names/images of characters in spellwork/altars - especially in secret altars such as colleges or poster collections

🐘 Using character representations for substitutions in spells

🐘 Digital altar using your game/save file

🐘 Using ingredients, crystals, herbs, etc in altars or spells to represent the character for spell work

🐘 Check out @stormwaterwitch​‘s Animal Crossing Post for more suggestions!

**all information for this post I personally compiled and are based off of my personal research

Like what I post? Want to support me or buy me a delicious coffee? Feel free to check out my Ko-Fi Page!

[jafndaegur]

Updated August 23, 2021

2018: Sesskag and Mystic Messenger

2019: Sesskag and Mystic Messenger

2020: Mo Dao Zu Shi, Mystic Messenger, and Sesskag

2021: Mystic Messenger, Genshin Impact, Sesskag

HC

Chubby+Older MC - Male RFA and Minor Trio *NSFW*

Witch!MC - RFA Reactions (r)

Vacation Domestic Life - Jumin x MC (r)

MysMe Figure Skater!MC - Zen and V

RFA

Irreplaceable  

Hold this Cheer Close to your Heart, MC- This Dream will Never End, We Promise (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Mysme Angst Week: Choices/Regrets | Trauma/Journal Entries 

MysMe Fluff Week 2020: Firsts | Nightmares | Household Chores

Blue and Grey: Jumin - where’s my angel? | Zen - tears reflected in the mirror

Jumin

Rock Me Like a Baby: 1

You are Beautiful (r)

A Day Before Us

When the Light Falls Apart (r)

Sterling Silver - The Best of Me: One | Two | Three | Four

Spoopy Movie (r)

Get Up 

Ladies and Gentlemen, That’s the Final Bell

@mrs-han‘s Christmas Surprise:  Darkest | The Cowboy

The Chains that Bind Us | Paper Wings 

I’m Sorry, What Sort of Bar is This?

Jumin Week 2019: Birthday, Party, RFA |  Touch, Caged | Fairy Tale, AU

Good Company, Good Tea, Good Work

Like Old Vinyl (r)

A Festive Jewel (r)

Strength Under the Mask

That Day We Met, It Snowed Too

A Comfortable Breath (r)

Relief (r)

Relaxed Company (r)

Jumin Week 2020: Breakfast

Ever Diligent, Hardly Healthy, Extremely Endearing (r)

Things Said and Unsaid

A Thousand Times Over

Jaf n’ Jumin

dreamy night

Jumin’s Scent and Homemade Anniversary Gifts

Stronger Than

If I Could Ride a Bike

Fly Me to the Moon

Explain it at the Coffee Shop

Not in This House | Give it a Shot

Zen

Take Me Out

The Hound of Seoul (poem​)

As Real as the Sound of Your Name on His Lips *NSFW*

Staccato (r)

A Dazzling Catalyst for the Future

What Ties You to Him & What Ties You to Me

the world expanded and endless

V/Jihyun

A Pair of Villanelles (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Like Strands of Tinsel (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Sesskag

Sesskag Week 2017: Tanabata | Obon | Hanabi | Sunflowers and Roadtrips | Day at the Beach | Fireflies

Never Far Away

Year of the Dog prompts: Oranges | Longevity

Infinity: Part One | Part Two

Sesskag Week 2k18: Inevitable | Fleeting | Sudden | Meeting | Blade | Floral | Desire

December Holiday Challenge 2018: Hot Chocolate | Red Suit

Like a Drunken Dream

Sesskag Week 2019: Carnation | Iris | Red Tulip | Red Spider Lily |

Bluebell Smile (r)

Not the Old Way of Things (r)

All According to Plan *Companion Illustration*

Sesskag Week 2020: Crime | Fantasy/Fairytale | Thriller

Noise of Rain

A Taste of Home (r)

The Demon Lord Who Never Laughed

Wangxian Week 2019: Longing | Reincarnation | Soulmates | Farewell | Symbols |  Dreams | Promises | Perseverance

Gravitational Fairytale

A New Perspective (r)

MXTX RBB 2019: The Strands that Sew our Song

MDZS Big Bang 2020: The Seventh Wonder

MDZS Mixtape Exchange 2021: a time when I’m without you

Wisps of Nightmares No More

Just a Guy With a Sword

Out Fox

Zhongli

The world snapped in a fizz of power

Shattered Euphony

Venti

Venti in Love

Flash Fiction Friday

Flash of the Moment

Smallest Bit of Humanity

Wish Upon a Star

Like Star Song

Candid

Blood-Soaked Boot Soles

J and L Caught in the Storm Series

So Fervently. So Undeniably.

After Work

Razor’s Edge

Former Duty

Noise

Touch of Star Dust

Daily Haiku

Haiku #01

Haiku #02

Haiku #03

Haiku #04, #05

Haiku #06

Haiku #07, #08, #09

Haiku #10

Haiku #11

Haiku #12

Haiku #13, #14

NaNoWriMo 2k19

Day One: The Other Behind the Oracle 

(r) = request (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ = gift

[enemylegal55-blog]

The Weekly Roundup: Your Go-To Guide For Everything You May Have Missed This Week & More! 8/25 – 8/31

Welcome to Ben Greenfield’s Weekly Roundup and Cool New Discoveries!

Ben Greenfield’s discoveries from the latest news from the fronts of fitness, nutrition, health, wellness, biohacking and anti-aging research. I also recap my upcoming events and special announcements so you can keep up with giveaways, discounts, and more!

New Discoveries Of The Week: Cool New Things I’m Trying, Books I’m Reading, And More!

– Book I’m Intrigued With: Bioregulatory Medicine

As a pre-med student who wanted to be a doctor, spent hundreds of hours in college in physician’s clinics, hospitals and surgical wards “shadowing” docs and eventually wound up getting accepted to six medical schools (but opted to instead dive into the fitness industry), I’m still pretty enthralled with medicine. As a matter of fact, up until launching Kion a couple years ago, I still had thoughts of going back to school for a degree in natural or alternative medicine! So any book on advanced alternative medicine tactics or retreats like this that I’m leading in the Swiss Alps next year definitely pique my interest. This latest read of mine, a book called “Bioregulatory Medicine“, doesn’t come out until November, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon and it’s a wonderful, wonderful treatise of a host of medical tactics I was previously unfamiliar with. It introduces a model that has proven effective for decades in other more forward-thinking developed countries, including Switzerland and Germany – a model based on the fact that our bodies have many bioregulating systems, including the cardiovascular, digestive, neurological, respiratory, endocrine, etc. and that use of natural healing methods to support and restore the body’s intrinsic self-regulating and self-healing mechanisms (as opposed to simply treating symptoms with integrative therapies) can provide disease prevention and early intervention of illness through noninvasive diagnostics and treatments. The book incorporates the use of over 100 different non-toxic diagnostics and treatments from around the world, and forward-thinking patients and integrative practitioners alike will dig this one, I think. Grab it here from Amazon.

– Dessert I’m Obsessed With: HaloTop

If eating an entire pint of dairy-free, vegan ice cream only costs me about 300 calories and brings me extreme enjoyment at the end of the day, I’m all in. Sure, everything in moderation, but considering it’s been over a decade since I’ve bought ice cream from the frozen foods section of the grocery store, I was overjoyed (and admittedly felt stupid being so slow on the uptake) to find HaloTop ice cream on a hot day in Florida a couple weeks ago. My wife and I destroyed a pint while lying in bed watching a dodgeball competition on the hotel TV (not joking), and I’ve mowed through four additional pints/flavors since then. My favorite flavor thus far is “Peanut Butter Cup”, which contains: coconut milk, prebiotic fiber, organic cane sugar, erythritol, peanut butter, rice protein, vegetable glycerin, pea protein, natural flavor, organic carob gum, organic guar gum, high fat cocoa, sea salt, organic sunflower lecithin, organic stevia leaf. Not too shabby. And I must say, when topped with a frozen Kion bar chopped or broken into chunks, it is an absolute culinary nirvana. Bon appetit. Order HaloTop from Amazon here or find at your local grocery store frozen foods section. May I also recommend “Cinnamon Roll” and “Oatmeal Cookie Dough” as additional mind-blowing flavors.

Podcasts I Recorded This Week:

Every month, Ben Greenfield releases never-before-seen videos, audios and PDFs inside the BenGreenfieldFitness “Premium” channel (just $10/year to access!). You can click here to go Premium and access an entire vault of protected content!

–How To Find Your Purpose In Life In 40 Days Or Less: Dissolve the Hidden Blocks That Keep You Stuck & Finally Thrive Based On Your Life’s Unique Purpose

–389: Is A Low Carb Diet Bad For You? Coconut Oil Controversy, Inulin In Energy Bars, Reversing The Damage of EMF & Much More!

Articles I Published This Week:

– Sunlight Makes You Skinny & Blue Light Makes You Fat: 11 Ways To Biohack Light To Optimize Your Body & Brain.

Get The Low Carb Athlete - 100% Free!Eliminate fatigue and unlock the secrets of low-carb success. 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Articles & Podcasts Ben Greenfield Was Featured In This Week:

– Nutrashatives: Ask an Expert Series – Ben Greenfield on His Eclectic Interests, Career Path, Family and More!

– 10 Celebrity Five Minute Journalers

– Here’s What Happened At A-Fest Sardinia 2018

– Ben Greenfield Interviews Dr. Amy Killan About Stem Cells, PRP, Exosomes & P-Shot

Special Announcements:

::: Kion Labor Day Sale! Save 20% On Your Order with Code LABORDAY20 :::

My company, Kion, is having a Labor Day Weekend Sale. Save 20% on your order from our website with code LABORDAY20 at checkout. Some exclusions apply…Don’t forget free shipping is available on domestic U.S. orders $100 and up…offer expires Monday night Sep. 3, at 11:59PM MST. Try Kion Aminos, Kion Coffee, or the all-new Kion Clean Energy Bar! Shop now.

Upcoming Events:

– October 14 – 16, 2018: SPARK BioHacking Conference, Toronto, Ontario. The 2018 SPARK Bio-Hack Conference features a series of talks by leaders across a range of fields with an eye on optimizing human performance, recovery, and longevity. Researchers, medical specialists and other biohacking experts will share provocative, informative, and inspiring presentations meant to amplify your life. Registration is now open, secure your spot here.

– October 11 – 14, 2018: 2018 RUNGA California Immersion Retreat, Napa, California. Runga is going to Napa! Join me, my wife, Jessa, Joe DiStefano and a small, intimate group of like-minded individuals for a weekend-long getaway. We’ve rented a beautiful mansion located in one of the most iconic countrysides in America– Napa Valley. We’ve thought of everything that you could possibly need to gently “press the reboot button” on your body and completely tune in to your heart, mind, body, strength, and spirit. Join the waitlist!

– November 1 – 4, 2018: Live It To Lead It Health Centers of the Future Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada. Create the life you want, the marriage you want, the family you want—all fueled by a practice that radically changes the lives of your patients. this three-day event, you’ll learn the latest medical discoveries in cellular health, get a marketing plan for scaling your practice and find ways to build residual passive income. Join me!

– December 2-8, 2018: RUNGA Retreat, Dominican Republic. You’re invited to join me at RUNGA in December 2018. Join me in the Dominican Republic, one of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean, for this retreat. In all RUNGA activities, RUNGA invites you to come home to yourself. To see everything you’ll be getting into, just click here. Use code BEN when you register so you get your gift when you arrive! I’ll be there, too. Join the waitlist here.

– December 13-15, 2018: World Congress 2018 Hosted by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. If you attend any conference this year, make it the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine’s 26th Annual World Congress. The fact is, in an era of andropause, low drive and deteriorating men’s health, it’s shocking that both practitioners and the public aren’t aware of ancestral wisdom and modern scientific and medical tactics that can be used to optimize male physiology. It’s time that changed, and I’ll be teaching exactly how to make men, men again. Join me!

-View the Official Ben Greenfield Fitness Calendar Here

This Week’s Most Popular Instagram Pic:

This Week’s Most Popular Tweet:

Probably the best sleep tips ever (see #24 especially): https://t.co/XjXGgbENjq

— Ben Greenfield (@bengreenfield) August 28, 2018

This Week’s Most Popular Facebook Post:

Here Are 11 Ways To Biohack Light To Optimize Your Body & Brain—-Chris Masterjohn, PhDLighting Science…

Posted by Ben Greenfield Fitness on Tuesday, August 28, 2018

This Week’s Most Popular Snapchat Story:

This week on Snapchat I showed you how I combine HVMN ketone esters with Kion Aminos for a satiating, energizing, very low calorie elixir that keeps me going for hours. Holy moly! Add me here on Snapchat for more unique tidbits!

This Week’s Most Popular Pin from Pinterest:

Ben Greenfield Fitness saved to “Ben’s Nutrition Advice.” Read the article here.

Featured Product:

I created the *NEW* Kion Clean Energy Bar because, unfortunately, most energy bars are HORRIBLE: full of sugar and starch, which can cause dreaded sugar crashes. Or, if the sugar is removed, it’s often replaced with nasty artificial sweeteners that kill gut bacteria and cause neurotoxicity.

Each and every tasty bite of the Kion Clean Energy Bar gives you the guilt-free confidence and guarantee that you’re biting into:

a clean-burning bar that will “hold up” under rigorous conditions of people living hard-charging, high-achieving lives…

a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein bar with zero dairy, zero whey protein isolate, and instead contain a clean hypoallergenic protein source…

a bar that is low in lectins and free of gluten, saponins and other notorious gut assailants…

a bar that has plenty of minerals and electrolytes along with perfect amounts of fiber to keep you from getting the notorious “energy bar constipation…”

a bar that supports recovery with sufficient levels of all essential amino acids and antioxidants, without excess protein that can result in gut issues…

a bar that contains just enough carbohydrate for liver and muscle glycogen restoration and appetite satiety, without sugar crashes…

In short, Kion Bar will give you all the nutrients, minerals, deliciousness and appetite satisfaction that you desire in a bar, with none of the harmful ingredients. Try Kion Clean Energy Bar today.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Need Help Fully Optimizing Your Brain & Body? 

Did you know you can consult one-on-one with me so that I can personalize a nutrition or fitness plan for you to reach your goals? Are you training for physical performance? Trying to shed fat or gain lean muscle as fast as possible? Ready to tap into the most cutting-edge health, fitness and longevity protocols? Contact me so I can get you exactly what you need to reach your goals as safely and quickly as possible.

Leave your comments below – and any news or discoveries that you think I missed!

Cheers,

Ben

Ask Ben a Podcast Question

Source: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/weekly-roundup-articles/weekly-roundup-8-25-8-31/

[howtoloseweightfastsafely]

The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

In this "sequel" to the earlier chapter titled "How Chemicals in Can Food Make Us Fat", we're going to delve deeper into the facts (and myths) around buying organic.

These days the big wave in the health industry is to eat organic, and while many brush it off as just as the newest hip fad, for many it is either a way of life or health standard to strive for.

I personally fall into this "way of life/health standard" category, for the following reasons:

1. What we now call 'organic' was the standard no more than 50-60 years ago.

a. Not surprisingly, this was also when mass-produced processed foods (and many major diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes) began their meteoric rise in western society.

2. Organic foods help balance the Omega-6: Omega-3 ratio in our bodies, without increasing toxin intake

a. The ideal ratio is around 3:1 but most Americans are around 20:1 or even 50:1 in some studies.

b. This is mainly due to the abnormally high omega 6 content in unhealthy and processed foods

i. You'll recall we discussed the avoidance of industrial oils and other high Omega-6 foods as key to weight loss and longevity

ii. When you're not eating organic, the likelihood of eating omega-6 laden foods increases exponentially.

1. If you pick up a box of Triscuits for example (which are wrongly marketed as "healthy"), they'll have toxic, high Omega 6 Soybean Oil in them.

2. If you go to your local health food store on the other hand, and look closely at the ingredients, you're much more likely to find a decent box of organic snacks made with rice or low-toxin grains and low/moderate Omega-6 oils like olive oil, avocado oil, etc. (My guilty pleasures are chocolate chip cookies made with quinoa, and potato chips with avocado oil and sea salt. Delicious. Health food stores rock!)

3. This Omega 6: Omega 3 ratio is also crucial to keeping chronic inflammation down.

a. When the "wrong" fats a.k.a. Omega 6 take over our healthy cells, it signals a major inflammatory reaction in the body.

b. When these "wrong" fats are consumed every day (remember: they're found in almost all processed or pre-made foods these days), this inflammatory response goes to "work" every single day.

c. And sooner or later, the body is trying to deal with so much at once that it attacks both damaged and healthy cells in an effort to get rid of the poisonous fats that we keep consuming.

d. And voila: you have a recipe for the chronic, system-wide inflammation that is now making its way to the forefront in medical circles, as one of the main causes of major disease.

4. Eating organic eliminates or greatly reduces our bodily exposure to thousands of chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and more that are found in modern, processed foods.

a. To be completely honest, when I eat organic, I remind myself that I'm eating real food, instead of pink slime-laden ground beef or ammonia-washed chicken.

b. And don't fool yourself. If the foods you eat are NOT organically-grown, naturally-made products, chances are you're eating food with bleach-like ingredients, insect killers, lab-made chemicals, genetically engineered crops, and more.

c. On that note, another nice benefit in your food is to eat packaged/processed foods that have the "Non-GMO Project" label (assuming there are no high Omega-6 oils in them)

A little more about the Omega-6: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio

In regards to the Omega-6: Omega-3 ratio, typical Westerners have a ratio somewhere around 20:1, whereas the ideal ratio is between 4:1 and 2:1.

As we've discussed, Omega 6's are the unhealthy fats found in heavily processed foods, refined grains, commercially raised meats, and many often-used cooking oils (soybean, vegetable, corn, sunflower, etc ---- yes they sound good, but they are NOT good for your body).

Omega 3's are the good fats found in naturally raised meats, properly-soaked beans/legumes, oily fish, and some nuts (nuts have a higher chance of high Omega 6, though).

If you want to reduce this ratio down to more normal, healthy levels, you should:

Stick to organic coconut oil, butter/ghee, and other natural fats that have I've listed previously for cooking. Use extra virgin olive oil on salads and other foods, preferably after cooking (since olive oil and other moderate Omega 6 oils can go bad under high heat).

As for meats, most animals were naturally intended to graze and feed in open pastures, and those that do so tend to have much higher levels of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids in their bodies.

Unfortunately, many of us eat commercially raised meats which are fattened on low quality grains, corn, soy, and in many cases the leftover scraps of actual animals. These animals' bodies are not intended to be stuffed full of grains, animal meat, and other junk for starters. And as a side effect of this, to prevent (and react) to eventual animal sicknesses, farmers will pump them full of antibiotics (and then hormones to encourage further growth).

As an end result we, the consumer, eat meats that have a much higher unhealthy Omega 6 fat content AND we ingest the remnants of antibiotics and growth hormones.

No bueno.

So, how do you eat right...and how do we know what to eat organic or conventional?

"I want to eat healthy but it's too expensive!"

"I have to eat organic all the time, don't I? I can't afford that!"

FALSE.

I hear these 2 cost-related issues far too often as an excuse to put off a diet.

But fear NOT. The truth is, eating healthy can be pretty cheap if you follow 2 simple rules:

1) Eat real, single-ingredient foods 90% of the time. Cut out the expensive snacks here and there. Focus your diet around meats/fish, veggies, and fruits, plus gluten-free grains if you're somewhat lean and strength-training.

2) Read this post and learn what you should buy organic, and what you can get away with buying "conventional".

 Interested in losing weight? Then click below to see the exact steps I took to lose weight and keep it off for good...

Read the previous article about "How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")"

Read the next article about "Choosing High Quality Foods"

Moving forward, there are several other articles/topics I'll share so you can lose weight even faster, and feel great doing it.

Below is a list of these topics and you can use this Table of Contents to jump to the part that interests you the most.

Topic 1: How I Lost 30 Pounds In 90 Days - And How You Can Too

Topic 2: How I Lost Weight By Not Following The Mainstream Media And Health Guru's Advice - Why The Health Industry Is Broken And How We Can Fix It

Topic 3: The #1 Ridiculous Diet Myth Pushed By 95% Of Doctors And "experts" That Is Keeping You From The Body Of Your Dreams

Topic 4: The Dangers of Low-Carb and Other "No Calorie Counting" Diets

Topic 5: Why Red Meat May Be Good For You And Eggs Won't Kill You

Topic 6: Two Critical Hormones That Are Quietly Making Americans Sicker and Heavier Than Ever Before

Topic 7: Everything Popular Is Wrong: The Real Key To Long-Term Weight Loss

Topic 8: Why That New Miracle Diet Isn't So Much of a Miracle After All (And Why You're Guaranteed To Hate Yourself On It Sooner or Later)

Topic 9: A Nutrition Crash Course To Build A Healthy Body and Happy Mind

Topic 10: How Much You Really Need To Eat For Steady Fat Loss (The Truth About Calories and Macronutrients)

Topic 11: The Easy Way To Determining Your Calorie Intake

Topic 12: Calculating A Weight Loss Deficit

Topic 13: How To Determine Your Optimal "Macros" (And How The Skinny On The 3-Phase Extreme Fat Loss Formula)

Topic 14: Two Dangerous "Invisible Thorn" Foods Masquerading as "Heart Healthy Super Nutrients"

Topic 15: The Truth About Whole Grains And Beans: What Traditional Cultures Know About These So-called "Healthy Foods" That Most Americans Don't

Topic 16: The Inflammation-Reducing, Immune-Fortifying Secret of All Long-Living Cultures (This 3-Step Process Can Reduce Chronic Pain and Heal Your Gut in Less Than 24 Hours)

Topic 17: The Foolproof Immune-enhancing Plan That Cleanses And Purifies Your Body, While "patching Up" Holes, Gaps, And Inefficiencies In Your Digestive System (And How To Do It Without Wasting $10+ Per "meal" On Ridiculous Juice Cleanses)

Topic 18: The Great Soy Myth (and The Truth About Soy in Eastern Asia)

Topic 19: How Chemicals In Food Make Us Fat (Plus 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply)

Topic 20: 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply

Topic 21: How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")

Topic 22: The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Topic 23: Choosing High Quality Foods

Topic 24: A Recipe For Rapid Aging: The "Hidden" Compounds Stealing Your Youth, Minute by Minute

Topic 25: 7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging

Topic 26: The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries, But The Pharmaceutical Industry Would Be Up In Arms If More Modern-day Americans Knew About It)

Topic 27: How To Clean Up Your Liver and Vital Organs

Topic 28: The Simple Detox 'Cheat Sheet': How To Easily and Properly Cleanse, Nourish, and Rid Your Body of Dangerous Toxins (and Build a Lean Well-Oiled "Machine" in the Process)

Topic 29: How To Deal With the "Stress Hormone" Before It Deals With You

Topic 30: 7 Common Sense Ways to Have Uncommon Peace of Mind (or How To Stop Your "Stress Hormone" In Its Tracks)

Topic 31: How To Sleep Like A Baby (And Wake Up Feeling Like A Boss)

Topic 32: The 8-step Formula That Finally "fixes" Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested (If You Ever Find Yourself Hitting The Snooze Every Morning Or Dozing Off At Work, These Steps Will Change Your Life Forever)

Topic 33: For Even Better Leg Up And/or See Faster Results In Fixing Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested, Do The Following:

Topic 34: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 35: Part 1 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 36: Part 2 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 37: Part 3 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 38: Part 4 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 39: How To Beat Your Mental Roadblocks And Why It Can Be The Difference Between A Happy, Satisfying Life And A Sad, Fearful Existence (These Strategies Will Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity And Show You How To Fulfill All Your Dreams)

Topic 40: Maximum Fat Loss in Minimum Time: The Body Type Solution To Quick, Lasting Results

Topic 41: If You Want Maximum Results In Minimum Time You're Going To Have To Work Out (And Workout Hard, At That)

Topic 42: Food Planning For Maximum Fat Loss In Minimum Time

Topic 43: How To Lose Weight Fast If You're in Chronic Pain

Topic 44: Nutrition Basics for Fast Pain Relief (and Weight Loss)

Topic 45: How To Track Results (And Not Fall Into the Trap That Ruins 95% of Well-Thought Out Diets)

Topic 46: Advanced Fat Loss - Calorie Cycling, Carb Cycling and Intermittent Fasting

Topic 47: Advanced Fat Loss - Part I: Calorie Cycling

Topic 48: Advanced Fat Loss - Part II: Carb Cycling

Topic 49: Advanced Fat Loss - Part III: Intermittent Fasting

Topic 50: Putting It All Together

Learn more by visiting our website here: invigoratenow.com

[indianvaidyasblog]

A daily routine is absolutely necessary to bring radical change in body, mind, and consciousness. Routine helps to establish balance in one’s constitution. It also regularizes a person’s biological clock, aids digestion, absorption, and assimilation, and generates self-esteem, discipline, peace, happiness, and longevity.

1. Wake Up Early in the Morning

It is good to wake up before the sun rises when there are loving (sattvic) qualities in nature that bring peace of mind and freshness to the senses. Sunrise varies according to the seasons, but on average vata people should get up about 6 a.m., pitta people by 5:30 a.m., and Kapha by 4:30 a.m. Right after waking, look at your hands for a few moments, then gently move them over your face and chest down to the waist. This cleans the aura.

2. Say a Prayer before Leaving the Bed

“Dear God, you are inside of me, within my very breath, within each bird, each mighty mountain. Your sweet touch reaches everything and I am well protected.

Thank you God for this beautiful day before me. May joy, love, peace and compassion be part of my life and all those around me on this day. I am healing and I am healed.”

After this prayer touch the ground with your right hand, then the same hand to the forehead, with great love and respect to Mother Earth.

3. Clean the Face, Mouth, and Eyes

Splash your face with cold water and rinse out your mouth. Wash your eyes with cool water (or one of the eye washes mentioned below) and massage the eyelids by gently rubbing them. Blink your eyes 7 times and rotate your eyes in all directions. Dry your face with a clean towel.

Tridoshic eyewash: try triphala eyewash -¼ tsp. in 1 cup water, boil for 10 minutes, cool and strain. Pitta eyewash: use cool water or rose water from organic rose petals — most commercial rose water has chemicals in it that will sting the eyes. Kapha eyewash: try diluted cranberry juice, 3–5 drops in a teaspoon of distilled water.

4. Drink Water in the Morning

Then drink a glass of room temperature water, preferably from a pure copper cup filled the night before. This washes the GI track, flushes the kidneys, and stimulates peristalsis. It is not a good idea to start the day with tea or coffee, as this drains kidney energy, stresses the adrenals, causes constipation, and is habit-forming.

5. Evacuation

Sit, or better squat, on the toilet and have a bowel movement. Improper digestion of the previous night’s meal or lack of sound sleep can prevent this. However the water, followed by sitting on the toilet at a set time each day, helps to regulate bowel movements. Alternate nostril breathing may also help. After evacuation wash the anal orifice with warm water, then the hands with soap.

6. Scrape your Tongue

Gently scrape the tongue from the back forward, until you have scraped the whole surface for 7–14 strokes. This stimulates the internal organs, helps digestion, and removes dead bacteria. Ideally, vata can use a gold scraper, pitta a silver one, and kapha copper. Stainless steel can be used by all people.

7. Clean your Teeth

Always use a soft toothbrush and an astringent, pungent, and bitter toothpaste or powder. The traditional Indian toothbrush is a neem stick, which dislodges fine food particles from between teeth and makes strong, healthy gums. Licorice root sticks are also used. Roasted almond shell powder can be used for vata and kapha, and ground neem for pitta.

8. Gargling

To strengthen teeth, gums, and jaw, improve the voice and remove wrinkles from cheeks, gargle twice a day with warm sesame oil. Hold the oil in your mouth, swish it around vigorously, then spit it out and gently massage the gums with a finger.

9. Chewing

Chewing a handful of sesame seeds helps receding gums and strengthens teeth. Alternatively, chew 3–5 dried dates and an inch of dried coconut meat. Chewing in the morning stimulates the liver and the stomach and improves digestive fire. After chewing, brush the teeth again without using toothpaste or powder.

10. Nasal Drops (Nasya)

Putting 3 to 5 drops of warm ghee or oil into each nostril in the morning helps to lubricate the nose, clean the sinuses, and improve voice, vision, and mental clarity. Our nose is the door to the brain, so nose drops nourish prana and bring intelligence.

For vata: sesame oil, ghee, or vacha (calamus) oil. For pitta: brahmi ghee, sunflower or coconut oil. For kapha: vacha (calamus root) oil.

11. Oil Drops in the Ears (Karana purana)

Conditions such as ringing in the ears, excess ear wax, poor hearing, lockjaw, and TMJ, are all due to vata in the ears. Putting 5 drops of warm sesame oil in each ear can help these disorders.

12. Apply Oil to the Head & Body (Abhyanga)

Rub warm oil over the head and body. Gentle, daily oil massage of the scalp can bring happiness, as well as prevent headache, baldness, graying, and receding hairline. Oiling your body before bedtime will help induce sound sleep and keep the skin soft.

For vata use warm sesame oil. For pitta use warm sunflower or coconut oil. For kapha use warm sunflower or mustard oil.

13. Bathing

Bathing is cleansing and refreshing. It removes sweat, dirt, and fatigue, brings energy to the body, clarity to the mind, and holiness to your life.

14. Dressing

Wearing clean clothes brings beauty and virtue.

15. Use of Perfumes

Using natural scents, essential oils, or perfumes brings freshness, charm, and joy. It gives vitality to the body and improves self-esteem.

For vata the best scent to use is hina or amber. For pitta try using khus, sandalwood, or jasmine. For kapha use either amber or musk.

16. Exercise

Regular exercise, especially yoga, improves circulation, strength, and endurance. It helps one relax and have sound sleep, and improves digestion and elimination. Exercise daily to half of your capacity, which is until sweat forms on the forehead, armpits, and spine.

Vata: Sun salutation x 12, done slowly; Leg lifting; Camel; Cobra; Cat; Cow. Slow, gentle exercise. Pitta: Moon salutation x 16, moderately fast; Fish; Boat; Bow. Calming exercise. Kapha: Sun salutation x 12, done rapidly; Bridge; Peacock; Palm tree; Lion. Vigorous exercise.

17. Pranayama

After exercise, sit quietly and do some deep breathing exercises as follows:

12 alternate nostril breaths for vata; 16 cooling shitali breaths (curling up your tongue lengthwise and breathing through it) for pitta; 100 bhastrika (short, fast breaths) for kapha.

18. Meditation

It is important to meditate morning and evening for at least 15 minutes. Meditate in the way you are accustomed, or try the “Empty Bowl Meditation”. Meditation brings balance and peace into your life.

[erectiledysfunc]

best herbs for men’s sexual health

Contents

Male enhancement examples

Hospital tested 38 male patients

Heyreport. summary sexual enhancement supplements

Alleviate sexual dysfunction

 · Aphrodisiacs: 15 Best Herbs for Better Sex Kaunch beej: The root, leaves and seed have several benefits. They can be used as laxatives, and can cure ulcers. Kaunch beej’s roots and leaves are the source for herbal aphrodisiacs. Due to the purging and stimulating effect of Kaunch beej they are instrumental in boosting your sex life.

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there are a number of little known sacred foods and herbs for sex that boost libido and. but your sex drive is actually a pretty good indicator of your overall health.. men and women, then it may be time to introduce some libido boosting herbs.

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One of the best ways to improve your health is cardiovascular exercise. Sex might get your heart rate up, but regular exercise can help your sexual performance by keeping your heart in shape.

Natural herbal Aphrodisiacs have been used for a long time to increase libido, potency or to. Sexual potency of men falls sharply after the age of 40.. in traditional Chinese medicine as a means to strengthen health and ensure longevity.

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 · Sunflower seeds pack the highest natural vitamin E content of any food.. The 50 Best Men’s Health Sex Tips Ever. I Went to Blow Job School, and Here Are 10 Things I Learned.

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New research found that men with erectile dysfunction can reverse their problem. or obese, but they don't realize the impact of these health conditions on sexual function.. One Erectile Dysfunction Remedy Is a Healthy Diet.

The leafy herb ginkgo biloba is noted for its effects on enhancing brain function. A study published in the "Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy" in 2003 found that an extract from the leaf of the Chinese ginkgo tree may also help alleviate sexual dysfunction due to antidepressant medication 2 3.Patients were given a daily dosage of 60 to 120 milligrams, and the study found that the herb.

An aphrodisiac is a food or drink or herbal that increases or enhances sexual. Like most natural remedies, the impact of natural aphrodisiacs tend to be. sexual function in both men and women, and promotes healthy ovulation in women.

As per government estimates, there are 40,00,000 domestic workers across the country, of which around 65 per cent are female.

source https://www.erectiledysfunction-pills.com/best-herbs-for-mens-sexual-health/

[clearlynotjanus]

May Flowers, Day 11 WIP Preview

Someone asked me if I could do something for the May Flowers prompt list so I figured since I have a couple weeks between Moceit week ending & Loceit week starting, I could swing a thing or two for it. Here's a preview of my WIP for day 11, which is for Sunflowers which represents Longevity. Read the full WIP & other exclusives on my Patreon.

“It’s a sunfwower!” The gap-toothed child excitedly explained as Janus dubiously stared down at the object. He pinched it delicately between two fingers like a dirty tissue. Everything about it was black & Janus wondered what kind of sun he had been looking at if this was its flower.

“It’s darling,” the slightly older boy said, masking the disgust in his tone with heavy sarcasm; but that didn’t seem to deter Remus, who simply smiled even brighter.

“I couldn’t make it as pwetty as Woman’s,” he continued after a moment as Janus turned the rotting stem in his grip. “But I wanted to give it to you anyway,” Unceremoniously, a petal sloughed off & flitted to the ground. Janus watched it with a raised brow, making no move to retrieve it.

“I see,” He mumbled, switching which hand he held the thing in. It left dried bits of plant tissue on his fingers. Janus scrunched his nose & rubbed them together distastefully.

“It’s alweady dead so you don’t gotta wowwy about watewing it!” Remus pointed out, unperturbed by Janus’ reactions. He clasped his hands together behind his back & began to twist side to side, unable to stay still. “Besides, Wogic towd me dwied fwowers wast wonger anyway!”

Janus supposed that was true, though the thing looked less dried than it did .. charred. With tight lips he stared between the offering & Remus, who bounced delightfully at the idea of Janus keeping something he gave him. Adorable, he thought with narrowed eyes & a sigh.

tag list: @sanderssidesangsttrash @catalinaacosta @whatishappeningrightnow @the-snekwhisperer-world @varthandi @the-dead-and-the-decaying @serpentinesomebody

[jack-quest]

31 Incredible Reasons Why Hemp Seeds Are Healthy ?

Hemp seeds are a delicious superfood that is becoming increasingly popular with athletes, health nuts and foodies. The small seeds are pleasantly mild and nutty in flavor and can be used in many ways. But how healthy are hemp seeds really? We have collected 31 unbelievable reasons why cannabis seeds are healthy for you.

WHAT ARE HEMPSEEDS?

As hemp seeds or hemp hearts are the 3mm small seeds of hemp plant called. Even ancient cultures such as the Egyptians and Chinese appreciated them as a healthy food because of their nutrient richness. The peeled cannabis seeds are beige, sometimes with a thin green pellicle. The hemp plant is one of the most industrially used plants. Its fibers are extremely robust and are suitable for all kinds of materials. Since it is very frugal, it can be grown without toxic herbicides and pesticides.

MAKES THE CONSUMPTION OF HEMPSEEDS HIGH?

Although cannabis seeds belong to the family of cannabis plants, which is known for its intoxicating effect. However, the commercially available cannabis seeds come from a plant variety containing only traces of the high-producing substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is a Komsum of cannabis seeds harmless and even very healthy. The hemp oil has, unlike the cannabis oil, no intoxicating effect.

 1.HEMPSEEDS FOR A LONG LIFE

The Chinese village of Bama Yao is known for producing a particularly large number of 100-year-olds. In addition to a natural diet full of vital substances, the regular consumption of hemp seeds is also a factor for the longevity of the residents. The many nutrients in this superfood slow down aging processes and prevent the development of diseases. Therefore, the vigorous citizens enjoy their old age also active and in good health.

2. HEMPSEEDS HAVE A HIGH NUTRITIVE DENSITY

The hemp seeds, known as cornucopia for vital substances, contain numerous micro and macronutrients, which optimally supply our body. The following minerals can be found in 100 g of hemp seeds:

190 mg of calcium

860 mg of potassium

470 mg of magnesium

10 mg of zinc

12 mg iron

Here are mainly the large amounts of iron, zinc and magnesium. Moreover, vitamins A, B, C, D and E are abundant in hemp seed.

3. HEMPSEEDS HAVE THE OPTIMUM RATIO OF OMEGA-3 TO OMEGA-6

Omega-3 is widely promoted in these days. And it's true: It's important for many functions in the brain, arteries and skin. However, it's all about the right ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. It should ideally be at 1: 4. This sweet spot is optimal for reaching hemp seeds.

However, a typical Western diet with many animal products, sunflower and olive oil provides more of a ratio of 1:20. What helps? A diet with little to no animal products and oils. Instead, focus on wholesome staple foods such as potatoes, brown rice, and beans and combine them with fresh fruits and vegetables – and top it off with a handful of hemp seeds.

 4. HEMPSEEDS INCLUDE THE RARE GAMMA LINOLIC ACID

A special form of omega-6 fatty acids is gamma-linolenic acid. It inhibits the release of inflammatory substances and thus keeps inflammation processes in check. Moreover, gamma-linolenic acid is essential for the production of the tissue hormone prostaglandin, which performs many important functions in the cells and controls inflammatory responses.

Unfortunately, gamma-linolenic acid is a fairly rare food, so most people have a deficiency. Most Gamma Linolen contain evening primrose oil, the alga Spirulina, as well as the oil from pomegranate seeds, black currants, borage seeds and finally hemp seed. Particularly rich is the hemp seed oil that is obtained by a cold pressing.

 5. HEMPSEEDS INCLUDE MANY ANTIOXIDANTS

Hemp seeds provide potent antioxidants that protect against free radicals. These are aggressive substances in the environment, breathing air and food that attack cells and cause damage. The antioxidants in hemp seed neutralize these molecules so that they can be eliminated from the body. Thus, they contribute to the formation of cancer, inflammation, skin aging and cardiovascular diseases.

 6. HEMPSEEDS STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

A healthy immune system is not only important in warding off colds and infections. Did you know that your immune system can even attack and eliminate cancer cells? It works in much the same way as your own police unit, constantly registering and dismissing bad guys. An exhausting job.

The preventive effect of hemp seed protects the organism and strengthens the immune system. The proteins in hemp seeds are the human uh

7. HEMPSEEDS HELP IN IGNITIONS

Inflammation is involved in many painful diseases such as athritis, atopic dermatitis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and more. Hemp seeds fight these chronic inflammatory processes from several angles. Gamma-linolenic acid regulates the inflammatory process in the cell, while antioxidants and omega-3 turn off aggressive molecules. In addition, the vitamins, minerals and amino acids in hemp seeds build the cells from within, making them resistant. A complete package that protects your health.

 8. VEGETABLES CONTAIN ALL NINE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS

Plant protein is often assumed to be inferior to animal. In particular, it is claimed that vegetable diet does not contain all the essential amino acids. The “essential” is the amino acids that the body can not produce itself. Far from it: Herbal foods like hemp seeds contain all nine essential amino acids.

The protein of the hemp seed has a similar or even better quality than animal protein. After all, animal protein is a carcinogen, acidifying the body and promoting cancer growth. You can easily avoid this problem by switching to vegetable protein from sources such as hemp seeds, legumes, and spirulina.

 9. HEMPSEEDS HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF PROTEIN

Also, the quantity of protein in hemp seed is high and is 20-25%. This makes cannabis seeds a real protein bomb and is ideal as an ingredient for a healthy protein shake. Another special feature is that the proteins consist of 40% albumin and 60% edestin. These building blocks can be used by the body very easily and installed in body cells. Two-chain amino acids additionally promote muscle growth. Hemp seeds are therefore an ideal source of protein for all those who exercise regularly.

By the way, hemp flour is also very rich in protein.

 10. HEMPSEEDS SUPPORT THE DETOXIFICATION

There are many methods of detoxification, whether with healing earth, swelling powder, herbs or fasting. One thing they all have in common: a herbal diet is highly recommended, as it firstly helps to remove contaminants from the body and secondly contains much less new toxins. Hemp seeds make a valuable contribution to detoxification.

The sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine ​​present in hemp seeds help the body to evacuate toxins. You also urgently need this support, because the western lifestyle constantly bombards us with environmental and above all food poisons. Without helpers such as hemp seeds or chlorella your filter organs would simply be overwhelmed.

 11. HEMPSEEDS LESTS REDUCE STRESS

Hemp seeds reduce the stress in your body even without THC. The reason for this is the high content of vitamin B2, which plays a role in the development of the anti-stress hormone cortisol. Thus, adrenaline is neutralized and the organism is returned from alarm to normal.

The earlier claim that vitamin B2 can only be obtained from animal sources is thus refuted. Hemp seeds can only be surpassed in this regard by animal liver, and who wants to eat that? The liver is finally a filter organ and enriched with all sorts of toxins. Hemp seeds are therefore wholesome in every way.

 12. HEMPSEEDS REGULATE BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure disrupts many functions in the body and is the harbinger of heart attack and stroke. Therefore, it is important to keep your blood pressure within the normal range. Because cannabis seeds promote the production of cortisol, they help regulate blood pressure. This allows your arteries to function normally and prevents the development of cardiovascular and renal disease.

The main cause of hypertension is a high-fat diet with animal products that destroys the arteries. Therefore concentrate on basic plant foods such as rice, potatoes and pasta, add fresh fruits and vegetables and leave the animal products

 13. HEMPSEEDS STABILIZE THE BLOOD SUGAR MIRROR

A stable blood sugar level is important for the continuous supply of energy. An up and down is unhealthy, leading to fatigue and performance dips. A chronically elevated blood sugar level is also a symptom of pre-diabetes and should set you on alert. An adequate supply of vitamin B2 and cortisol regulates the blood sugar level.

In addition, plant foods, and legumes in particular, help keep blood sugar levels stable by providing slow-digesting carbohydrates. The cause of high blood sugar levels, as is often the case in a high-fat diet, is that it surrounds the cells with a fatty film and makes insulin ineffective. Take care of the cause, then you will get rid of the symptoms.

14. HEMPSEEDS FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Your skin is your biggest body organ. Nutrient deficiencies are quickly noticeable here. Pale, chapped and dry skin is the result. Hemp seeds contain high-quality amino acids, fatty acids and vitamin B2 and give your skin the perfect nutrient kick. This makes it resistant, smooth and gives a healthy glow. An ingenious trick for your daily nutrient boost: simply replace your breakfast with a green smoothie with hemp seed. Your skin will thank you!

 15. HEMPSEEDS FOR SMOOTH HAIR

Not only external conditions such as dry and cold air or daily blow-drying increase your hair. Also, a malnutrition with highly processed and animal products will make your hair thin and brittle. Since hemp seeds are a cornucopia of nutrients, small natural miracle pills help rebuild your hair from within. So it becomes firm again, shiny and supple.

 16. HEMPSEEDS FOR SOLID NAILS

Fragile fingernails are not only annoying and ugly, but a sign that you have to change something! Your body signals to you that you do not absorb enough nutrients and eat you wrong. It's time to eat less animal products and more plums. Hemp seeds are the perfect example of the abundance of micro and macronutrients that awaits you. Fill up your body with the right fuel, then you will be able to read the result externally on your solid nails.

 17. TOMB LEGS LEAD SKIN DISEASES

Even atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema have no chance thanks to a herbal diet with hemp seeds. The essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in hemp seed are important for a healthy cell barrier and keep the skin healthy. In particular, hempseed oil has had a positive effect on the healing of eczema in a study. It also helps to soothe dry skin and itching, helping you to sneak off any onerous medication. Christina has cured her psoriasis with a low-fat and all-vegetable diet. Learn more about her story here.

Young woman with city in the background

 18. HEMPSEEDS GIVE SPORTS ENERGY

Athletes and health conscious people know about the power of a nutrient-rich diet. Hemp seeds are the perfect superfood to provide your body with valuable vitamins, minerals, fats and amino acids. This will increase your physical and mental performance effectively. Hemp seeds for breakfast are the perfect start to the morning and prepare you for your workout. Even during the day, hemp seeds are a healthy snack that takes your energy to a new level.

 19. HEMPSEEDS INCREASE THE TESTOSTERONE MIRROR

Another kick for athletes: cannabis seeds raise testosterone levels in a healthy way. This is beneficial for your regular workout and increases your performance. Men can also look forward to a stronger beard growth and a higher potency. Women also benefit from the stultifying and performance-enhancing effect

 20. HEMPSEEDS PROMOTE MUSCLE GROWTH

Hemp seed promotes muscle growth on many different levels: easily digestible amino acids provide the ideal building blocks for powerful muscles. Vitamins and minerals combat hyperacidity and help with regeneration. Finally, testosterone additionally boosts muscle growth and gives you a clear advantage in competition.

21. HEMPSEEDS OPTIMIZE THE METABOLISM

A healthy metabolism helps you to stay productive even when you're working hard. Hemp seeds optimize metabolism and ensure that you are still energized after training.

22. HANFSAMEN PROMOTES REGENERATION AFTER SPORT

During exercise your muscles and tendons get small cracks that have to heal again. This is completely normal. However, if your organism is over acidified, the healing process is slow, the small micro-wounds can become inflamed and hurt: the famous muscle soreness is the result.

Hemp seeds provide you with valuable nutrients that accelerate healing, neutralize acidity and make sore muscles disappear. A herbal diet will do the rest to remove pathogenic acidity and help your body recover. The trick: the faster your muscles regenerate, the more often and harder you can train. Accordingly, you also see better results and benefit from optimal performance.

Middle-aged woman

 23. HEMP LESTS RELIEVE PMS

Around 80% of women suffer from PMS. Symptoms such as tension and pain in the chest, depressive moods and water retention can occur here. It is believed that sensitivity to the hormone prolactin is responsible for this.

The gamma linolen present in cannabis seeds is involved in the production of prostaglandin and thus alleviates the unpleasant effect of prolactin. Primrose oil has also been shown to be effective in some studies. Like hemp seeds, it contains a lot of GLA and can relieve the unpleasant PMS symptoms.

In addition, a low-fat herbal diet has a positive effect on the hormone balance and stabilizes it. So the period can be completely free of pain and symptoms. After all, it does not make any sense that nature puts us women out of action every month. The cause of PMS is thus to look in the lifestyle and there is also the solution.

 24. HEMPSEEDS SUPPORT WOMEN IN MENOPAUSE

Menopausal women also benefit from the regular intake of hemp seeds. Presumably, gamma-linolenic acid and its balancing effect on the hormone balance are again responsible. Also relieves inflammatory processes associated with menopause.

 25. HEMPSEEDS PROMOTE DIGESTION

A healthy digestion is the alpha and omega for a healthy body. Hemp seeds are a good source of fiber and therefore a real boon for the digestive system. Hemp seeds contain 20% water-soluble and 80% water-insoluble fiber. The water-soluble fiber swells into a gel that serves as a prebiotic and food for a friendly intestinal flora. The water-insoluble fiber cleanses the intestinal villi, removes deposits and food residues and prevents constipation.

Did you know that animal products do not contain any fiber? These are found exclusively in plant foods. If you take too little plant food, the blockage is inevitable. In addition, animal products lead to the formation of rot in the intestine, acidification of the milieu and let harmful bacteria such as Kandida sprout. You can save all this with a plant-based diet.

 26. HEMPSEEDS SUPPORT THE WEIGHT REDUCTION

Cannabis seeds can help you lose weight as they curb your appetite. You feel full longer and have less desire to nibble. Some experts recommend four tablespoons of hemp seed for breakfast to keep hunger alert throughout the day. This is largely due to the high fiber content in hemp seeds.

The best way to lose weight is to focus on plant-based foods such as whole grain rice, potatoes, lentils, and beans. They are also filling and give you a lot of energy for the day. However, you should refrain from using the animal products because the unhealthy saturated fatty acids end up on the belly, arms, hips and buttocks in huge quantities.

27. HEMPSEEDS REDUCE THE RISK FOR HEART CIRCULATION DISEASES

Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. Regular consumption of hemp seeds can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is related to the high content of the amino acid arginine, which is involved in the production of nitric oxide in your body. In turn, this molecule is responsible for relaxing your arteries, lowering your blood pressure and keeping your heart healthy.

The inflammatory processes associated with heart disease are also alleviated by arginine and gamma-linolenic acid. Also, hemp oil has been found to be helpful in lowering blood pressure, preventing blood clots, and promoting healing after surgery. However, the best prevention for cardiovascular disease is and remains a low-fat herbal diet, as many US doctors such as Dr. med. Esselstyn, dr. Greger, Dr. McDougall and dr. Barnard recommend.

28. HEMPSEEDS PROTECT THE BRAIN

Hemp seeds show in laboratory tests anti-inflammatory effects due to an ingredient called cannabidiol (CBN). Findings from 2018 suggest that it also protects the nerve tracts in the brain and thus has a positive effect on brain diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. Even a low-fat herbal diet is helpful here, because the animal fat in the Western mainstream diet damages the blood vessels in the brain as well as in the heart. Do the self-test: Leave the animal products and the positive effects on your mental performance.

Arm with bandage

 29. HEMPSEEDS FORESTS LINDER ARTHRITIS AND JOINT PAIN

The rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own defenses attack the cartilage and joint tissue. This leads to painful inflammation. A 2014 human cell study found that hempseed oil has a positive effect on the joints and relieves arthitis. However, further research is needed.

However, it is clear that autoimmune diseases are triggered by animal proteins and in particular the milk protein casein. These molecules pass through a damaged intestine directly into the blood, where they do not belong. The organism produces antibodies according to the key-lock principle, which is perfectly normal. However, the animal proteins are so similar to the human that the immune system inevitably begins to attack one's own body cells. That's the whole “secret” of seemingly “incurable” autoimmune diseases. If you eliminate the cause, namely animal products, your joints may heal and the pain will disappear by itself.

30. HEMPSEEDS HELP WITH BRAIN TUMORS

The British Journal of Cancer published a study showing that traces of THC in cannabis seeds can cure a deadly form of brain cancer. Researchers from the University of Rostock confirmed this research: cannabinoids in cannabis seeds inhibit cancer growth and prevent metastases, especially in lung cancer. Since cancer cells thrive best in an acidified environment and are associated with inflammation, hemp seeds are also effective here and prevent the tumor from spreading.

 31. HEMPSEEDS HELP IN BREAST CANCER

The THC in cannabis seeds is also helpful in end-stage breast cancer. However, it does not even come to breast cancer. A healthy plant-based diet free of animal hormones, harmful protein and pro-inflammatory fat keeps the organism healthy and enables it to eliminate cancer cells on its own. The vitamins, minerals and amino acids in hemp seeds help your immune system and help your body stay healthy.

from https://www.hempseedlife.com/2019/01/21/31-incredible-reasons-why-hemp-seeds-are-healthy/

[paullassiterca]

Top Gardening Tips to Build Better Health

30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health

This article is included in Dr. Mercola’s All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here.

Growing your own food has many rewards, from providing you with fresher, uncontaminated produce and cutting your grocery bill, to increasing your sense of well-being and slashing your risk of depression.

Interestingly, research shows gardening is also the most common hobby among centenarians around the world, suggesting the benefits it provides may help maximize your longevity as well.

Likewise, research shows farmers are one-third less likely to have a chronic illness than non-farmers,1 and are less likely to die from diabetes or heart disease.2 Research3 also shows elderly individuals who garden on a regular basis have a 36 percent lower risk of dementia than non-gardeners.

According to longevity researcher Dan Buettner, who has studied the habits and pastimes of centenarians around the world, people who live to 100 and beyond have a number of things in common, including strong social support networks, daily exercise habits, a plant-based diet — and gardening.4

9 Health Benefits of Gardening

Perhaps this is not so surprising when you consider that gardening fulfills several healthy lifestyle criteria, including:

1. Regular sun exposure (which has benefits beyond vitamin D production)

2. Fresh air

3. Fresh, uncontaminated food

4. Exposure to beneficial soil microbes that may support a healthy microbiome

5. Physical activity

6. Social contact and camaraderie

7. Stress relief and general sense of well-being — As reported by BBC News:5

“In a recent Dutch study,6 researchers asked participants to complete a stressful task, then split them into two groups. One group read indoors and the other gardened outdoors for 30 minutes.

The group that read reported that their mood ‘further deteriorated,’ while the gardeners not only had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol afterwards, they also felt 'fully restored’ to a good mood … There is no panacea for growing old but, the science suggests, gardening does appear to improve our quality of life as we age.”

Indeed, many gardeners report feeling a sense of joyful well-being, and according to research from Johns Hopkins,7 having a cheerful temperament can significantly reduce your odds of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death

8. Life purpose — As noted by Dr. Bradley Willcox of the University of Hawaii, who studies centenarians in Okinawa, an area known for having the highest ratio of centenarians in the world (approximately 50 per 100,000 people are over 100 years old), “In Okinawa, they say that anybody who grows old healthfully needs an ikigai, or reason for living. Gardening gives you that something to get up for every day”8

9. Life satisfaction — According to a Gardeners World magazine survey,9 80 percent of gardeners report being “happy” and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners, and the more time spent in the garden, the higher their satisfaction scores; 87 percent of those who tend to their gardens for more than six hours a week report feeling happy, compared to those spending less time in their gardens

Gardening Can Be Done Even in Tiny Spaces

There are many different ways to grow your own food, even if you live in an apartment. If you have a yard, consider yourself blessed, but if not, Alex Mitchell’s book, “The Edible Balcony,”10 is an excellent resource for how to grow produce in small spaces.

You can use virtually every square foot of your space, including vertical space, for growing food. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes and a variety of herbs. And, instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard and chilies, to name just a few.

For tips on starting your own garden — whether large or small, indoors or outside, for winter or spring — see my previous articles on the following topics:

Creating a winter garden

Creating edible gardens in small spaces

Composting made easy, even for city dwellers

How to increase your garden yield eightfold, using high performance agriculture techniques

Basic Gardening Guidance

Rule No. 1 for growing nutrient-dense food is building healthy soil. There are five basic principles to growing topsoil and building a healthy soil ecosystem, and these rules apply whether you’re working a farm or tending a small vegetable garden in your backyard:

1. Avoid disturbing the soil microbiome — The less mechanical disturbance the better, which means no tillage, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides

2. Protect the soil’s surface — Use cover crops, untreated lawn clippings, mulch and wood chips to maintain soil biology, prevent water evaporation and lower soil temperature, which is particularly important on hot days

3. Diversify your crops — Having a diverse array of plant life is essential to healthy soil, and cover crops help fulfill this requirement

4. Maintain living roots in the ground as long as possible — Growing something at all times is key to soil vitality, so be sure to plant a cover crop after you harvest your vegetables

5. Integrate livestock and other animals, including insects — To mimic the impact of wild herds, regenerative farmers will pasture chickens, cows, lambs, pigs and other animals to benefit the soil and ensure a highly nutrient-dense finished product.

While many homeowners cannot keep farm animals on their property, you can easily attract pollinators and predator insects to ward off garden pests by including lots of flowering plants.

New to Gardening? Start With Sprouts

One of the simplest and most inexpensive gardening alternatives is to grow your own sprouts. They’re a particularly excellent choice during winter months, when outdoor gardening is limited or ruled out. They also grow quickly, allowing you to harvest in about a week, and you don’t have to cook them. Sprouts are also a perfect complement to fermented vegetables, which are also easy and inexpensive to make at home, from scratch.

Sprouts are actually among the most nutrient-dense foods out there. Topping the list are sunflower seed and pea sprouts, which are typically about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables. Sunflower and pea sprouts are among my own favorites. Broccoli sprouts, known for their anticancer activity, are another excellent choice. Other commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include:

Alfalfa — A good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F and K

Mung bean — Good source of protein, fiber and vitamins C and A

Watercress — According to nutritional tests, watercress appears to be the most nutrient-dense plant food available. Based on 17 nutrients, including potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, watercress scored a perfect 10011

Brussels sprouts — One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains just 56 calories but is packed with more than 240 percent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin K1 and nearly 130 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. Brussels sprouts are also a good source of fiber, manganese, potassium, choline, B vitamins, antioxidants and other health-promoting phytochemicals

Another plant that is easy to grow that has many valuable health benefits is fennel. All parts, including bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds, are edible, and have a delicious flavor reminiscent of licorice. Raw fennel contains more than 7 grams of dietary fiber per bulb, and each 1-cup serving contains 360 milligrams (mg) of potassium, 43 mg of calcium, 10 mg of vitamin C and 15 mg of magnesium.12

The nutrients in fennel helps support healthy digestion, metabolism, blood pressure, heart health and immune function, and help prevent inflammation and cancer.13

Great Reasons to Eat More Sprouts

Many of the benefits of sprouts relate to the fact that plants contain more concentrated amounts of nutrients in their initial phase of growth. As a result, you need to eat far less sprouts, in terms of amount, compared to a mature plant. For example, when sprouting seeds, nuts, beans and grains you get:14

• Higher vitamin content — In some seeds, the vitamin content is increased by as much as 500 percent during the sprouting process15

• Higher enzyme content — Sprouts contain an estimated 100 times more enzymes than fresh fruits and vegetables. These enzymes allow your body to extract higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from other foods you eat in conjunction with the sprouts as well

• Increased essential fatty acid and fiber content — The essential fatty acid and fiber content also increases dramatically during the sprouting process. Most people do not get enough fiber or healthy fats in their diet for optimal health, and sprouts can be a great source of both

• Increased bioavailability of minerals and protein — When the seed starts to sprout, minerals such as calcium and magnesium bind to proteins in the seed, which makes both the minerals and the protein more readily available and usable in your body.

In addition, the proteins are altered in beneficial ways during the process of sprouting, so you get more, and higher quality, protein from sprouts compared to eating the unsprouted seed

Many say they cannot afford to eat fresh and healthy foods, but sprouts are so inexpensive, there’s really no excuse for avoiding them, especially if you grow them yourself. Doing so can cut the cost by about 90 percent or more, compared to buying them.

My Sprout Doctor Starter Kit provides everything you need to get started, and comes with a bag each of sunflower shoots, broccoli sprouts and pea shoot seeds. When grown in soil, you can harvest your sprouts in about a week, and 1 pound of seed can produce over 10 pounds of sprouts.

Sunflower shoots will give you the most volume for your effort and, in my opinion, have the best taste. In one 10-by-10 tray, you can harvest between 1 and 2 pounds of sunflower sprouts. You can store them in the fridge for about a week. Broccoli sprouts look and taste similar to alfalfa sprouts, which most people like. They’re perfect for adding to salads and sandwiches, and are especially tasty in combination with fresh avocado.

I’ve partnered with a company in a small town in Vermont that develops, breeds, and grows their own seeds, and are industry leaders in seed safety for sprouts and shoots. All of my seeds are non-GMO, certified organic, and packed with nutrition.

Resources for the Urban Gardener

As growing numbers of people are becoming excited about local food, healthier eating and greener cities, there’s renewed interest in the development of urban agriculture around the country.

However, it’s important to educate yourself about your city (including your homeowner’s association), state and federal ordinances16 before you plunge your shovel into the ground. There’s nothing fun about getting a citation for breaking the law.17

Zoning laws and ordinances are constantly changing, so you really need to do your due diligence in planning your urban garden. Common garden and yard care laws include:

Regulations on fence and hedge heights, and length of grass

Restrictions on front yard food gardens18

Watering requirements and limits

Regulations pertaining to the protection of wildlife

Regulations on weeds and invasive species

Farm animal ordinances, including beekeeping19

Composting ordinances

Regulations on rainwater collection

Gardening-related business activities, should you consider selling any of your produce

Hell strips — This refers to the section of land between the street and the sidewalk. By and large, this land belongs to the city, but must be maintained by the homeowner; oftentimes, you’re not allowed to remove or damage plants or trees growing here

A policy reference guide to community gardening can be found on PublicHealthLawCenter.org. Below are a few other resources that may assist you in your quest as well. Whether you want to plant organic veggies, a berry patch, or a much larger edible landscape project, make sure you are proceeding within the legal guidelines before you start, in order to avoid major headaches down the road.

American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) is devoted to community gardening and greening up communities across the U.S. and Canada

APA Urban Agriculture offers information about urban agricultural zoning and lists a good number of government initiatives, plans and ordinances that are up for vote across the U.S.

Food Not Lawns is a sustainability movement focused on getting rid of lawns in favor of more ecofriendly alternatives; also has chapters in nearly every state across the U.S.

IOBY.org provides a primer on how to turn vacant lots into community gardens

To find a municipal law lawyer to help you, see FindLaw.com

Take Control of Your Health by Growing Some of Your Own Food

There is no magic bullet when it comes to aging well. Generally speaking, the better you treat your body throughout your life, the better your aging experience will be. Aches, pains, forgetfulness and loneliness are not automatic givens. You can achieve physical and psychological wellness at any age. For me, in many ways life continues to get better as the years go by.

It does require a measure of effort, however. To improve your health, you need to take proactive steps today, and every day going forward. Starting a garden, even if it’s just growing a batch of sprouts on your countertop, is perhaps one of the most rewarding steps you can take that will support your health in numerous ways. And, if you keep it up, you may even find yourself enjoying the boons well into old age.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/11/growing-your-own-food.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/181916936956

[jerrytackettca]

Top Gardening Tips to Build Better Health

30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health

This article is included in Dr. Mercola's All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here.

Growing your own food has many rewards, from providing you with fresher, uncontaminated produce and cutting your grocery bill, to increasing your sense of well-being and slashing your risk of depression.

Interestingly, research shows gardening is also the most common hobby among centenarians around the world, suggesting the benefits it provides may help maximize your longevity as well.

Likewise, research shows farmers are one-third less likely to have a chronic illness than non-farmers,1 and are less likely to die from diabetes or heart disease.2 Research3 also shows elderly individuals who garden on a regular basis have a 36 percent lower risk of dementia than non-gardeners.

According to longevity researcher Dan Buettner, who has studied the habits and pastimes of centenarians around the world, people who live to 100 and beyond have a number of things in common, including strong social support networks, daily exercise habits, a plant-based diet — and gardening.4

9 Health Benefits of Gardening

Perhaps this is not so surprising when you consider that gardening fulfills several healthy lifestyle criteria, including:

1. Regular sun exposure (which has benefits beyond vitamin D production)

2. Fresh air

3. Fresh, uncontaminated food

4. Exposure to beneficial soil microbes that may support a healthy microbiome

5. Physical activity

6. Social contact and camaraderie

7. Stress relief and general sense of well-being — As reported by BBC News:5

"In a recent Dutch study,6 researchers asked participants to complete a stressful task, then split them into two groups. One group read indoors and the other gardened outdoors for 30 minutes.

The group that read reported that their mood 'further deteriorated,' while the gardeners not only had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol afterwards, they also felt 'fully restored' to a good mood … There is no panacea for growing old but, the science suggests, gardening does appear to improve our quality of life as we age."

Indeed, many gardeners report feeling a sense of joyful well-being, and according to research from Johns Hopkins,7 having a cheerful temperament can significantly reduce your odds of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death

8. Life purpose — As noted by Dr. Bradley Willcox of the University of Hawaii, who studies centenarians in Okinawa, an area known for having the highest ratio of centenarians in the world (approximately 50 per 100,000 people are over 100 years old), "In Okinawa, they say that anybody who grows old healthfully needs an ikigai, or reason for living. Gardening gives you that something to get up for every day"8

9. Life satisfaction — According to a Gardeners World magazine survey,9 80 percent of gardeners report being "happy" and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners, and the more time spent in the garden, the higher their satisfaction scores; 87 percent of those who tend to their gardens for more than six hours a week report feeling happy, compared to those spending less time in their gardens

Gardening Can Be Done Even in Tiny Spaces

There are many different ways to grow your own food, even if you live in an apartment. If you have a yard, consider yourself blessed, but if not, Alex Mitchell's book, "The Edible Balcony,"10 is an excellent resource for how to grow produce in small spaces.

You can use virtually every square foot of your space, including vertical space, for growing food. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes and a variety of herbs. And, instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard and chilies, to name just a few.

For tips on starting your own garden — whether large or small, indoors or outside, for winter or spring — see my previous articles on the following topics:

Creating a winter garden

Creating edible gardens in small spaces

Composting made easy, even for city dwellers

How to increase your garden yield eightfold, using high performance agriculture techniques

Basic Gardening Guidance

Rule No. 1 for growing nutrient-dense food is building healthy soil. There are five basic principles to growing topsoil and building a healthy soil ecosystem, and these rules apply whether you're working a farm or tending a small vegetable garden in your backyard:

1. Avoid disturbing the soil microbiome — The less mechanical disturbance the better, which means no tillage, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides

2. Protect the soil's surface — Use cover crops, untreated lawn clippings, mulch and wood chips to maintain soil biology, prevent water evaporation and lower soil temperature, which is particularly important on hot days

3. Diversify your crops — Having a diverse array of plant life is essential to healthy soil, and cover crops help fulfill this requirement

4. Maintain living roots in the ground as long as possible — Growing something at all times is key to soil vitality, so be sure to plant a cover crop after you harvest your vegetables

5. Integrate livestock and other animals, including insects — To mimic the impact of wild herds, regenerative farmers will pasture chickens, cows, lambs, pigs and other animals to benefit the soil and ensure a highly nutrient-dense finished product.

While many homeowners cannot keep farm animals on their property, you can easily attract pollinators and predator insects to ward off garden pests by including lots of flowering plants.

New to Gardening? Start With Sprouts

One of the simplest and most inexpensive gardening alternatives is to grow your own sprouts. They're a particularly excellent choice during winter months, when outdoor gardening is limited or ruled out. They also grow quickly, allowing you to harvest in about a week, and you don't have to cook them. Sprouts are also a perfect complement to fermented vegetables, which are also easy and inexpensive to make at home, from scratch.

Sprouts are actually among the most nutrient-dense foods out there. Topping the list are sunflower seed and pea sprouts, which are typically about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables. Sunflower and pea sprouts are among my own favorites. Broccoli sprouts, known for their anticancer activity, are another excellent choice. Other commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include:

Alfalfa — A good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F and K

Mung bean — Good source of protein, fiber and vitamins C and A

Watercress — According to nutritional tests, watercress appears to be the most nutrient-dense plant food available. Based on 17 nutrients, including potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, watercress scored a perfect 10011

Brussels sprouts — One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains just 56 calories but is packed with more than 240 percent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin K1 and nearly 130 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. Brussels sprouts are also a good source of fiber, manganese, potassium, choline, B vitamins, antioxidants and other health-promoting phytochemicals

Another plant that is easy to grow that has many valuable health benefits is fennel. All parts, including bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds, are edible, and have a delicious flavor reminiscent of licorice. Raw fennel contains more than 7 grams of dietary fiber per bulb, and each 1-cup serving contains 360 milligrams (mg) of potassium, 43 mg of calcium, 10 mg of vitamin C and 15 mg of magnesium.12

The nutrients in fennel helps support healthy digestion, metabolism, blood pressure, heart health and immune function, and help prevent inflammation and cancer.13

Great Reasons to Eat More Sprouts

Many of the benefits of sprouts relate to the fact that plants contain more concentrated amounts of nutrients in their initial phase of growth. As a result, you need to eat far less sprouts, in terms of amount, compared to a mature plant. For example, when sprouting seeds, nuts, beans and grains you get:14

• Higher vitamin content — In some seeds, the vitamin content is increased by as much as 500 percent during the sprouting process15

• Higher enzyme content — Sprouts contain an estimated 100 times more enzymes than fresh fruits and vegetables. These enzymes allow your body to extract higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from other foods you eat in conjunction with the sprouts as well

• Increased essential fatty acid and fiber content — The essential fatty acid and fiber content also increases dramatically during the sprouting process. Most people do not get enough fiber or healthy fats in their diet for optimal health, and sprouts can be a great source of both

• Increased bioavailability of minerals and protein — When the seed starts to sprout, minerals such as calcium and magnesium bind to proteins in the seed, which makes both the minerals and the protein more readily available and usable in your body.

In addition, the proteins are altered in beneficial ways during the process of sprouting, so you get more, and higher quality, protein from sprouts compared to eating the unsprouted seed

Many say they cannot afford to eat fresh and healthy foods, but sprouts are so inexpensive, there's really no excuse for avoiding them, especially if you grow them yourself. Doing so can cut the cost by about 90 percent or more, compared to buying them.

My Sprout Doctor Starter Kit provides everything you need to get started, and comes with a bag each of sunflower shoots, broccoli sprouts and pea shoot seeds. When grown in soil, you can harvest your sprouts in about a week, and 1 pound of seed can produce over 10 pounds of sprouts.

Sunflower shoots will give you the most volume for your effort and, in my opinion, have the best taste. In one 10-by-10 tray, you can harvest between 1 and 2 pounds of sunflower sprouts. You can store them in the fridge for about a week. Broccoli sprouts look and taste similar to alfalfa sprouts, which most people like. They're perfect for adding to salads and sandwiches, and are especially tasty in combination with fresh avocado.

I've partnered with a company in a small town in Vermont that develops, breeds, and grows their own seeds, and are industry leaders in seed safety for sprouts and shoots. All of my seeds are non-GMO, certified organic, and packed with nutrition.

Resources for the Urban Gardener

As growing numbers of people are becoming excited about local food, healthier eating and greener cities, there's renewed interest in the development of urban agriculture around the country.

However, it's important to educate yourself about your city (including your homeowner's association), state and federal ordinances16 before you plunge your shovel into the ground. There's nothing fun about getting a citation for breaking the law.17

Zoning laws and ordinances are constantly changing, so you really need to do your due diligence in planning your urban garden. Common garden and yard care laws include:

Regulations on fence and hedge heights, and length of grass

Restrictions on front yard food gardens18

Watering requirements and limits

Regulations pertaining to the protection of wildlife

Regulations on weeds and invasive species

Farm animal ordinances, including beekeeping19

Composting ordinances

Regulations on rainwater collection

Gardening-related business activities, should you consider selling any of your produce

Hell strips — This refers to the section of land between the street and the sidewalk. By and large, this land belongs to the city, but must be maintained by the homeowner; oftentimes, you're not allowed to remove or damage plants or trees growing here

A policy reference guide to community gardening can be found on PublicHealthLawCenter.org. Below are a few other resources that may assist you in your quest as well. Whether you want to plant organic veggies, a berry patch, or a much larger edible landscape project, make sure you are proceeding within the legal guidelines before you start, in order to avoid major headaches down the road.

American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) is devoted to community gardening and greening up communities across the U.S. and Canada

APA Urban Agriculture offers information about urban agricultural zoning and lists a good number of government initiatives, plans and ordinances that are up for vote across the U.S.

Food Not Lawns is a sustainability movement focused on getting rid of lawns in favor of more ecofriendly alternatives; also has chapters in nearly every state across the U.S.

IOBY.org provides a primer on how to turn vacant lots into community gardens

To find a municipal law lawyer to help you, see FindLaw.com

Take Control of Your Health by Growing Some of Your Own Food

There is no magic bullet when it comes to aging well. Generally speaking, the better you treat your body throughout your life, the better your aging experience will be. Aches, pains, forgetfulness and loneliness are not automatic givens. You can achieve physical and psychological wellness at any age. For me, in many ways life continues to get better as the years go by.

It does require a measure of effort, however. To improve your health, you need to take proactive steps today, and every day going forward. Starting a garden, even if it's just growing a batch of sprouts on your countertop, is perhaps one of the most rewarding steps you can take that will support your health in numerous ways. And, if you keep it up, you may even find yourself enjoying the boons well into old age.

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/11/growing-your-own-food.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/top-gardening-tips-to-build-better-health

[jakehglover]

Top Gardening Tips to Build Better Health

30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health

This article is included in Dr. Mercola's All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here.

Growing your own food has many rewards, from providing you with fresher, uncontaminated produce and cutting your grocery bill, to increasing your sense of well-being and slashing your risk of depression.

Interestingly, research shows gardening is also the most common hobby among centenarians around the world, suggesting the benefits it provides may help maximize your longevity as well.

Likewise, research shows farmers are one-third less likely to have a chronic illness than non-farmers,1 and are less likely to die from diabetes or heart disease.2 Research3 also shows elderly individuals who garden on a regular basis have a 36 percent lower risk of dementia than non-gardeners.

According to longevity researcher Dan Buettner, who has studied the habits and pastimes of centenarians around the world, people who live to 100 and beyond have a number of things in common, including strong social support networks, daily exercise habits, a plant-based diet — and gardening.4

9 Health Benefits of Gardening

Perhaps this is not so surprising when you consider that gardening fulfills several healthy lifestyle criteria, including:

1. Regular sun exposure (which has benefits beyond vitamin D production)

2. Fresh air

3. Fresh, uncontaminated food

4. Exposure to beneficial soil microbes that may support a healthy microbiome

5. Physical activity

6. Social contact and camaraderie

7. Stress relief and general sense of well-being — As reported by BBC News:5

"In a recent Dutch study,6 researchers asked participants to complete a stressful task, then split them into two groups. One group read indoors and the other gardened outdoors for 30 minutes.

The group that read reported that their mood 'further deteriorated,' while the gardeners not only had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol afterwards, they also felt 'fully restored' to a good mood … There is no panacea for growing old but, the science suggests, gardening does appear to improve our quality of life as we age."

Indeed, many gardeners report feeling a sense of joyful well-being, and according to research from Johns Hopkins,7 having a cheerful temperament can significantly reduce your odds of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death

8. Life purpose — As noted by Dr. Bradley Willcox of the University of Hawaii, who studies centenarians in Okinawa, an area known for having the highest ratio of centenarians in the world (approximately 50 per 100,000 people are over 100 years old), "In Okinawa, they say that anybody who grows old healthfully needs an ikigai, or reason for living. Gardening gives you that something to get up for every day"8

9. Life satisfaction — According to a Gardeners World magazine survey,9 80 percent of gardeners report being "happy" and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners, and the more time spent in the garden, the higher their satisfaction scores; 87 percent of those who tend to their gardens for more than six hours a week report feeling happy, compared to those spending less time in their gardens

Gardening Can Be Done Even in Tiny Spaces

There are many different ways to grow your own food, even if you live in an apartment. If you have a yard, consider yourself blessed, but if not, Alex Mitchell's book, "The Edible Balcony,"10 is an excellent resource for how to grow produce in small spaces.

You can use virtually every square foot of your space, including vertical space, for growing food. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes and a variety of herbs. And, instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard and chilies, to name just a few.

For tips on starting your own garden — whether large or small, indoors or outside, for winter or spring — see my previous articles on the following topics:

Creating a winter garden

Creating edible gardens in small spaces

Composting made easy, even for city dwellers

How to increase your garden yield eightfold, using high performance agriculture techniques

Basic Gardening Guidance

Rule No. 1 for growing nutrient-dense food is building healthy soil. There are five basic principles to growing topsoil and building a healthy soil ecosystem, and these rules apply whether you're working a farm or tending a small vegetable garden in your backyard:

1. Avoid disturbing the soil microbiome — The less mechanical disturbance the better, which means no tillage, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides

2. Protect the soil's surface — Use cover crops, untreated lawn clippings, mulch and wood chips to maintain soil biology, prevent water evaporation and lower soil temperature, which is particularly important on hot days

3. Diversify your crops — Having a diverse array of plant life is essential to healthy soil, and cover crops help fulfill this requirement

4. Maintain living roots in the ground as long as possible — Growing something at all times is key to soil vitality, so be sure to plant a cover crop after you harvest your vegetables

5. Integrate livestock and other animals, including insects — To mimic the impact of wild herds, regenerative farmers will pasture chickens, cows, lambs, pigs and other animals to benefit the soil and ensure a highly nutrient-dense finished product.

While many homeowners cannot keep farm animals on their property, you can easily attract pollinators and predator insects to ward off garden pests by including lots of flowering plants.

New to Gardening? Start With Sprouts

One of the simplest and most inexpensive gardening alternatives is to grow your own sprouts. They're a particularly excellent choice during winter months, when outdoor gardening is limited or ruled out. They also grow quickly, allowing you to harvest in about a week, and you don't have to cook them. Sprouts are also a perfect complement to fermented vegetables, which are also easy and inexpensive to make at home, from scratch.

Sprouts are actually among the most nutrient-dense foods out there. Topping the list are sunflower seed and pea sprouts, which are typically about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables. Sunflower and pea sprouts are among my own favorites. Broccoli sprouts, known for their anticancer activity, are another excellent choice. Other commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include:

Alfalfa — A good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F and K

Mung bean — Good source of protein, fiber and vitamins C and A

Watercress — According to nutritional tests, watercress appears to be the most nutrient-dense plant food available. Based on 17 nutrients, including potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, watercress scored a perfect 10011

Brussels sprouts — One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains just 56 calories but is packed with more than 240 percent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin K1 and nearly 130 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. Brussels sprouts are also a good source of fiber, manganese, potassium, choline, B vitamins, antioxidants and other health-promoting phytochemicals

Another plant that is easy to grow that has many valuable health benefits is fennel. All parts, including bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds, are edible, and have a delicious flavor reminiscent of licorice. Raw fennel contains more than 7 grams of dietary fiber per bulb, and each 1-cup serving contains 360 milligrams (mg) of potassium, 43 mg of calcium, 10 mg of vitamin C and 15 mg of magnesium.12

The nutrients in fennel helps support healthy digestion, metabolism, blood pressure, heart health and immune function, and help prevent inflammation and cancer.13

Great Reasons to Eat More Sprouts

Many of the benefits of sprouts relate to the fact that plants contain more concentrated amounts of nutrients in their initial phase of growth. As a result, you need to eat far less sprouts, in terms of amount, compared to a mature plant. For example, when sprouting seeds, nuts, beans and grains you get:14

• Higher vitamin content — In some seeds, the vitamin content is increased by as much as 500 percent during the sprouting process15

• Higher enzyme content — Sprouts contain an estimated 100 times more enzymes than fresh fruits and vegetables. These enzymes allow your body to extract higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from other foods you eat in conjunction with the sprouts as well

• Increased essential fatty acid and fiber content — The essential fatty acid and fiber content also increases dramatically during the sprouting process. Most people do not get enough fiber or healthy fats in their diet for optimal health, and sprouts can be a great source of both

• Increased bioavailability of minerals and protein — When the seed starts to sprout, minerals such as calcium and magnesium bind to proteins in the seed, which makes both the minerals and the protein more readily available and usable in your body.

In addition, the proteins are altered in beneficial ways during the process of sprouting, so you get more, and higher quality, protein from sprouts compared to eating the unsprouted seed

Many say they cannot afford to eat fresh and healthy foods, but sprouts are so inexpensive, there's really no excuse for avoiding them, especially if you grow them yourself. Doing so can cut the cost by about 90 percent or more, compared to buying them.

My Sprout Doctor Starter Kit provides everything you need to get started, and comes with a bag each of sunflower shoots, broccoli sprouts and pea shoot seeds. When grown in soil, you can harvest your sprouts in about a week, and 1 pound of seed can produce over 10 pounds of sprouts.

Sunflower shoots will give you the most volume for your effort and, in my opinion, have the best taste. In one 10-by-10 tray, you can harvest between 1 and 2 pounds of sunflower sprouts. You can store them in the fridge for about a week. Broccoli sprouts look and taste similar to alfalfa sprouts, which most people like. They're perfect for adding to salads and sandwiches, and are especially tasty in combination with fresh avocado.

I've partnered with a company in a small town in Vermont that develops, breeds, and grows their own seeds, and are industry leaders in seed safety for sprouts and shoots. All of my seeds are non-GMO, certified organic, and packed with nutrition.

Resources for the Urban Gardener

As growing numbers of people are becoming excited about local food, healthier eating and greener cities, there's renewed interest in the development of urban agriculture around the country.

However, it's important to educate yourself about your city (including your homeowner's association), state and federal ordinances16 before you plunge your shovel into the ground. There's nothing fun about getting a citation for breaking the law.17

Zoning laws and ordinances are constantly changing, so you really need to do your due diligence in planning your urban garden. Common garden and yard care laws include:

Regulations on fence and hedge heights, and length of grass

Restrictions on front yard food gardens18

Watering requirements and limits

Regulations pertaining to the protection of wildlife

Regulations on weeds and invasive species

Farm animal ordinances, including beekeeping19

Composting ordinances

Regulations on rainwater collection

Gardening-related business activities, should you consider selling any of your produce

Hell strips — This refers to the section of land between the street and the sidewalk. By and large, this land belongs to the city, but must be maintained by the homeowner; oftentimes, you're not allowed to remove or damage plants or trees growing here

A policy reference guide to community gardening can be found on PublicHealthLawCenter.org. Below are a few other resources that may assist you in your quest as well. Whether you want to plant organic veggies, a berry patch, or a much larger edible landscape project, make sure you are proceeding within the legal guidelines before you start, in order to avoid major headaches down the road.

American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) is devoted to community gardening and greening up communities across the U.S. and Canada

APA Urban Agriculture offers information about urban agricultural zoning and lists a good number of government initiatives, plans and ordinances that are up for vote across the U.S.

Food Not Lawns is a sustainability movement focused on getting rid of lawns in favor of more ecofriendly alternatives; also has chapters in nearly every state across the U.S.

IOBY.org provides a primer on how to turn vacant lots into community gardens

To find a municipal law lawyer to help you, see FindLaw.com

Take Control of Your Health by Growing Some of Your Own Food

There is no magic bullet when it comes to aging well. Generally speaking, the better you treat your body throughout your life, the better your aging experience will be. Aches, pains, forgetfulness and loneliness are not automatic givens. You can achieve physical and psychological wellness at any age. For me, in many ways life continues to get better as the years go by.

It does require a measure of effort, however. To improve your health, you need to take proactive steps today, and every day going forward. Starting a garden, even if it's just growing a batch of sprouts on your countertop, is perhaps one of the most rewarding steps you can take that will support your health in numerous ways. And, if you keep it up, you may even find yourself enjoying the boons well into old age.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/11/growing-your-own-food.aspx