Are you familiar with Lion’s Mane Mushrooms? They have become the hot item for healthy eating. Vegetarians love them for their high protein content, while doctors and naturopaths go to them for their many healing qualities. Known by a variety of different names, such as bearded tooth mushroom, satyr’s beard, hedgehog mushroom, pom pom mushroom, or yamabushitake – the mushroom is often used as a meat substitute, since many say that they taste like shrimp or lobster when properly cooked.

This is a quick and simple side dish to make for warm summer evenings, as it only requires the briefest time on the stove top. Even better, there’s no need to stress about measuring ingredients – you can let the daily harvest from your home garden, or your favorite farmer’s market be your guide, as well as the number of people you expect to feed. Likewise, you can adjust the basic recipe to your own tastes. Any leftovers can be reheated, served cold, or at room temperature – you can even add some sliced, fresh tomatoes, toss it with your favorite vinaigrette and turn it into a summer salad!

Dandelion, both leaves and roots, whether grown wild or cultivated, is full of medicinal benefits. The greens can be chopped into salad, cooked like spinach, or added to juicing, while the root form can be used to make an infusion/tea or extract. Pamela Ovadje, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Windsor, has done extensive work in investigating the anti-cancer properties of dandelions and other natural extracts. She found that an extract of dandelions can cause apoptosis, or cell death, among cancerous cells while not harming the healthy ones.

Renowned herbologist Susun Weed writes, “If you are concerned about cholesterol, I have some great news for you. A variety of delicious foods have been shown to be as effective at moderating cholesterol as any drug…. They have a positive impact on total cholesterol and triglycerides too. And, as a bonus, most of these foods help prevent diabetes and lower blood pressure. See below for a list of these cholesterol-lowering foods. And remember to eat them cooked, frozen, dehydrated, fermented, or coated in oil for maximum benefit. Enjoy! Here’s to a healthy heart the Wise Woman Way.” From www.susunweed.com

There has been much controversy about which fats to include in a healthy diet that would help is to avoid or reduce the chances of developing one of the chronic diseases of aging. These would include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, osteoarthritic conditions, autoimmune disease, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is primarily the result of increased brain inflammation. This has been referred to as “the brain on fire.” To maintain our brain health and cognitive abilities, we need to make dietary and other lifestyle choices that will reduce inflammation and put out the fire. Maximizing healthy fats in the diet will optimize brain health.

Thyme, an herb native to the Mediterranean but now grown over most of the world, has been used for thousands of years as a medicine, an antidote for the Plague and in embalming preparations. And while it’s unlikely that thyme stopped the plague, modern research has proven that thyme does indeed combat infection. One study from 2010 suggests that thymol, the active ingredient in thyme, can reduce bacterial resistance to common drugs, including penicillin. A member of the mint family, thyme has long been used in Mediterranean cuisines for its sharp minty flavor as well as its medicinal properties.

Urtica dioica, often called common nettle, or nettle leaf, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and western North America, and introduced elsewhere. There are more than 500 types of nettle worldwide. Used since ancient times, stinging nettles are used to thin and purify the blood, to relieve chest congestion, as a diuretic, and to stimulate the digestive system.

Today we’re going to take an in-depth look at the bone health, overall health, and detoxification properties of three flavorful easy-to-find herbs. I also give you a scrumptious recipe to get you started. Fortunately, as you’ll soon see, detoxification can be a pleasant — even delicious — experience! I’d like to start with a decorative herb that more often than not gets ignored. Don’t overlook the.… from www.saveourbones.com

There are many great holistic websites but this is one of our favorites: www.greenmedinfo.com , where the motto is “Education Equals Empowerment.” In their mission statement the founder, Sayer Ji, writes, “GreenMedInfo.com exists in order to provide convenient and open access to the biomedical research available today on the therapeutic value of natural substances in disease prevention and treatment.” The website provides articles, newsletter, videos and more…