Remembering back to my childhood, I used to make what I called "flower soup". I would capture beautiful weeds and flowers much like Katie, put them all in a bowl, and pretend to cook a soup. So I mentioned this to Katie and she thought it was a splendid idea!
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| We added some bugs (for protein) since Daddy was helping ;) |
What I didn't know as a child was the medicinal healing qualities of these everyday beautiful weeds. The advantage of growing up financially strapped meant we had a yard full of weeds!
"Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?" Job 38:36 God asks Job this question when Job is questioning God. It seems as if my inwards parts as a child knew to gather these flowers and make "tinctures".
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Remember the dandelion? One season it has bright yellow petals? The next season you blow off the fluffy petals?
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Dandelions are high in protein, vitamins A and C, minerals, iron, manganese, potassium, and sodium. It is often used to treat anemia! As a food source, the dandelion could be invaluable. A lot of physical problems could at least be helped if not cured by a balance of nutrients. It is a potent diuretic and can be used to reduce swelling in the ankles or bloating before your cycle that's caused by retention of water. It can even bring some healing in congestive heart problems which is triggered by water collecting around the heart. It stimulates the flow of bile which is helpful for liver and gallbladder. It also neutralizes acid in the body. People who are loosing weight rapidly tend to have high acid levels. Dandelion has antioxidants that helps cleanse the body, useful for people suffering with cancer due to it's anti-toxin activities. WOW!
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If that's not amazing, let's look at the Ground Ivy!
Remember the alluring purple tubes?
Ground Ivy is an appetite stimulant. It also contains oil that helps to relieve congestion and inflammation associated with cold, flu, and sinusitus. It is anti-allergenic, anit-flu, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-septic, anti-viral, CANCER-PREVENTATIVE, expectorant, immuno-stimulant, sedative, and high in vitamin C.
It has a rather pleasant minty flavor. Make a salve with it and apply to sores. Even use it as a gargle for a sore throat! It is also a great laxative.
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What about the indian paintbrush?
Seen mostly on the side of the highway, this wild flower was used often by Indian tribes.
It was used quite frequently to treat skin diseases, kidney disorders, and leprosy. Paintbrush is known to "dry up" severe menstrual and other menstrual difficulties. Also used to prevent conception. It treats venereal diseases when used over a long period of time. Also used to treat stomach aches!
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The oh so dainty "wild chamomile" has proven to be quite forceful when treating the powerful and sometimes debilitating migraine headache.
It also contains a chemical known to release serotonin to the brain. 90% of the body's serotonin is found in the gut. The rest are found in the central nervous system which are used to regulate mood, appetite, and sleep.
The list goes on and on. Even wild honeysuckle lined along my fence as a child is used to reduce blood pressure and treat arthritis, mumps, hepatitis, pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, and tumors! (Mom would let us eat it occasionally :))
Pick away!
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| Daddy torturing us by tickling our faces with the weeds :) |
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| Sweet daddy takes some time to rough us up after our dainty girl time! As if bugs in our flower soup wasn't enough :) |
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| Strong in spirit she says, "Do it again Daddy!" |
"And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, which has seed in its fruit; to you it shall be for food." Genesis 1:29
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