Shar Veda
Stinging Nettle
Hooray nettles! Do you know the sting is great for arthritis and can even prevent it? So touch it as much as you want as long you’re not allergic. You can eat it raw too but squish it first to get the sting on your hand not in your mouth. Also lightly sautee it like spinach and/or make tea! Nettle is an absolute powerhouse that turns the body into a brickhouse with all of the following nutrients (plus some!)- SULFUR, CHLOROPHYLL, IRON, CALCIUM, VITAMIN A, B COMPLEX, K, PROTEIN, BORON, CHROMIUM, ZINC, SELENIUM, POTASSIUM. I picked this bunch around 8pm last night and my hands are still tingling!
Shar Veda
Chickweed
The white starflower featured below with her sister, dandelion, is amazing in spring salad or just as a raw food snack! Chickweed contains calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, silica, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. It also contains vitamin A, vitamin B-1, vitamin B-2, niacin, and vitamin C, protein and a lot of fiber. CHICKWEED is great juiced a spring flush and to eliminate fat cells. Check out this recipe by Susan Weed: “one ounce of dried herb (I weigh it) in a quart jar and fill it to the top with boiling water. I cap it tightly and wait for at least four hours, then strain and drink it, hot or cold, with honey or miso. What I don’t consume right away, I store in the refrigerator. A quart a day is not too much to drink, but even two cups a day can help you shed those unwanted pounds.” Chickweed is also an amazing antecdote for bacterial infections, inflammation, even cysts because it so cooling and green. (http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Chickweed-A-Star.htm)
Dandelion Greens
Shown here with chickweed, dandelion greens are an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B Complex, Calcium, and Iron. They are incredibly detoxifying and cleanse the liver. Harvest the greens and flowers from an un-trafficked area, and toss them in your next salad or eat as is. These plants are delicious and nutritious and ready to EAT NOW.
HAPPY WILDCRAFTING! Please remember to thank the flowers, thank Earth, and to be so GRATEFUL when you harvest.
Shar Veda, Southern Oregon’s Premier Alternative Therapist, offers deep healing through loving touch and compassionate counsel. She is an Ayurveda Lifestyle Counselor & Health Educator, yoga therapist and herbalist. Shar has been blessed to study with leading teachers in Ayurveda, Yoga, and herbalism for 20 years. However, it was her adopted grandma, Doe (English-American and Blackfoot Native), who instilled within her profound appreciation for the supreme power of loving touch, healing arts, and world family. Visit her website for a video, full bio, and photos or find her on Facebook and Instagram!
