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“All that man needs for health and healing has been provided by God in nature;
the challenge of science is to find it.”
(Paracelsus: 1493-1541)

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The Miracles of Bryophyllum :  Leaf-of-Life to the Rescue   by Audrey Steele, L.Ac.

10/31/2014

4 Comments

 
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If Halloween has left you scared to death, then Leaf of Life it is to the rescue!  You may have seen this succulent growing wild in your neighborhood and with Cold & #Flu season coming up, this is certainly one weed you need to ‘round up’ - pun intended :-D  One of the reasons we call it “Leaf of Life” (Air Plant or Miracle Leaf) is that wherever a leaf lands, it will spring forth a new plant. We say it “gives you life through its leaves”.  If you look at it closely, you’ll see all these little tiny baby leaves along the edges of each Mother leaf.  Well, left alone, each of those little baby leaflet will give you another plant if they so much as drop to the ground. You pretty much can’t kill this one, and it grows well between rocks and the poorest soil around.
Uses:
* The leaves can be used to make a tea to treat most respiratory conditions such as colds, sinus and asthma, but it has also been used to treat arthritis, intestinal problems (like worms), ear infections and even calm the nerves.  On my daily walk around the yard, I just pick one of the leaves 1st thing in the morning when it’s been bathed by morning dew, and chew it while I’m going around the property.  It is reported to have immuno-suppressant properties so - as with all immunosuppressants - it is not recommended to be used for extended periods of time.
* In Ayurvedic medicine, the leaves are used to treat menstrual irregularities such as heavy or prolonged bleeding.  Back home, the old “(mid)Wives” used to smoodgh (my word for mush, muddle, etc) the leaves & mix it with a little castor oil to apply to the breasts of nursing mothers suffering from mastitis.
* Used topically, you can crush and heat the leaves then wrap as a poultice to treat boils, rash, insect bites and bruises.  For headaches, my Granny used to bruise the leaves a little, put the pasty pulp over wherever her head was hurting, and then wrap her entire head with a scarf.  Before long, bye bye headache!
* Other health benefits:  L-o-L has antibacterial, antiviral & antifungal properties, and research continues to look at using it with cancer patients (Xiuzhen, Y. et al. 1992.  Isolation and Identification of Cytotoxic Compounds from Bryophyllum Pinnatum. Chinese Journal of Cancer Research vol 4(4) December). 
 I have tons of this growing in my yard if you’re interested; it’s a beautiful plant especially when it flowers, and makes a nice mound of thick fat leaves that just scream “Life! Health!” Health!” Life!”.  Until next time, happy weed’n, happy healing, and in the spirit of the season: Happy Halloweening!
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncturist
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
* Disclaimer: This information is educational in nature only, and is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader. 

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Froggy contemplates under a clump of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Leaf of Life): “Plants are the young of the world, vessels of health and vigor; but they grope ever upward towards consciousness...” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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Crazy for Callaloo! by Audrey Steele, L.Ac.

10/10/2014

2 Comments

 
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Some girls get roses; my Hunny brings me callaloo fresh from the garden - He's made me a happy girl!
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"Careless weed"? I think not!
Callaloo (Amaranthus viridis) aka Garden callaloo or Chinese Spinach has also been called “Pigweed” - not to be confused with Amaranthus palmeri - because back in the old days they used to feed this plant & others in the Amaranthus family to pigs.  Greek legend has it that because the flower never dies – the “flower that never withers” - it was considered an herb of immortality, sacred to the goddess Artemis and was used to decorate tombs. My Belizean friend says in their country, they have a saying:  “Eat callaloo & live forever”.  To my Rastafarian brethren in Jamaica, callaloo is a staple of their “Ital" menu.   Verily, verily I proclaim to you on this day & henceforth:  CALLALOO IS NOT A WEED!!!  Although it is invasive (thank goodness!) & grows wherever the seed lands, it is not noxious by any means. As the botanical name suggests (Amaranthus viridis), callaloo contains the seed amaranth which is used as a grain (like quinoa) and is loaded with proteins like lysine. 

Actually there are numerous species of “callaloo”, but in Jamaica - my country of birth – there is no other green leafy vegetable that can be substituted for real callaloo in our traditional callaloo dishes in my humble opinion.  Our callaloo plant has a distinct flavor & if you try to use anything else in a dish you serve to me, I will let you know without hesitation that you’re perpetrating a fraud. I was actually surprised to find it on a certain famous person’s website where they posted a recipe for steamed callaloo (although they did substitute Swiss chard for callaloo leaves in the video :-).  Oh & by the way, I am not knocking the version of callaloo on said video so please don’t get any funny ideas.  My wonderful mother grows buckets of the stuff in her little vegetable plot in the back yard in New York, & will send me care packages when I get my cravings (thank you, Mother; Booyacka, booyacka! Biggup!). In my kitchen, when I’m out of the real stuff, I will cook up spinach & other green leafy veggies & enjoy them with gusto. Having said that, now back to the Jamaican callaloo:

Callaloo grows like a weed, but this is one “weed” you do want to eat.  The entire plant is edible – roots, leaves, stems, seeds and all!  If you feel up to it, take a bunch of flowering cluster heads & spread out on a paper towel to dry until the tiny seeds fall off then lightly toast for a nutritious snack (don’t count on doing this when you’re hungry though – you’d have to harvest a lot of these little babies to curb any kind of appetite (they’re so small).  The plant is loaded with iron, calcium, vitamins (A, B, C & K) & numerous minerals as well as antioxidants, & is a great immune booster.  The Sanskrit name in Ayurvedic medicine is Tanduliya.  People of the Caribbean as well as the Philippines, India, Greece, and Africa, are very familiar with this plant, and have their version of “callaloo, often using the bigger Coco or dasheen leaves cooked up in a dish they call Callaloo as well.  As a matter of fact, Trinidad, Belize & Guyana all claim this as their national dish and no wonder; it is THAT good!  For a delicious ethnic dish, try cooking it up with okra, coconut milk and season to taste. Add crab, conch, lobster, or any other meat really for a complete meal.  The consistency can vary anywhere from a soup-like texture (in Jamaica we do a soup-like version we call Pepperpot Soup), or thick like a stew, or just sauté it by itself as a side vegetable, much like you would do with spinach (see picture below).  And if your living quarters are such that you can’t grow your own callaloo in your garden or in a pot on a balcony somewhere, you may just be lucky enough to find various canned versions in the ethnic section of your grocery store.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I've just developed a craving for this yumminess & I hear a meal calling my name!  I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me :-D   Until next time, happy weeding; happy healing!
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Physician
*Aesop’s Fable:  A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden, and the Amaranth said to her neighbor:  "How I envy you your beauty and your sweet scent!  No wonder you are such a universal favorite."  But the Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice, "Ah, my dear friend, I bloom but for a time: my petals soon wither and fall, and then I die.  But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut; for they are everlasting." 

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Before: Callaloo fresh from the garden
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After: Steamed callaloo - yum!
2 Comments
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    Audrey Steele L.Ac. 
    Acupuncture Physician

    Certified Healing Touch Practitioner, Mayan/Usui Reiki Master, Beyond Surgery Coaching Practitioner, NCCAOM Board Certified in Oriental Medicine (Acupuncture & Chinese Herbology); Acupuncture Physician (FL).

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