Grow the healthiest organic plants in the best soil for maximum nutritional value
My blog post the other day on Reasons to Escape the Matrix briefly mentioned some of the benefits of building your own sustainable home in the country. For me, healthy living and the opportunity to grow your own fresh, healthy, better tasting organic food is near the top of the list in terms of importance. And by living in the country, whatever you don’t grow yourself is likely available from farmers who live nearby. What you’re after is nutrient density — whole foods with minimal processing.
In contrast to organic food you grow yourself, big agra food, the kind you find in most grocery stores, is far less nutritious — plants grown on depleted soil with toxic pesticides, herbicides, artificial fertilizers, GMOs, artificial colors and additives that’s been shipped thousands of miles, you can eat the freshest and healthiest foods at the lowest cost. Taking good care of the soil will produce food of superior quality. Add plenty of compost, manure, mineral supplements such as rock dust and seaweed, green manure crops, mulch and earthworks….
Healthiest foods:
Moringa
“Moringa Oleifera (Moringa) is called the Tree of Life because it is one a nature’s most nutritious foods. The powder in the Moringa leaf is containing over 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants along with all of the essential amino acids.” Moringa.com
Sprouts, wheatgrass
Cruciferous family and other dark green vegetables: cabbage, broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, swiss chard, spinach, turnip greens
Berries and apples: goji berries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
Beans, lentils, peas
Wild plants: dandelions, chickweed, clover, plantain, purslane, wood sorrel, lamb’s quarters, rose hips
Herbs and spices: Garlic, onions, cayenne chili, cinnamon, ginger, white tea, green tea, basil, peppermint, parsley
Oily foods: avocados, olives, nuts (peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower and sesame seeds)
Grains: brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth
Other super foods: aloe vera, beets, guava, dried plums, artichokes, tomatoes, chia, flax seed, honey, coconut, pumpkin, pomegranate juice, asparagus, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, lemons, limes, papaya
Image source: FYI
Image source: Trees for Life.org
Wiki: Moringa
Organic Healthy Eating.com
Squidoo
Healthiest Foods on Earth
The World’s Healthiest Foods
I tried to verify those numbers and they seem wrong. 3 times the potassium in banana? I dont think so. Can you show the numbers?
According to https://www.moringapowder.com/nutrition/moringa-oleiferas-potassium-benefits/ it is true.
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We have Moringa here. It grows in the south (Ethiopia). Not sure whether it will grow here in the highlands. Will go to the Ministry of Agric’s site that has seeds to give out.
A grain we have here that is said to be very good for you is teff. It is the staple for many people — made into a fermented pancake-like food called enjera. High in nutrition, and its gluten is safe for people w celiac conditions.
Here’s some info fr Ethnomed (the 1st: http://ethnomed.org/clinical/nutrition/more-about-ethiopian-food-teff/) and Wiki (the rest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eragrostis_tef).
Personally interesting to me is the fact that I enjoyed enjera for years till I had a meningioma removed (fr left side of brain) and was on some psychotropic medication. Then I hated it and all sour-tastes (a dominant taste in Ethiopian food). Now, 3.5 years after the surgery and 3 after quitting the medication I enjoy it again.
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Teff is well known by Ethiopians and Eritreans for its superior nutritional quality. It contains 11% protein, 80% complex carbohydrate and 3% fat. It is an excellent source of essential amino acids, especially lysine, the amino acid that is most often deficient in grain foods. Teff contains more lysine than barley, millet, and wheat and slightly less than rice or oats. Teff is also an excellent source of fiber and iron, and has many times the amount of calcium, potassium and other essential minerals found in an equal amount of other grains. When teff is used to make engera, a short fermentation process allows the yeast to generate more vitamins. (*note that the online reference used as source for the information in this preceding paragraph is no longer found).
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In 1996, the US National Research Council characterized Teff as having the “potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.”[2]
Teff has been widely cultivated and used in the countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Teff accounts for about a quarter of total cereal production in Ethiopia.[6] The grain can be used by celiacs (the gluten in teff does not contain the a-gliadin-fraction that causes a reaction in those with celiac disease) and has a high concentration of different nutrients, a very high calcium content, and significant levels of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, aluminum, iron, copper, zinc, boron, barium, and thiamin.[7] Teff is high in protein. It is considered to have an excellent amino acid composition, including all 8 essential amino acids for humans, and is higher in lysine than wheat or barley.[citation needed] Teff is high in carbohydrates and fiber. In one 2003-2004 study in Ethiopia, farmers indicated a preference among consumers for white teff over darker colored varieties.[8]
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Eragrostis tef has an attractive nutrition profile, being high in dietary fiber and iron and providing protein and calcium.[2] Some consider it to have a sour taste. This might be because it is often eaten fermented. It is similar to millet and quinoa in cooking, but the seed is much smaller and cooks faster, thus using less fuel.
Distribution
Eragrostis tef is adapted to environments ranging from drought stress to waterlogged soil conditions. Maximum teff production occurs at altitudes of 1,800 to 2,100 m, growing season rainfall of 450 to 550 mm, and a temperature range of 10 to 27 °C. Teff is day length sensitive and flowers best with 12 hours of daylight.
Teff is an important food grain in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it is used to make injera, and less so in India and Australia. It is now raised in the U.S., in Idaho in particular, with experimental plots in Kansas, American customers including people from traditional teff consuming countries and also people desiring to eat teff to avoid glutens that irritate celiac disease.[3] Because of its small seeds (less than 1 mm diameter), a handful is enough to sow a large area. This property makes teff particularly suited to a seminomadic lifestyle.
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Very interesting. I’ll add teff to my list of superfoods. Thanks for sharing.
Update: 10 Uncommon “Superfoods”
Natto, Cordyceps (Sinensis) Extracts, Tumeric, Apricot Seeds & Sprouted Mung Beans, Green Coffee Beans, Elk Antler Velvet, Suma Root & the 4 Ginseng Blend, Camu Camu, Moringa (Olefiera), Pu-erh Tea
Rich Roll, author of Finding Ultra
What’s the story on caffeine and green coffee beans? I find conflicting info online.
Do you think the beans can be eaten right off the tree? (I’ve got one in my yard.)
Wow! I would really love to have this plant at my backyard (my wife is growing this lush garden at our backyard) but then I don’t know how to find this in Nigeria where we live. And yes I am all for natural foods, we are hoping to grow lots of plant and fruits at our semi-farm.
Thanks for this info
Talk to plant experts at a local university.
Collecting info on the healthiest foods in the world has been a hobby of mine for the last few years. My thinking is we all have to eat, so we might as well eat what is most nutritious. This helps offset the problem of depleted soil and food not being as nutritious as it used to be. The end result is hopefully better health at no extra cost or effort simply by choosing healthier food. And it may make buying vitamin supplements unnecessary.
Hi Owen,
Another plant that is very rich is the Ora Pro Nobis or Barbados Gooseberry and it taste very good!
Is this it? Pereskia aculeata http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_gooseberry.html
“Studies of the leaves in Brazil show a protein content of 17.4-25.5% and a mean digestibility of 85.0%. Protein, lysine, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium levels are higher than in cabbage, lettuce and spinach.”
Cabbage is one of my favorites, and so that really caught my eye.
Yes, this is the one!
Here are the bottom you can see colored photos of the leaves, flowers and fruits that are all edible!
http://www.granjaparaiso.com.br/index.php?l=Plantas_Supervitaminadas&op=Groselha_de_Barbados
I haven’t seen this plant. Thanks for posting.
I have several moringa seeds planted right now and I’m so excited about it! You know you can cook the mature seeds in a pan and then crush them and boil them, and an oil rises to the top that supposedly tastes terrific – reminiscent of olive oil! We are really good about eating locally but olive oil is an imported product that I haven’t been able to give up. I’m hoping one day soon to be able to replace it with moringa oil! That plant is just incredible.
I knew all parts of the plant are edible, but I didn’t know about boiling the seeds. Moringa oil is good enough for use in fine instruments such as watches. We need to cut off the tops of our plants for starting new ones. (Another nice bonus of moringa — easy cuttings.)
I’d like to learn of other similar plants that most people don’t’ know about. For variety I’m also thinking about growing a few extra plants that aren’t native.
Ooo Owen try the oil thing and let me know how it is! ;) (I know you have nothing but extra time for such experiments – ha.) But just in case, this is the info I have: “Seeds from mature pods (which can be 40-50 cm long) can be browned in a skillet, mashed and placed in boiling water, which causes an excellent cooking or lubricating oil to float to the surface. The pleasantly flavoured edible oil, resembling olive oil, is an excellent salad oil.” The source for that is here: http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/products/afdbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=1169. Lots of good info on the species there for anyone interested.
There is a monopoly of 6 companies that are basically deciding how the world will eat and, because of their toxic, all-for-profit methods, how the world will end in famine and drought (starting in poor developing countries of course). I personally thing the production of GMOs is a crime against humanity and should be prosecuted as such. And the fact that people blindly participate in the BigAg system without a second thought just blows my mind. Buying and planting organic and heritage seeds, planting them and saving your own seeds is an incredibly simple yet powerful form of resistance in the face of these BigAg atrocities, and even a person with nothing but a window box can take a stand. Thanks for including this crucial information here.
We don’t have any moringa seeds yet, at least I haven’t seen any. The trees are about 3 years old and not real big. We keep cutting them back so it’s easier to pick the leaves. Very similar to coppicing. That may hinder their seed production. I’ll keep an eye out for seeds elsewhere.
I agree 100% on pushing back against big agra. I’ve been reading a lot lately about their attack against small family farms and it’s got me really riled up. I was born and partly raised on a farm, and come from a long line of farmers. This crap has got to stop. They’re arresting the Amish, lots of other farmers and arresting members of food coops just for selling or buying healthy food. The writer/director of the movie Farmland (new video) said she’s hearing of small family farms being shut down every day because of corrupt “laws” (actually unjust regulations) created by FDA and Dept. of Ag cronies who move back and forth between big agra jobs and gov jobs. They’re gearing up for a major fight against family farms by the looks of it. They even tried to say kids couldn’t help with chores on a farm, but had to back off due to too much protest.
Here’s just one example of the crazy situation we’re faced with: These 10 Companies Control Enormous Number of Consumer Brands http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/consumer-brands-owned-ten-companies-graphic_n_1458812.html
(mental note: don’t buy this stuff because these are the companies that are screwing up our food supply and the environment)
So yeah, saving seeds, growing your own food and supporting local farmers are all important.