“6 Tasty Nutritious Weeds”

“With global warming, climate change, and the high cost of food we need easy to grow and nutritious food sources that need very little maintenance. Thus nutritious weeds are the answer, here are 6 great weeds that will grow like “Weeds” no pun intended… and are great tasting and full of nutrients for a healthy body.”

Purslane - Purslane is a free veggie that grows everywhere. Some people call it a weed but it’s wonderful, and it’s jam packed full of lots of Omega 3 oils, vitamins, minerals, and lots of live enzymes. And it’s fantastic in great tasting salads, soups, stews, casseroles, and it makes great juice. Purslane has a sweet, sour, and peppery flavor making great in all kinds of dishes.

Purslane contains one of the highest amounts of Vitamin A of all plant sources. In 100 grams of Purslane a person will get 44% of their daily needs of Vitamin A. It’s also cholesterol free, and almost completely fat free, plus it also contains potassium for cardiovascular health, iron and copper for anemia, phosphorus and calcium for strong bones.

Purslane also contains zinc and selenium for boosting up our immune system, plus antioxidant Vitamins A and C, and B vitamins for vitality, immunity, for preventing birth defects, and for good mood.

Dandelion - The USDA says that Dandelion Greens are one of the most nutritious veggies around… ranking 4th place among all vegetables.

Dandelion Greens contain almost 15% protein making them great for anyone who is a vegan or just wants to add more protein to their diet.

Dandelion Greens and roots are great for detoxing the liver. And our liver is our first line of defense for our immune system. And because these great greens are a good detoxing agent they help with gout, liver cirrhosis, and liver disease in general.

One Cup of Dandelion Greens contains 10% of a person’s daily needs of calcium. And they also contain a good amount of phosphorus making them great for creating strong bones and teeth.

One serving of Dandelion Greens contains over 110% of our daily needs of Vitamin A which is a powerful antioxidant helping to prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer. And Vitamin A is important to healthy mucus membranes of the GI tract, mouth, lungs, and other areas of the body and for vibrant healthy skin.

Dandelion Greens and roots contain pectin which helps to lower cholesterol, lower trigs, helps to eliminate radioactive and heavy metals from the body, and helps to detox the body in general.

Lamb’s Quarters - This weed tastes like spinach and just cooking it lightly in a little boiling water makes it great for soups, stews, casseroles, and other dishes.

Lamb’s Quarters are full of calcium for strong bones, copper and iron for anemia, potassium for water regulation and cardiovascular health, fiber for creating a good growth environment in our colon for probiotic bacteria… plus manganese for enzyme production.

Lamb’s Quarters also contains Vitamin’s A and C which is a powerful antioxidants which help to prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer. And lots of B Vitamins for good mood and vitality.

Lamb’s Quarters also contains a good source of protein - all of the essential proteins in ratios that make it a vegans choice for plant based protein.

This weed is simple to plant, just cover the seeds with a little soil and they will take off in no time at all. No need to worry about this weed, it doesn’t need any care at all.

Stinging Nettle - The plant itself is kind of evasive and you don’t want to handle it without gloves. It grows all over as a weed in temperate climates such as the US and Europe. I remember as a kid being stung by stinging nettles while fishing one day… it was like having my skin on fire.

Nettle is great for gout, it helps release uric acid from the body making it important for soothing away the pain, swelling, and inflammation associated with gout.
Fresh nettle weed can get rid of inflammation associated with arthritis, tendonitis, and can even help with the pain associated with fibromyalgia. Nettle is also great for those who suffer from joint and body pains associated with immune disorders and lupus.

Those suffering from inflammation of the urethra, bladder, and have kidney stones will find relief with Nettle Tea… it also helps to break down kidney stones. Nettle is great for soothing away gas, gastritis, nausea, and acid reflux… and it even helps with colitis and IBS. Nettle is great for getting rid of the symptoms of allergies such as dermatitis, hives, and hay fever. Research shows that Nettle is a good anti-histamine for allergies.

If you suffer from swollen painful mucus membranes then Nettle will do the trick – works wonders for oral sores, hemorrhoids, sore throats, and inflammation of the intestines. Nettle is amazing for rashes, eczema, acne, psoriasis, bites, burns, and other irritations when used topically. Nettle flushes out toxic agents from your blood, liver, lymph, and kidneys, making it important for detoxing your whole body and revitalizing your energy. Nettle works similar to dandelion in action for detoxing the body.

Nettle helps to open up your lungs and thus works well for bronchitis, asthma, coughs, colds, flues, congestion, and COPD. Studies at the University of Maryland show that Nettle helps with the inflammation and all the symptoms associated with enlarge prostate… but does not reduce the size of the prostate so check with your doctor. In a double blind study of over 600 people with prostate problems… over 80% had relief from their symptoms.

Evidence shows that Nettle may lower blood sugar for diabetics.New studies show that Nettle can also help lower elevated blood pressures.Nettle is a good way to get rid of retained water – a powerful diuretic compound thus making it important for detoxing the body. The roots of Nettle contain quercetin and other flavonoids that are powerful antioxidants that slow the aging process, prevent DNA damage, and help to prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer. Nettle was studied in comparison with NSAID none steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs… and found that nettle did just as well as all the prescription drugs without the side effects.

Used as a styptic agent Nettle used externally works well for skin bleeding, nose bleeds, bleeding hemorrhoids, and also can be taken orally for internal bleeding.
Nettle also works well for the symptoms of PMS, menopause, and for increasing milk production.
Nettle contains lots of calcium for strong bones, potassium for cardiovascular health and water regulation, magnesium for blood pressure, iron for anemia, and Vitamins A and C which are powerful antioxidants.

Nettle can be made into cloth similar to linen, all natural.

Nettle can be soaked and then cooked… it has lots of great nutrients. Plus Nettle is used in the making of Gouda Cheese, and can be used in soups, stews, polenta, and alcoholic drinks. And Nettle tastes a lot like wide mustard greens which are very light, pungent, and peppery… great for all kinds of dishes.

Plantain - A wonderful edible weed that has lot of healing abilities - see link to video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipGObbPdys0

Chickweed - Chickweed is another common weed that grows around the house that is great tasting, tastes great in salads, soups, stews, in casseroles, and has lots of nutrients. Chickweed tastes almost exactly like spinach but has a little heartier texture… making it great for all kinds of cooked dishes because it will hold up to being chopped and cooked without falling apart.

Instead of trying to pull this weed out of your garden and get rid of it, eat it, cook it, and just enjoy it and work in accordance with nature.

Chickweed makes a great salad for weight loss because it’s very low in calories. Chickweed contains only 20 calories per 100 grams thus it’s perfect for those summer weight loss salads… plus it’s totally fat and cholesterol free.

Chickweed is high in calcium and phosphorus making it great for strong bones, and it contains lots of iron for anemia. And it contains lots of potassium (Over 50 percent of our daily needs of potassium) for water regulation and cardiovascular health. Plus selenium and zinc for boosting up our immune system and keeping away colds and flues. And it also contains lots of manganese and magnesium for creating enzymatic pathways in the body. Plus some protein and Vitamins A (300 percent of our daily needs of Vitamin A) and C (600 percent of our daily needs of Vitamin C)which are high in antioxidants. And B Vitamins for preventing birth defects, creating a good mood, and boosting our vitality.

Enjoy these easy to grow weeds that are amazingly healthy!

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist