Have you heard of Moringa oil? I know I hadn’t until my guest Dr. Jim Ken, contacted me with useful information about another medicinal and edible plant. Though it’s not native to our country (native to the Himalayan Mountain region), all parts of the tree are used, including seeds, roots, bark, and leaves.
Dr. Jim Ken: Moringa’s amazing nutritional and health benefits have been understood and used for thousands of years in India and many other countries. The uses of the Moringa tree are so broad that it still amazes me, and it can be difficult to know where to start. Basically, every part of the tree can be used and is beneficial – even crushed seeds can be used to purify water. This overview guide will give you a broad understanding of the multitude of benefits that are available from this “miracle tree.”
What is Moringa?
Nutritional Profile of Moringa
What are the top benefits of Moringa?
Where to go for more information
What Is Moringa?
Where Found: Moringa (moringa oleifera) is a plant or really a tree that likes a hot climate and originates from subtropical parts of the world like India or the Philippines. In fact, it is the second-fastest-growing plant only behind bamboo – it can grow 4-5 feet per year. So from seed, you can have a developed tree within a few years. Moringa has also been grown with some success in warmer parts of the United States like California, but it cannot survive freezing temperatures. Fortunately, Moringa is available in a wide range of teas, oils, and supplements, which are great ways to add it to your daily routine without having to grow a tree!
Moringa’s Nutritional Properties
Parts Used: Moringa’s status as a superfood is well deserved. The flowers, seed pods, and leaves of the plant are all edible and can be cooked and consumed in a variety of ways. The leaves, in particular, are very beneficial and include vitamins A, B, and C, potassium, and calcium, as well as a range of other beneficial compounds.
The number of different nutrients contained in the Moringa plant is vast. Studies have also shown that even in powder or oil form, large quantities of the natural nutrients are retained. The plant’s nutritional benefits are almost as good as consuming a fresh leaf or a moringa pod. In fact, powders, in particular, have even higher contractions of beneficial nutrients on a weight basis over the natural tree, due to the concentration effect in drying. There are many supplements and forms created from Moringa’s parts, so it’s easy to include Moringa into your daily routine.
Health Benefits
Moringa has long been used in traditional medicine in many countries and especially in the Hindu system of Ayurveda (meaning knowledge of life.) Moringa has been an important part of Ayurvedic natural remedies for hundreds of conditions and some of the more notable ones being
Treatment of blood pressure
Indigestions
Treat diarrhea
Anti-inflammatory treatment
Moreover, remedies based on Moringa are also found helpful for relieving headaches and treating diabetes.
Moringa Oil For Your Skin And Other Uses
Moringa oil comes from the seeds of Moringa Tree. These seeds are extremely rich in phytonutrients and can create radiant skin as it’s easily absorbed. It is really quite popular in the skin and beauty industry with many high-end spas – now adding Moringa to their treatment programs. Plus, more mainstream manufacturers have started to include it in their products.
But the oil also has a far wider range of uses and benefits than just beauty products.
Cooking oil. Moringa oil is high in protein and oleic acid, which is monounsaturated, healthy fat. The oil also has a reasonably high smoke point, which makes it great for all types of cooking and baking.
Skin cleanser. Moringa oil, as mentioned, has oleic acid, and this also makes a great skin cleanser.
Natural Anti-inflammatory agent. Moringa oil contains many bioactive compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Also, it is great for the treatment and prevention of stretch marks on the skin.
One of the most well-known uses is as a face mask, which allows the skin time to absorb all of the goodness contained in the plant. A great simple mask recipe is to take some honey and add a little moringa oil to it – warming it very slightly. Relax in a bath while your skin soaks up all the moringa benefits.
So in conclusion, there is a wide range of uses for Moringa oil and the many nutrients it contains which support the repair and renewal of human cells, making it an ideal ingredient not just for your overall health, but also for your appearance.
If you want more information on Moringa Powder, Oils, or just want to understand Moringa in more detail, visit www.dailydetoxhacks.com– where they have more than 20 in-depth articles covering a wide range of moringa benefits.
Thank you, Dr.Jim Ken, for sharing useful herbal information. I always enjoy learning about another plant that offers many benefits. I wonder if they can grow Moringa in the south here on the east coast? If anyone has any information about growing this tree here on the east coast, we would enjoy hearing from you. And, all comments are appreciated.
Beatriz Garcia is my guest blog post writer this week. She reached out to me recently about sustainable cookware and I found her information useful. We often look at packaging as sustainable or not but what about our kitchen cookware? Summer is also a time for weddings and purchases for college dorms. I happen to be a fan of cast iron. Yes, they are heavy but I find them easy to clean and I like the even heating. What type of cookware is your favorite and why? Beatriz and I would love to hear from you.
Beatriz Garcia found out about the sustainable side of cookware when researching healthy cookware for her site Clan Kitchen. You can find her writing there in the rare moments she isn’t busy looking after her family. Beatriz is keen to cook healthily and sustainably, but also has to balance this with quickly cooking foods her kids want to eat!
Coatings
Whatever material you choose, you need to beware of the coating. If, for example, you want to avoid Teflon, then you should look for “PTFE free”. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is the active ingredient in Teflon. Unfortunately, many pans are advertised as PFOA free. This is not helpful – PFOA was banned years ago. Other chemicals are now used to manufacture PTFE! Unfortunately, when reviewing different pans, I’ve found many ceramic or stone pans actually have a coating that includes PTFE. People buying those bands could be misled by this. I certainly wouldn’t expect a ceramic or stone pan to include Teflon. Dr. Mercola, the number one holistic wellness expert, and site in the world, says this about Teflon coatings:
“In fact, the convenience of a nonstick or stain-resistant surface comes at a steep price, as such chemicals persist in the environment, are contaminating water supplies and have been linked to developmental problems, cancer, liver damage, immune effects, thyroid problems and more.”
My advice here is that if you are buying a pan that advertises itself as non-stick; check if it is PTFE free. If it doesn’t state PTFE free, then it probably does have Teflon. This is especially the case with ceramic, stone, aluminum pans, or any pan with a special coating.Here’s the problem with coatings in general: They wear away over time. And when they wear away, the pan loses any non-stick properties it had. The underlying layer/body of the pan is also exposed. This is often not healthy. For example, Aluminum exposure may cause Alzheimer’s.Once the coating of any pan starts to chip, I’d recommend throwing it away. And here we are back to the durability issue!One coating that you can repair is the seasoning on cast iron or carbon steel pans.
Efficiency
It’s not just the energy used in creating the pan that counts, but also the energy used every time you cook with it!The miles per gallon metric for cars is unachievable and unrealistic. But at least it allows you to compare different cars. Yet cookware doesn’t come with anything like that. How can we compare?The overall conductivity of each material to get an idea of which cookware is best. This isn’t perfect, but it’s something.
Examining this factor suggests copper and aluminum top the charts, followed by cast iron. Stainless steel is the worst of the typical cookware metals.You don’t normally expose food directly to copper or aluminum for safety reasons. One option is a copper or aluminum core to help conduct and spread the heat. Some pans even have a copper bottom.I can’t imagine a layered pan would make the job of recycling any easier though!
This might also depend on how you cook though. Cast iron is in the middle of the conductivity range and takes ages to heat up. But there is a way around this! Heat the cast iron pan before putting the food on it, then turn it off the stove when the food is almost ready. The pan keeps its heat a while and carries on cooking. With a little bit of practice, you can get the timing right on this.
What Next?
So, you’re sold on sustainable cookware but you’re not sure what to do next! Perhaps you don’t have money to just go and buy another cookware set. Keep using the pans you have for now, and watch out for my next article, where I will give you 10 tips on how to buy and afford, sustainable cookware.
Thanks, Beatriz, for sharing the above information on how to look at our cookware sustainably. Next week Beatriz offers 10 tips for buying sustainable cookware.
Ellen Bennett, featured in this TED Talk gives us hope. There are many stories and articles about our climate, for the most part, highlight existing problems. We get tired of that approach in our news, right? I know I do. Ellen offers a different approach, one that proves to be more sustainable.
She mentions Anthropocene. I wondered what that meant as my podcast guest this week, Alaya Young, founder of the 1 million redwood research and planting project mentions that too in her work. So I looked it up and found this site and hope-filled talk about changing where we place our attention: Are we going to focus just on the doom and gloom or the stories filled with imagination, practicality, action, and innovation that are working today? We need both for balance but she offers 5oo seeds she found around the world; projects initiated that are sowing the seeds of sustainability and regeneration, changing community life for all.
But let’s step back a moment. Anthropocene relates to or denotes the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. Anthropos means human with the root, cene ( the standard suffix for epoch in geological time). The current epoch we are in is known as the Holocene Epoch of Quaternary Period which began approximately 10,000 years ago. I don’t know about you, but for me, the important point to remember is: overall, how are we affecting our environment from all levels of progress during our current epoch, and what will the future consequences be?
I love how Ellen Bennett’s pathways to sustainability include positive stories. Humble listening is a key point that enables us to connect the dots in innovative ways for regeneration; one seed becomes one project at a time just like Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt project in Kenya. I hope my podcast series contributes too. It’s been my deepest desire to highlight positive ways that folks are impacting today. And, what we can do on a daily basis in the midst of our lives to make a difference today.
Enjoy this TED TAlk. I hope you come away inspired to know that at the grassroots levels folks are finding ways to innovate and create a healthy, regenerative world for all. Pretty cool! Your comments are always appreciated. Thanks. Judith
Description: Ayana Young is deeply concerned about environmental issues, including social justice, ecology, and land-based restoration. She has been the force behind a native species nursery and research center, including the establishment of the 1 Million Redwoods Project, and the film when When Old Growth Ends. Ayana is a podcast host on “For the Wild,” a weekly show featuring thought-leaders at the forefront of an environmental, artistic, scientific, political, and cultural shift. Join us for discussions about her projects and how nature is teaching her and her team to have patience, slow down, and immerse within the community of plants.
About My Guest: Ayana Young is a podcast and radio personality specializing in intersectional environmental and social justice, deep ecology, and land-based restoration. With an academic background at the intersections of ecology, culture, and spirituality, Young was studying at Columbia when the Occupy Wall Street movement began and amid the burgeoning resistance in Zuccotti Park, she co-created the Environmental Working Group. Since then Ayana has been the force behind a native species nursery and research center, including the establishment of the 1 Million Redwoods Project, which was acclaimed as the most-backed farm project in Kickstarter history, the film When Old Growth Ends, an ode to the complex interweaving of the irreplaceable Tongass National Forest during its last stand as a distinctly wild place in Southeast Alaska and the For The Wild podcast a weekly show featuring thought-leaders at the forefront of an environmental, artistic, scientific, political and cultural shift.
Sustainable, edible landscaping is a hot topic today from at least four perspectives:
Are we providing food in a way that builds soil for future generations?
What will that food availability look like?
What are the consequences of pesticide contamination in our food supply,
Finally, what are the consequences of over-developed land-use practices?
We are rethinking land use. While turning a lawn into meadow is a favorite topic of mine there are a plethora of ideas flooding our internet channels on how to do just that: create sustainable landscapes that serve vital purposes for the planet and ourselves and other species.
Sustain, in its simplest form, means “to give support to or relief to.” Sustainability, in landscaping, contains in its core, principles, efforts, and practices that enhance water and soil conservation, rebuilding wildlife habitat and prevention of further land degradation and provide food.
Fact: World forest cover continues to decline at an alarming rate.
Fact: Communities in the western part of the US face severe water restrictions due to intense development. Overdevelopment and the use of showy botanicals, often not native to the region, decrease food, water, and shelter for many species and I include humans in that mix.
The desertification of the planet (over 1/3 of our planet has been turned into the desert) creates food shortage problems.
The good news is “more than two billion hectares of land worldwide offer opportunities for restoration through forest and landscape restoration.” Calamity, hardship, trials often create the soil for innovation and that is happening today in the use of land. For example: while city rooftops have been known to contain gardens, designers, architects, and engineers are looking at ways to convert flat building box store rooftops into gardens that produce the food they can sell. Front lawns are being turned into diverse landscapes that can produce food.
We are only limited by our imaginations. It seems to me there is a renaissance occurring planet-wide. Renaissance implies a renewal of life, vigor, interest, a rebirth, a revival. My podcast guest this week, Bettylou Sandy reminds us that our front lawns can be transformed into pleasant gardens with food. Start with one idea and section at a time. Get to know your land through the seasons and weather conditions specific to your area. This knowledge base will lead to your success.
Pinterest abounds in ideas, great visuals that take us to great articles.
What are your ideas? Have you changed your backyard into a more diverse landscape? Share your ideas, share your pictures. I would love to hear from you. Happy Gardening.
Description: What grows in your yard, naturally? Where does the sunshine, and where does the wind blow in? My podcast guest this week, Bettylou Sandy, reminds us to get to know our land spaces in as much detail as we can. Plants that are naturally present tell us about the condition of the soil. What food sources can you place in the landscape? She says: “Observation is the key for the best results.” Bettylou gives us many practical tips for adding edibles to our landscape. Have fun, explore, and experiment. Spring is here. We’re raking, cleaning garden beds and planting cold crops before things heat up. Tune in for many practical how to’s and tips.
About My Guest: Bettylou Sandy is an organic garden educator and consultant. She oversees the Spruce Street Community Garden and plays a major role at the Cheney House in Manchester Ct. And she has private clients.
for hundreds of conditions and some of the more notable ones being
Judith Dreyer, MS, BSN, Writer, Speaker, and Workshop Presenter, Master Gardener.
compare different cars. Yet cookware doesn’t come with anything like that. How can we compare?
important point to remember is: overall, how are we affecting our environment from all levels of progress during our current epoch, and what will the future consequences be?
movement began and amid the burgeoning resistance in Zuccotti Park, she co-created the Environmental Working Group. Since then Ayana has been the force behind a native species nursery and research center, including the establishment of the 
Sustainability, in landscaping, contains in its core, principles, efforts, and practices that enhance water and soil conservation, rebuilding wildlife habitat and prevention of further land degradation and provide food.
Cheney House in Manchester Ct. And she has private clients.
