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Keto Vs. Paleo – Here’s What Science Says About Which Low Carb Diet Is Best

(Natural Blaze by Anna Hunt) There will always be some type of low carb diet that gets the wellness community excited. Remember when Atkins and South Beach diets were the talk of the town? Pretty much most of these fad diets focus on decreasing intake sugar and carbohydrates. Today, two most popular low carb diets are the ketogenic diet and the paleo, or caveman, diet.

I’ve written quite a bit lately about the ketogenic diet because I’ve been inspired by this free keto diet cookbook. When I compared it to the paleo diet, I found that they are actually quite similar. So, does it matter which one you choose? Here are some comments from the scientific community that may help you decide which one (if either) is best for you.

Recommended: Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Ketogenic Diet

A study published in Experimental & Clinical Cardiology examined the effects of a 24-week ketogenic diet. Researchers conducted the study on obese participants. The diet consisted of 30 g carbohydrate, 1 g/kg body weight protein, 20% saturated fat, and 80% polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Here are the results:

The weight and body mass index of the patients decreased significantly (P<0.0001). The level of total cholesterol decreased from week 1 to week 24. HDL cholesterol levels significantly increased, whereas LDL cholesterol levels significantly decreased after treatment. The level of triglycerides decreased significantly following 24 weeks of treatment. The level of blood glucose significantly decreased.

Marcelo Campos, MD at Harvard Medical School, claims:

We have solid evidence showing that a ketogenic diet reduces seizures in children, sometimes as effectively as medication. Because of these neuroprotective effects, questions have been raised about the possible benefits for other brain disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, sleep disorders, autism, and even brain cancer.

He does add that the keto diet can be heavy on red meat and fatty, high-sodium, processed foods. Going keto doesn’t mean you can gorge on sausage and bacon! Be aware of where you’re getting your protein, and try to eat red meat in moderation. Also, get your healthy fats from live foods such as oils, nuts, seeds, fish, and avocados.

Recommended: Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

Animal studies offer additional insights. One study evaluated the effects of a ketogenic diet on mice. The researchers published their finding in the journal Cell Metabolism. Here’s their conclusion:

A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet extends longevity in adult male mice.

Motor function, memory, and muscle mass are preserved in aged ketogenic mice.

Furthermore, Scientific American reports:

Emerging evidence from animal models and clinical trials suggest keto may be therapeutically used in many other neurological disorders, including head ache, neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders, bipolar disorder, autism and brain cancer. With no apparent side effects.

Paleolithic Diet

A study in Nutrition Research examined if the paleo diet had a favorable effect on adults with high blood cholesterol levels. They compared it with the effects of the grain-based heart-healthy diet that the American Heart Association recommends.

Twenty volunteers who were not taking any cholesterol-lowering medications, participated. They adhered to a traditional heart-healthy diet for 4 months, followed by a Paleolithic diet for 4 months. The researchers concluded:

Paleolithic nutrition offers promising potential for nutritional management of hyperlipidemia in adults whose lipid profiles have not improved after following more traditional heart-healthy dietary recommendations.

Recommended: How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes

Another study took to understanding if the paleo diet has any effect on the risk of colon cancer. Researchers compared paleo to DASH (Mediterranean) diet, which many scientists believe can mitigate the risk of colon cancer. The researchers published their study in American Journal of Epidemiology. Here’s their conclusion:

These findings suggest that greater adherence to the Paleolithic diet pattern and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern may be similarly associated with lower risk of incident, sporadic colorectal adenomas.

Finally, the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology published a review of several studies researching the effects of the paleo diet on Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Here are some of the research findings:

The effect of a Paleolithic diet on a variety of metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease in an uncontrolled trial was reported in August 2009 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Compared with the usual diet, nine sedentary subjects receiving the intervention diet experienced (a) significant reductions in blood pressure, (b) improved arterial distensibility, (c) significant reduction in plasma insulin versus time in the area under the curve during oral glucose tolerance testing, and (d) significant reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, and triglycerides.

In terms of Type 2 diabetes, here is what one study revealed:

The Paleolithic diet compared to the diabetes diet resulted in a higher percentage of protein intake as a percentage of total daily calories. Therefore, the greater protein intake during a Paleolithic diet might confer an additional benefit (beyond weight reduction) in its favorable effects on risk reduction for metabolic disease.

Keto vs Paleo – What You Can & Can’t Eat

Below is a table that highlights the different foods you can and can’t eat when following the paleo and ketogenic dietary protocols.

Any Low Carb Diet Beats Typical Western Diet

I’ve been writing quite a bit lately about the ketogenic diet because I personally used it as a detox method for the new year. The goal is to help people realize that we do not need 50% to 80% of our diet to be made up of carbs.

Related: The Way We Used To Eat – The Real Paleo Diet

Many readers have taken offense to the idea that I would suggest people eat “so much meat.” Some have claimed that meat causes cancer. Then, there are the issues that factory farms are inhumane and a resource drain on the planet.

These are important issues. Yes, processed foods and overcooked red meat have been shown to be carcinogenic. I have written about this topic here.

The quality of the foods that you buy is very important. I would highly recommend growing as much as you can in your garden, including raising chickens. If you don’t have a back yard, then support local farms. Many of such farms raise their animals humanely and organically. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, these diets are clearly not for you.

In addition, people love to assert their beliefs that fats are only going to make you gain weight. Although there are now many studies showing the benefits of eating healthy fats, it’s a proven fact that people don’t easily let go of their old beliefs.

I know from personal experience that one can eat high-fat whole foods and still lose weight. This may not work for everyone, but it does work for some especially if you have an active lifestyle.

The real culprits in obesity are sugar and processed foods. With processed foods, people end up consuming many poor-quality fats. If you eat lots of greasy fries as part of your keto diet, then no, you probably won’t be any lighter or healthier.

If a person stopped eating high-fat processed foods, like cookies, chips and fried fast foods, the changes in their health and body would be quite noticeable. Eliminate sugary drinks and alcohol to boot, and you have yourself a very healthy diet. Even if you eat spaghetti once in a while.

What I’m getting at is that it doesn’t really matter what low carb diet, or no carb or some carb diet you choose. If you replace processed, fast and dead foods with nutrient-dense, live, real foods, your health will benefit.

Picking What Works for You

My goal here is not to talk you into going on any type of diet. Yet, many people find themselves unhealthy and overweight. Therefore, it is important to understand that there are many dietary options that have worked for others in terms of helping them improve their overall health and lose weight.

If you’re considering any dietary change, it is vital that you listen to your body. You are the primary person that will know if something is working or not. If you are taking medication or currently have an illness, you may want to discuss your dietary plan with your current medical provider.

Paleo, keto and even Whole 30 diets are a great way to reset the body. They all adhere to the idea that we need to stop eating so much sugar, processed foods, fried foods and grains (i.e. wheat products). Even if you eliminate these foods for a period of 4 to 8 weeks, your digestive system gets an opportunity to heal and reboot.

Finally, I want to congratulate anyone who has made the changes in their life and eats a keto or a paleo diet. It is a difficult process to let go of poor eating habits, and the Western culture does not make it easy. Please share with us your experiences, and any health benefits that you’ve observed.

Read more articles by Anna Hunt.

Anna Hunt is writer, yoga instructor, mother of three, and lover of healthy food. She’s the founder of Awareness Junkie, an online community paving the way for better health and personal transformation. She’s also the co-editor at Waking Times, where she writes about optimal health and wellness. Anna spent 6 years in Costa Rica as a teacher of Hatha and therapeutic yoga. She now teaches at Asheville Yoga Center and is pursuing her Yoga Therapy certification. During her free time, you’ll find her on the mat or in the kitchen, creating new kid-friendly superfood recipes.

This article (Keto vs Paleo – Here’s What Science Says About which Low Carb Diet is Best) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Anna Hunt and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Waking Times or its staff.

Plant-Based Diet Could Help Cut Risk of Heart Disease by 42%, Say Scientists

(Independent) Going vegan or vegetarian could help you live longer, according to a new study.

Scientists say a plant-based diet may help to reduce the risk of deadly heart failure. According to a study of five different kinds of diet, people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables are 42 percent less likely to develop the condition than those who consumed fewer plant-based foods.

Another team of researchers found that increasing coffee consumption by one cup per week reduced the risk of heart failure by seven percent and stroke by eight percent

Heart failure is a potentially fatal condition that occurs when the heart is too weak to pump blood efficiently around the body.

New Finding: Broccoli Helps Heal Leaky Gut

(Dr. Mercola) Broccoli, a close relative of Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, is perhaps most well-known for its chemoprotective properties. It’s an excellent source of phytonutrient glucosinolates, flavonoids and other health-boosting antioxidant and anticancer compounds. One of the compounds in broccoli known to have anticancer activity is sulforaphane, a naturally occurring organic sulfur.

Studies have shown sulforaphane supports normal cell function and division while causing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in colon,¹prostate,² breast³ and tobacco-induced lung cancer⁴ cells, and reducing the number of cancerous liver tumors in mice.⁵ Three servings of broccoli per week may reduce your risk of prostate cancer by more than 60 percent.⁶

Broccoli Helps Heal a Leaky Gut

What they discovered is that when you eat broccoli, a compound called indolocarbazole (ICZ) is produced, which catalyzes a healthy balance not only in your gut but also in your immune system, as the two are intricately connected. In this study, 15 percent of the animals’ diet was swapped out for raw broccoli, equating to a human eating 3.5 cups of broccoli per day.

Admittedly, that’s quite a bit of broccoli, but the researchers note you can obtain an equivalent amount of ICZ from a single cup of Brussels sprouts, as they contain three times the ICZ of broccoli. Earlier studies had confirmed that one of the health benefits of broccoli is its ability to quench inflammation, so it makes sense it would be helpful for gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation as well.

Leaky gut is a condition that occurs due to the development of gaps between the cells (enterocytes) that make up the membrane lining your intestinal wall. These tiny gaps allow substances such as undigested food, bacteria and metabolic wastes that should be confined to your digestive tract to escape into your bloodstream.

Once the integrity of your intestinal lining is compromised, allowing toxic substances to enter your bloodstream, your body experiences a significant increase in inflammation. Your immune system may also become confused and begin to attack your own body as if it were an enemy — a hallmark of autoimmunity disorders.

Chronic inflammation in your body can also contribute and/or lead to other health conditions such as arthritis and heart disease. While leaky gut syndrome is primarily associated with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis and celiac disease, even healthy people can have varying degrees of intestinal permeability leading to a wide variety of health symptoms, and this can be significantly influenced by your diet.

Removing lectins from your diet will also go a long way to healing a leaky gut. You can learn more about the details of this in the previous interview I did with Dr. Steven Gundry, who wrote the book “The Plant Paradox.”

How Broccoli Improves Gut Function

A key component of a healthy gut is having good barrier function to prevent particles from escaping from your intestinal tract into your bloodstream. Receptors located on the lining of your gut wall called aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AHRs) play a vital role in maintaining a well-functioning barrier. One of their primary jobs is to trigger a reaction when toxins are detected.

As mentioned, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolate compounds, which are broken down into ICZ and other byproducts during digestion in your stomach. By binding to and activating AHR, ICZ helps boost your immune function and improve the balance of the microbiome in your gut.

The compound sulforaphane also inhibits inflammation by reducing damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) by as much as 73 percent.¹² Sulforaphane is also an immune stimulant,¹³ so broccoli beneficially influences your immune function in more ways than one.

Interestingly, excessive activation of AHR will have an opposite, detrimental effect. According to the researchers in the featured study, dioxin activates this receptor, but in this case the resulting hyperactivation triggers toxicity. Lead author Gary Perdew, professor of agricultural sciences, said,¹⁴ “What we were interested in is: Could you locally activate the receptor naturally at a level that would cause only modest AHR activation in the gut, but not cause systemic activation, which could possibly lead to negative effects?”

The answer, as you may have guessed, is yes, you can — with cruciferous vegetables. Importantly, broccoli and other sulfur-rich cruciferous vegetables also improve detoxification, which is another important factor that influences your health, including your gut health. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, have been shown to help detox environmental pollutants such as benzene.^15,^16,¹⁷ As noted by The World’s Healthiest Foods:¹⁸

“… [S]ulforaphane increases the activity of the liver’s phase 2 detoxification enzymes. These enzymes … are well-known for their ability to clear a wide variety of toxic compounds from the body including not only many carcinogens, but also many reactive oxygen species, a particularly nasty type of free radical.

By jump-starting these important detoxification enzymes, compounds in crucifers provide protection against cell mutations … and numerous other harmful effects that would otherwise be caused by these toxins.”

The Importance of Fiber for Healthy Gut Function

Broccoli and other members of this family are also good sources of fiber — another important ingredient for good gut health. Fiber helps nourish your gut microbiome to strengthen your immune function and reduce your risk of inflammatory diseases.¹⁹ Fiber also activates a gene called T-bet, which is essential for producing immune cells in the lining of your digestive tract.²⁰

These immune cells, called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), help maintain balance between immunity and inflammation in your body and produce interleukin-22, a hormone that helps protect your body from pathogenic bacteria. ILCs even help resolve cancerous lesions and prevent the development of bowel cancers and other inflammatory diseases.

Broccoli Has Many Valuable Health Benefits

As you can see, the benefits of broccoli are significant, making it well worth adding a few spears and/or broccoli sprouts to your meals on a regular basis. Doing so has been shown to:²¹

Boost mitochondrial health and energy metabolism via nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), an enzyme in broccoli that your body needs to produce nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD may slow age-related decline in health by restoring your metabolism to more youthful levels^22,^23,²⁴ Once in your system, NMN is quickly converted into NAD	Aid with weight loss. Sulforaphane has been shown to slow weight gain, especially the accumulation of dangerous visceral fat, by speeding up tissue browning, a heat-generating type of fat that burns energy rather than storing it, and decreasing gut bacteria associated with obesity^25,^26,²⁷
Boost overall immune function, thanks to compounds such as diindolylmethane (DIM). DIM has also been shown to be a valuable player in the prevention and treatment of cancer^28,²⁹	Lower your risk for atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, thanks to phenolic compounds that reduce free radicals
Improve digestion and gut health, courtesy of significant amounts of fiber and AHR-activating ICZ	Support eye health, thanks to high levels of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin
Benefit your skin, as sulforaphane helps repair skin damage	Fight allergies, thanks to the flavonoid kaempferol
Provide important vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, potassium, calcium, protein and vitamin C	Help reduce blood sugar levels, as it contains both soluble fiber and chromium
Support heart health and help prevent thickening of your arteries	Reduce your risk of developing NAFLD by lowering triglyceride levels in your liver^30,³¹
Reduce inflammation, which is at the root of many chronic diseases, including asthma, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease^32,^33,³⁴	Improve Type 2 diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels and improving gene expression in your liver^35,³⁶

How to Get the Most Out of Your Broccoli

Contrary to what you might think, the medicinal qualities of mature broccoli are actually optimized through cooking. Precision is key, however, as there’s a fine line between optimizing its nutrient content and destroying it through overcooking. Here are some tips and guidelines to help you get the most out of your broccoli:

•Adhere to ideal cooking times: Research³⁷ shows steaming mature broccoli spears for three to four minutes will increase the available sulforaphane content by eliminating epithiospecifier protein — a heat-sensitive sulfur-grabbing protein that inactivates sulforaphane — while still retaining the enzyme myrosinase, which converts glucoraphanin to sulforaphane. The latter is important, because without myrosinase, you cannot get absorb the sulforaphane.

Make sure you do not exceed the five-minute mark, as you start losing valuable compounds beyond that point. If you opt for boiling, blanch it in boiling water for no more than 20 to 30 seconds, then immerse it in cold water to stop the cooking process.

•Eat cruciferous veggies with mustard seed powder or other myrosinase-rich food: Eating your cruciferous veggies with a myrosinase-containing food³⁸ such as mustard seed powder, which contains a particularly resilient form of myrosinase,³⁹ will further maximize sulforaphane content. Aside from mustard seed, other alternatives include daikon radishes, wasabi, arugula or coleslaw. Adding a myrosinase-rich food is particularly important if you eat the broccoli raw, or use frozen broccoli.

•Opt for fresh: Ideally, use raw, freshly harvested broccoli whenever possible as frozen broccoli has diminished ability to produce sulforaphane. This is because myrosinase⁴⁰ is quickly destroyed during the blanching process.⁴¹ Broccoli can also lose 80 percent of its glucoraphanin — the precursor of sulforaphane — in the first 10 days after harvest.

•For recipes calling for longer cooking times, chop and wait before cooking: When a cruciferous vegetable is chopped, myrosinase is activated. So, by chopping the food and waiting about 40 minutes, the sulforaphane will have formed, allowing you to cook the food in excess of the recommended three to four minutes of steaming, or 30-second blanching, without risking sulforaphane loss.⁴²

The reason for this is because both the precursor to sulforaphane and the sulforaphane itself are largely resistant to heat. It’s the myrosinase that gets destroyed during cooking, which then prevents the formation of sulforaphane. By allowing the sulforaphane to form before you cook it, you circumvent this chain of events. As an example, if making broccoli soup, blend the raw broccoli first; wait 40 minutes for the sulforaphane to form, then boil it.

How to Grow Dandelion Greens

(Dr. Mercola) Dandelion greens are nutritious, delicious and versatile. They can be added to salads, soups and stews or sautéed and served as a side dish. What you may have only thought of as a pesky weed in your yard is actually a flowering herb with significant health benefits.

The dandelion plant belongs to the largest plant family — the Asteraceae or sunflower family — which includes more than 22,000 species, such as daisies and thistles. The dandelion alone has more than 100 different species, all of which are beneficial to your health.¹ In fact, every part of the dandelion can be used, from the roots to the leaves and flowers.

You probably know how difficult they are to eradicate from your yard. When you mow them each week, the plant accommodates and grows a shorter stalk.² Dandelions have become masters of survival, which is likely what makes them such successful weeds. However, while you may not want them growing in your yard, there are benefits to growing your own patch of dandelions and harvesting the greens for your table.

History of the Dandelion Herb

The dandelion has been embraced across cultures and centuries, but has now been branded suburban enemy No 1. An estimated 80 million pounds of chemicals are poured on yards across the U.S. to eradicate the little flowering herbs, but year after year these hardy plants return. Before the invention of lawns, however, gardeners used to weed out the grass to make room for more dandelions.

The name of the plant originated from the French who called it “dent de lion” or tooth of the lion, as the jagged edges of the leaves are suggestive of a lion’s tooth.³ Although it is native to Europe and Asia, it has been carried around the world and is probably one of the most recognizable plants worldwide. It is believed the European settlers found the plant so useful they purposefully brought the dandelion with them to the New World.

The official botanical name for the dandelion is Taraxacum officinale. The pollen from the dandelion doesn’t cause allergic reactions as the grains are too large. However, the sap from the plant may cause a common contact dermatitis resulting in swelling and itching.⁴

The plant is known to grow just about anywhere, but loves direct sunlight. As the flower matures it forms a familiar white puff of seeds that can float as far as 100 miles in the wind before settling into the soil and seeding yet another plot of land.⁵ Some outdoorsmen claim the dandelion helps them predict the weather. After the flower has gone to seed, if rain is coming the head reportedly will cover the seeds to protect the seed ball until the threat of rain has passed.⁶

Related: Five Common Weeds to Cultivate for Health and Nutrition

Plant Your Dandelion Crop in the Spring

If you are planting your own dandelion crop, it is probably best to plant them furthest from your neighbor’s yard and remove the heads before they seed. You can grow a full crop in your backyard using an inexpensive hot house that allows sun in and keeps the seeds from spreading. Even with such precautions, seed can still leave the hothouse on your clothing or on the sole of you shoes, so you’ll still want to remove the heads before the seed ball forms.

When you are starting a crop, the first seeds can be sown outside approximately four to six weeks before the last frost.⁷ Once they have sprouted, which takes seven to 10 days,⁸ you’ll want to thin them so they are 6 to 8 inches apart, allowing for full growth of the greens and plenty of room for the tap root. You can choose from a variety of different dandelion plants to meet your particular needs. The Clio produces upright greens that are easy to harvest and the Ameliore is a French strain with broader leaves and a milder flavor.⁹

The root of the dandelion routinely goes 18 inches deep into the soil and is an excellent way of keeping the soil from compacting.¹⁰ The root is sturdy and often has little hairy rootlets that may remain in the ground when you harvest your plants and regrow a new plant.¹¹Although the plants are incredibly resilient to poor conditions, the quality of nutrition you receive from the greens will depend on the quality of the soil the herb grows in.

Dandelions thrive in full sun, but will grow in partial shade. Use soil that drains well and compost the soil in the fall to encourage a strong spring crop. You can harvest the leaves and flowers throughout the summer months. The roots are best harvested during frost-free fall months.¹² Before harvesting the leaves, cover the plants with a dark opaque cloth so the leaves blanch, reducing the bitterness of the greens.¹³

The blossoms should be harvested when they are young and tender, just as they have bloomed. Putting them in a bowl of cold water will prevent them from closing before you eat them.¹⁴

Dandelions will grow problem free. You won’t have to treat for pests or change planting location unless they are planted in full shade. Dandelions may also be grown in container gardens, which makes covering them to blanch the leaves, or cutting the flower when they go to seed, much easier than if they are planted in your herb garden. Containers can also be set up high to reduce the potential for back pain as you are bending to care for the plants and prevent them from seeding your lawn or your neighbor’s yard.

Related: Dandelions

Dandelions Have Significant Health Benefits

Small birds eat the seeds of the dandelion; pigs, goats and rabbits eat the flowers and the nectar is food for the honey bee.¹⁵ But, beyond a food source for wildlife, the dandelion holds an amazing amount of health benefits for you as well. There are uses in your kitchen from the root to the flower, and health benefits to each part of the plant as well. Some studies have demonstrated the greens help produce antibodies to cancer.¹⁶

Dandelion greens are high in calcium, iron and potassium.¹⁷ They are also rich in vitamins C, A, K,¹⁸ thiamine and riboflavin,¹⁹ and surprisingly rank ahead of both broccoli and spinach in nutritional value. A full cup of chopped greens is a low 24 calories, packing more nutrition in a serving than some of the vegetables you routinely grow in your garden each year.

The vitamins and minerals provided in your dandelion greens help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, eye disorders, support your immune system and the development of strong bones and teeth. Practitioners of folk medicine have been using dandelion root and leaves for centuries to prevent and treat several health conditions. The root of the plant increases the flow of bile that may help reduce gallstones, liver congestion and inflammation and jaundice.²⁰

The plant has a second name, “pis-en-lit,” (wet the bed) — a name that refers to the diuretic effect of its greens.²¹ When eaten before bed, they may require you make several trips to the bathroom during the night. Some find the leaves to have a mild laxative effect that aids in movement through your digestive tract.²² Traditionally, the root of the dandelion has been used in the treatment of rheumatism, as it has mild anti-inflammatory effects.

Time of harvest affects the properties of the root. Fall harvest has the greatest health benefits and produces an opaque extract with higher levels of inulin and levulin, starch-like substances that may help balance your blood sugar.²³ Spring and summer harvest of the root produces a less bitter product, but with less potent health benefits.

The herb has been used by Native Americans to help heartburn and upset stomach and the Chinese have used it to improve breast milk flow and reduce inflammation in the breast during lactation.²⁴ The Europeans used dandelion greens to help relieve fever, boils, diarrhea and diabetes. As a precautionary note, dandelions may make the side effects of lithium worse, and may increase your risk of bleeding if you are taking a blood thinner.²⁵

Related: 80% Raw Food Diet

Dandelions Propagate Profusely

Dandelions growing in the center of your yard can be harvested and eaten as long as your yard is chemical free and your neighbors don’t spray. Even if your neighbors use chemical pellets to treat the yard, the chemicals migrate to the edges of your yard, so don’t harvest and eat the dandelions within 10 feet of your neighbor’s yard.

You may end up with dandelions in your own yard in places where you don’t want them growing. There are several ways to remove them without resorting to chemicals. Even the pellets you sprinkle across your lawn to control weeds contribute to the damage done to wildlife in your area and groundwater pollution that affects the quality of drinking water. Over 5 billion pounds of pesticides are used annually across the world.²⁶ These chemicals affect both plant life and the birds and wildlife that feed on the vegetation.

In most instances the chemicals are fat soluble. This means there is significant biomagnification as the chemicals remain in the insect and animal bodies and accumulate up the food chain. A conservative estimate is that 672 million birds are exposed to pesticides in the U.S. annually and 10 percent of those, or 67 million, are killed outright from ingesting the chemicals.²⁷ The extent of the damage done long term to the bird population is difficult to estimate.

Birds exposed to chemicals also suffer “sublethal” effects that include thinning egg shells that break under the weight of the incubating adult, hormone disruption, impaired immune systems and a lack of appetite.²⁸ Each of these consequences severely impairs the ability of the bird to reproduce, migrate and survive.

Related: Repel Mosquitoes by Cultivating Marigolds

Birds may be particularly vulnerable as they can both mistake the pesticide pellets for seed and eat insects that are also laden with chemicals, doubling the load of pesticides they ingest.

Children are also more vulnerable than adults as they absorb more chemicals for their size relative to adults and are more vulnerable to the effects of the toxins in their bodies. A report by Environmental and Human Health Inc. found children exposed to pesticides had a higher incidence of childhood leukemia, soft tissue sarcomas and brain cancers.²⁹

Related: Diatomaceous Earth – Mother Nature’s Secret Weapon: What Is It, How to Use It, Where to Find It

Some assume these chemicals are safe for use as they are sold over-the-counter, but while the Environmental Protection Agency classifies four of the more common lawn chemicals as having insufficient data to assess the impact on the development of cancer in humans, all are associated with the sixth most common form of cancer in the U.S., non-Hodgkin lymphoma.³⁰

These chemicals don’t disappear after a couple of days either. They are incorporated into the leaves of the grass eaten by insects and your pet dog. They seep into the groundwater in your neighborhood, which affects the water that eventually reaches your tap. Residue is tracked indoors on the bottom of your shoes where it accumulates in the dust in your home.

Get Rid of Your Lawn Dandelions Naturally

There are several ways to keep your lawn clear of dandelions without resorting to toxic chemicals. Dandelions thrive in direct sunlight so when the grass grows 3 to 4 inches tall it helps to reduce the growth of the plant. The plant won’t flower until all the leaves have formed and only if there is sufficient sunlight and moisture.³¹ In the short time-lapsed video above you can watch one dandelion go from flower to seed ball in two days.

Related: How to Test and Amend Soil

You can kill the plant, and therefore not worry about the tap root producing another plant, by spraying a mixture of white vinegar, water and salt directly on the plant. This will kill the surrounding plants as well, so use a direct spray and be careful where you aim it.

Your third option is to pull the plants from the ground, being careful to pull up the tap root from the end as any root you leave will produce another plant. Work in your yard when the ground is moist, such as after a deep watering or a long slow rain. Mother Earth News recommends three different weeders designed specifically for dandelions to help you remain chemical free.³²

Each of the weeding options allow you to work standing up to reduce strain on your lower back and knees. The prices range between $20 and $30. Using a combination of all three strategies — length of grass, spraying individual plants with vinegar and salt and pulling individual plants — may help you keep a lawn free of dandelions and even address other types of weeds. Remember to address the plant before it goes to seed, as once the seeds begin to spread, all control is lost.

Use the Leaves, Roots and Flowers in Recipes at Home

In this short video, a chef from the Martha Steward test kitchen demonstrates making a chick pea and dandelion salad using fresh from the garden vegetables. Using the greens in a salad is just one way to use the plant — there are many more:^33,³⁴

Related: Three Easy Mushroom Varieties To Grow at Home

Roots can be dried, ground and brewed like coffee	Dandelion wine made from the flowers	Flowers fried in butter
Dry the roots, roast a 300 degrees F and grind; add to hot chocolate	Mix greens in potato salad or egg salad	Sautéed like spinach and added to eggs, served as a side dish or in a quiche
Cold pickling in a salt brine; heat may destroy the delicate leaves	Kimchi made with dandelion greens	Flowers mixed with apple peel or orange zest and made into jam
Roots chopped fine and stir fried	Dandelion pumpkin seed pesto	Dandelion blossom cookies

Craving Carrots

It’s a beautiful colorful fall here and I’m happily celebrating root vegetable season! I always love how the Earth provides what we need in each season exactly as we need it.

Root vegetables are more energy dense than most vegetables that are ripe in summer. This extra energy provides the nutrients and extra calories we need for the winter months. (This was especially true back in the days before our modern conveniences.)

These roots bring us closer to the Earth and ground our energy, reminding us to turn inward and slow down along with the natural cycle of the planet, the nature of this season, and the months to come. While most root vegetables are available year round, the season in which they have the very best flavor and highest nutrient density is the late summer and fall.

Examples of root vegetables include carrots, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, parsnips, and beets. Root vegetables are delicious and can fulfill the natural sweetness you might be seeking this time of year.

Carrots

Carrots are a familiar root vegetable that is popular with both adults and children. This familiarity makes it an easy vegetable to add to a variety of dishes and a good vegetable to experiment with by trying new recipes.

Carrots are a great source of Vitamins A, K, C, Potassium, B6, Thiamin, and Niacin. They also offer a variety of carotenoids, which are amazing antioxidant phytonutrients.

When choosing carrots in the grocery store or farmers market, select firm, crisp vegetables that are bright in color. The depth of the orange in a carrot is directly related to the carotenoid nutrients found.

Store carrots in your refrigerator for up to two weeks in an airtight container or plastic bag.

Do not wash prior to storage and store them away from apples, pears, and potatoes to extend their shelf life.

When preparing your carrots for any recipe, consider scrubbing them rather than peeling. The outside skin will have protective qualities, though it will be slightly more bitter than the sweet inside.

How to Cook Carrots

I love to eat carrots raw and plain. They are filled with a crispy sweetness that satisfies most of my sweet and crunchy cravings. There are, however, a wonderful variety of recipes that include carrots or feature them as the main ingredient.

One easy and flavorful way to try carrots is in a salad mixed with other vegetables such as this easy recipe.

Carrot & Zucchini Salad

6 medium carrots, thoroughly scrubbed and ends removed
2 medium zucchini, peeled and ends discarded
½ cup of scallions
¼ cup cilantro
¼ cup parsley
Approximately 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
Juice from 1 lemon

Grate carrots and zucchini. Finely chop herbs. Toss all ingredients together and then toss with oil and lemon juice.

Serve and enjoy!

Cooked Carrots

The best, most nutrient-preserving cooking method is a light steaming for no longer than five minutes. The steam will tenderize the carrots a bit, but leave most nutrients intact. For added flavor, toss your freshly steamed carrots with a few tablespoons of feta and dill.

You can also add your carrots to any soup or stew or toss with olive oil and roast at 425°F with other roots until tender, typically about 40 minutes.

You can see many reasons to increase carrots in your diet! These are healthy and great for adding sweetness to your plate in a fun and colorful way!