 There is something to be said for growing your own green goodness, homegrown whether intentional or something that just happens to be in your yard, or a friendly neighbours is just amazing to use as a regular food source.
Personally I love wildcrafting my herbs and edibles. From Garlic Mustards to Dandelions and Violets, there is always something out there that one can munch on, or in this case, juice!
 Here is today's star, the orange day lily, I have a whack of it growing in my yard, ok, well not a whack, but enough that it's both pretty and a useful food source as I have come to learn.
The flowers, buds, and leaves are edible for humans, the older waxy leaves are very very fibrous, my juicer had a hard time with it actually, so I guess it would be like trying to juice leeks, not exactly recommended.
 Stinging Nettle, wonderful energizing plant, great for women in particular, and so nutritious, but be careful when harvesting, it does sting, I can't pick it without being stung, so I use gloves, however when just gardening, it never gets me, even if I reach right on in to it, although hubby, he gets stung just looking at it.
You can also see the lavender flower peeking out on the right and the garden mint and day lily leaf here too, as well as the wild strawberry leaves, which as it happens are more nutritious than the berries themselves!
 So here is to good health and wild edibles or rather, juiceables.
The actual ingredients for this juice were as follows:
1 day lily flower & buds
1 day lily leaf or two
1 stalk rampant garden mint
1 handful of wild violet leaves
1 luscious lavender flower with stalk and leaves
1 stalk of sensitive stinging nettle
1 bunch beautiful beet leaves
2 stalks of hydrating celery
2 succulent navel oranges
1 very red delicious apple
1 knob of gentle ginger
4 large sensational strawberry leaves
When collecting anything from the great outdoors, whether it be in your yard, a field, park or elsewhere, if you are not 100% certain that the plant you are going to eat is edible for humans, please, DO NOT EAT IT! Always do your research first and double check that again. I've been eating wild edibles and have been practicing self taught herbology on myself and family for over 2 decades now. Stay safe out there!
 I think I have finally encountered the rabid anti-vegan relative, the one that to your face says "wow, don't you look incredible" and then quite literally behind your back ~as in I heard you say it right behind my back you daft twit!~ "that looks like dog turds".."like dog shit" , which was in reference to my Spicy Italian seitan sausages I was making for the family for Sunday breakfast. The initial assault was having a bottle of a cream based alcohol jammed into my mouth in an attempt to force feed it to me, I stood my ground and refused. Oh so a toast to my anniversary, with Mead, "it's only honey, no bees had to die to get this honey" - I beg to differ and stand by the information on this website here: why honey is not vegan. First off, I don't like to drink alcohol that much, secondly, I do not like having food jammed in my face, and when you put the two together, that does not make for a happy me. Not too mention it was just down right ignorant, cruel and rude. The sad thing was, yes, as if the above was not sad enough, my husband is apparently being deprived of the things he wants to eat and drink because *I* won't let him. Like I say to anyone else, it's his mouth, his his brain, he's the one in control of them. Not me. <roll eyes> He has chosen the vegan way of living for the same reasons I did. Yes this weekend was the epitome of "get me the F outta here". It's weird, I've been a witch for as long as I can recall, even been interviewed in the local paper for being Wiccan, and never did I once get this kind of assault and hatred from people, relative or otherwise. So I have nothing to really compare how I feel about this weekend to, save for the bullying I experienced in school. That's how it felt, like I had been bullied, beat up and spit on. Obviously I am not going to say who said what, when, and where, that's not the point of this blog entry, but it is part of my journey to better health, a healthier body and weight. Part of that means enduring other peoples jealousy and hatred because I am doing something they only ever talk about, they see my success as their failure and need to lash out somewhere. So I, like many of you will to, will have to try to remember that it's not us they are angry with, upset at, it's themselves for not taking action to better things for themselves, the planet and the animals. Thanks for listening.
Before 2006
almost 360 lbs....
| Now 2012
178lbs
| | It really is amazing for me to sit and look at these two photos and think about just how FAT, unhealthy and seriously ill I was only 5 or so years ago. When my accident happened in May of 2008 that was caused by my medications I was taking, it truly was a blessing for not just myself, but my family as well, as it was the proverbial last straw, or tipping point.
I'd reached my rock bottom when I realized that because of my bad health I could have seriously harmed or killed my daughter and anyone who'd have been in my way when I was driving and had a seizure like episode and driven my van off the road and hit a big old pine tree. It took the thought of my being the cause of someone's death or pain because I didn't care about myself, to wake me up.
So, that's how it started, and I am certainly not done yet! My new goal weight is 160lbs, and the gym opens soon, so weight training here I come!
Will post updated photos as the summer progresses and I start a new regime in my workouts.
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 It has been a three and a bit year journey for me that has taken me from being a morbidly obese 360lbs, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol/triglyerides, severe depression & anxiety, arthritis, fibromyalgia, IBS, fatigue, weekly migraines and almost daily headaches, no interest in life, sedentary and isolated lifestyle to being a happy healthy cured 176lbs with 14lbs left to go before I reach my goal weight of 160lbs. No more severe depression and anxiety, no more IBS, no more fibromyalgia, no more daily headaches and weekly migraines, no more daily arthritis pain, blood work of a 20 year old and the bone density to match, without supplementation I might add. Three and a bit years in total from the time I had my accident, that rock bottom moment, the tipping point of change to now, and boy am I ever glad I am here to share it with you too.
So what have I learned from this experience so far. LOTS. Too much to remember all at once too. My information retrieval system is sometimes rather selective in what it wants to remember at any given time. But that is ok. I feel that information is provided when it is ready to be received. So if you are here, then you are ready, or at least close too it! :-)
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