Nutritional Information - Vegetables

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Carrots
Carrots grow in various shapes and colours and are the most widely cultivated vegetable in the world. They are rich in carotene which the body converts into Vitamin A and have therapeutic properties and behaviours that include:- anti-cancer, liver cleansing, skin and eyesight improvement.

Broccoli
A member of the cabbage family, broccoli is an annual that produces bunches of flower buds (that we eat) on stems. Good source of Vitamin A & C, calcium & phosphorus, valuable for building and maintenance of strong bones. It has anti-cancer and anti-viral properties and can give an anti-bacterial boost.

Beetroot
Grows from a seed into the familiar bulb vegetable however the young leaves can also be eaten raw or cooked. Beetroot is an excellent blood cleanser but also helps with kidney and liver disorders and promotes immune system strength. Has been used medically as an excellent anti-cancer food for 50 years.

Onions
There are over 300 varieties of onions which are a common flavouring ingredient in many cooking styles and traditions. They provide internal cleansing, promote beneficial gut bacteria, prevent blood clots and are hypoglycaemic. Onions can be used directly on the skin to ease bites, stings and inflammation.

Garlic
The champion of herbs, the history of garlic is immense. It is a powerful anti-biotic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-infection agent. Best used raw, garlic is an effective, important natural medicine. This pungent herb aids poor digestion, reduces high blood pressure, improves circulation and fights high blood. It can be used internally or externally on a host of skin problems.
Whole garlic cloves grow from one small section poked into the soil.

Parsley
An important culinary herb, parsley is rich in vitamin A and C and iron. It protects against environment toxins and helps build blood with its iron, magnesium, manganese and copper content. It can help conjunctivitis, improve digestion, inhibit tumors and ward off colds.

Silverbeet & Spinach
These important green vegetables are highly nutritious and an excellent source of potassium, vitamin K, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein making them very good for eyesight and associated problems. Spinach/Siverbeet are excellent sources of folate and have cancer prevention properties as they prevent the body cells from undergoing mutation.

Lettuce
Lettuce rarely gets cooked and can provide an abundance of essential human nutrients. There are hundreds of varieties from all over the world and they supply chlorophyl, vitamin k and silicon which is good for skin, nails and hair. The sulphur in lettuce helps the body to purify the blood, cleanse out toxins and prevent infections.

Peas
Possibly the most popular legume, peas are a great companion to many meals. As a legume, they provide good levels of protein. Often eaten with a steak meal, peas will provide more iron than the steak. Also unlike the meat, peas are an excellent source of fibre, potassium, folate, vitamin k and magnesium. They are sweet and should be eaten before the meat to aid digestion.

Lemon Balm
This hardy lemon scented perennial was a favorite with bee keepers in ancient times. They would rub crushed fresh leaves on bee hives to encourage bees to return to their hives and bring others with them. Lemon Balm as drunk as a tea can be relaxing and good for stress, poor diet and sleeping patterns. It is a stomach soother and mild sedative and can be drunk at bedtime for insomnia.

Peppermint
Peppermint is widely regarded and valued for its ability to ease indigestion and has been used the world over by traditional culture such as the Egyptians to present day Icelanders. It can be used a tea, via mint sweets or as a tincture. Peppermint oil rubbed on the temples can alleviate headaches and in other ways peppermint can be useful for flavouring, bad breath, earache, fever, hives, nausea and sinusitis.

Rosemary
Used for millennia as a food flavouring, rosemary has compounds that help with memory and alzheimers. It has been called the herb of remembrance. Also being good for baldness / hair health and able to be absorbed through the skin, rosemary in bath water and to make up a herbal shampoo is excellent for memory and hair growth. It has also been used to treat body odour, depression, pain and wrinkles.

Thyme
Native to Europe and Asia, there are many types of Thyme. Thyme is often used a food flavouring (especially Pizzas) but is also a powerful anti-biotic, anti-septic and anti-viral. It can be used internally and externally to gargle (sore throats), as a mouth wash (bad breath, tooth decay, cold sores) and drinking (common cold, influenza, fever, allergies). This is done by steeping a dozen springs of fresh thyme in boiling water, covered and away from heat, left to cool, strain and then use. It can be used on skin, wounds, burns, eye irritations, aching joints, headaches and cramps.

Calendula / Marigold
These pretty, edible flowers look great in the garden but are effectively used for any kind of external skin problem including wounds, sores, varicose veins, boils, bruising, sprains, burns and blood vessel problems. Studies have also shown it to be effective in healing intestinal ulcers, colitis and varicose veins.

Comfrey
This remarkable plant has a long history being used to heal bones, fractures, breaks etc and was once called Knitbone. Soldiers in WW1 used it to tie up their broken limbs when they had nothing else. It was used in TB clinics decades ago and more recently has been shown to be effective in treating cancer when used properly. It is also an excellent compost activator, breaking down other organic matter and can be used a weed barrier and its leaves as a nutrient filled mulch.