Goddess of greens

This was a very good week for me because I read an article about a potential cure for Type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness that has plagued my family, and many others. I wasn't surprised to discover that the root of this treatment was brown seaweed. I've long believed that cures for all of our ailments can be found in nature. In fact, I think most of us believe this. All we need do is scan the daily newspaper to discover the ways brilliant minds are using the bark of trees to fight cancer, various perennials to battle everything from allergies to skin ailments, and fish oil to lower the risk of killers like heart disease and stroke.

Of course I'm not onto anything new here. Seaweed and kelp have been ingested for thousands of years, and constitute a building block of the Asian diet--arguably the collectively healthiest people on the planet. Yet the idea of ingesting it has never appealed to me.

Perhaps it's the name: seaweed. Anything with the word "weed" in it (other than the recreational variety that many people find quite appealing), includes negative connotations. Weeds grow unchecked and unwanted in otherwise desirable places. In truth, this family of beneficial plants is more like an underwater forest, providing nutrients and shade to the marine life in much the same way trees shelter and feed us land-dwellers.

Maybe--and this is a BIG possibility--it's the texture. When I think of seaweed, the word slimy comes to mind. For me (and many others, I suspect) there's something inherently distasteful about touching any body part to any slick, wet substance, no matter how beneficial it may be. When my kids were little, they would refuse to swim in any part of a lake with seaweed. The soft, billowing underwater tentacles reaching upward from the ground and brushing their skin freaked them out.  And I've gotta say, I understood. To this day, I cringe when a piece of seaweed wraps itself around a limb.

We all must live and learn, though. It's 2016--a new year chock-full of promise, and ripe for resolutions. Topping my list is the determination to extend my love of plant life from above ground to below the water's surface. If you have similar resolutions, here are ten good reasons to love seaweed:

1. A longtime dietary staple in the East, it is credited with an ability to bestow a long life, health and beauty.

2. Scientists have determined marine-algae was man’s first food; it’s excellent at battling both hunger and obesity.

3. Studies have linked seaweed intake with an increase in wound healing, while decreasing the severity of skin issues and infections like the herpes virus and acne.  The amino acids in the plant seem to have super-antioxidant properties.

4.This "goddess of greens" (which actually comes in three varieties: green, brown and red) is jam-packed with dietary fiber and minerals (ten times that of vegetables grown on land), and the perfect balance of essential fatty acids – the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3s thought to reduce the risk of psychological illnesses.

5. It is also one of nature’s richest sources of protein, containing all the essential amino acids, including taurine needed for bile salts, which remove cholesterol from the body and is one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin B12, needed for healthy nerves and blood.

6. It touts detoxifying benefits, relying on it’s diuretic properties for smoothing cellulite-mottled thighs. Studies are underway to determine seaweed’s potential for mopping up heavy metal pollutants found in exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke, too.

7. It's high in magnesium and calcium, optimum bone-building minerals to battle against osteoporosis.

8. Seaweed is loaded with insoluble and soluble fiber, which work together to increase feelings of satiety. Exciting new studies show seaweed can even slow the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed, reducing blood sugar spikes by as much as 14%. Promising news for diabetics.

9. Fat-fighting fucoxanthin found in wakame seaweed burns fatty tissue: studies revealed that mice on a high-fat diet experience less weight gain when their food is supplemented with seaweed.

10. Seaweed could prove a major factor in preventing heart disease. A study of the long-lived Okinawans found that seaweed was one of the ten vegetables they consumed regularly and could help account for their clog-free arteries, low levels of cholesterol and low homocysteine (a heart-damaging chemical) levels. It’s widely accepted that omega 3s reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, using seaweed in foods to give a satisfying salty taste has the advantage of high potassium content that doesn't interact with the salt in the bloodstream--so doesn't elevate blood pressure like ordinary table salt does.

Seems seaweed is a must-have at the dinner table. If the thought of eating it makes you want to gag rather than salivate, try seaweed in powder form. It's available at health food stores everywhere. 

Does nature always know better?

There's a golden rule that many an American lives by: Don't mess with Mother Nature.  I know all about it; it's a tenet I live by each and every day.  Those who read my weekly blog post would agree with a good many of my ideas, and probably hold similar views.  Chief among them is the idea of not messing with success, and I think we'd all agree that Planet Earth has got a good thing going. 

There are times when this type of thinking can get us into trouble.  We often become so convinced of the righteous nature of our ideas that we refuse to look beyond our own point of view.  A popular belief nowadays is the idea that if something comes from the earth it's good, and if it's manufactured by man it must be--even a little bit--bad.  It's become instilled in the American psyche, and I'll admit it's a view I generally share. I find it's becoming so deeply ingrained that I--like many fellow countrymen--instinctively distrust anything and anyone that veers from the organic, all-natural path.

Imagine my surprise then to discover last Sunday morning, myself shifting my thoughts on the subject of GMOs.  To refresh your memory, GMOs are Genetically Modified Organisms, a concept that leaves a figurative bad taste in the mouth.  Like nuclear power, cloning and oil pipelines, it's got the taint of the human hand.  It's about meddling, not being true to what NATURE intended, right?  Well, maybe.  But maybe not.

While snuggled with my pups on the couch last weekend watching my favorite show, CBS News Sunday Morning, I found myself literally sitting up, coffee cup forgotten, as I listened to the latest take on the GMO debate.  The segment featured the plight of the papaya, which thrived on Hawaiian farms until ringspot virus hit in the mid 1990's and decimated plants within three years.  That's when scientists stepped in, injecting a minute amount of the virus, vaccination style, into papaya seeds.  The results were for the ailing fruit the same as what inoculations for the millions living among small pox or polio experienced: near eradication.  Today, the genetically-modified fruit is once again thriving on Hawaiian farms.  In this case, it was nature's virus that threatened the plant, and human innovation that brought it back from the brink of ruin.

So is there a case to be made for altering the genetic makeup of the food we eat?  As the same report revealed, we've been doing just that for centuries--in the form of cross-breeding plants.  Hybridization accounts for the makeup and appearance of nearly all the produce on our plates at mealtime.  In fact, the juicy corn on the cob we can't wait to bite into looks nothing like the maze the Indians shared with the Pilgrims.  Corn in that era looked more like wheat (pictured above).

But just because we've been doing it doesn't necessarily make it safe, right?  Perhaps.  Most Americans think GMOs are potentially hazardous.  In fact, 57% polled saw imminent danger to us, while, interestingly, 88% of scientists could find absolutely no studies linking genetic modification to any increased health risk.  Okay, studies are in their infancy.  And one potential hazard involves modifying produce to the degree that it can withstand the herbicides that kill its neighboring weeds.  To me, that's a very real concern, since we KNOW pesticides can compromise our health.  I plan on digging further into this topic.  And why not?  It's the middle of winter, and I can't dig into my garden soil.  Why not unearth a little food for thought?

Get a jump on garden chores now

One of the advantages of the unseasonably warm, snow-free winter in the Northeast this year is that the millions of us in the upper right quadrant of the country can tend to our "outdoor housekeeping" long before spring arrives.  It's rare to have unfrozen ground in these parts come January, but no matter how often a person rakes in the fall, there's always a hefty helping of leaves hanging around the yard when the temperature dips.  Once those leaves freeze to the ground, there's no removing them until everything thaws out.  This year, I've been able to scoop them up, for the most part, and get the landscape prepped for a spectacular spring season, just two months away.

As I've mentioned many times before (in mantra-like fashion), oak leaves are like gold for flower beds, so keep tender perennials covered in a layer of the tannin-rich gems, which protect them from predation, act as natural pesticides and regulate plant growth in the off season.  Grassy surfaces and hardscaped places do better when the leaves are removed, so grab a rake before the mercury drops!

Gotta admit, you won't be popular with you town's highway department.  The crews are gearing up for salting and plowing, not leaf-bag pickup.  Driving the highways and byways of your town, they'll grimace when they see those telltale bags out by your curb, but let's face it, they've got plenty of time to gather and tote your leaf bags, with nary a snowflake in sight!

Classic Garden Chic

Some garden elements never go out of style.  My favorite all-purpose, timeless plant is--hands down--the humble boxwood (pictured, upper right).  I've always thought that this versatile shrub is poorly named.  Sure, it's traditionally clipped to a box-shaped hedge, but boxwood can be trimmed into shapes as limitless as the imagination.  And yes, one of the earliest uses of this obedient plant was to utilize its conformity to create the vast "garden rooms" of the opulent French courts.  But boxwood has come a long way, baby.

Let's avoid the misnomer altogether and call it by the Latin term: Buxus.  I prefer that word because it reminds me of Buxom, which means full, or plump; busty.  Properly cared-for Buxus (which, by the way, is ridiculously easy to accomplish) can literally "bust out" a move or two in your outdoor spaces.  Some of the most popular forms of this plant are as follows:

Buxus sempervirens: the grand dame of the horticultural world, this garden staple is exactly as advertised: evergreen (semper=always, and virens=green).  What's most notable in this tried-and-true shrub is its rounded shape, which needs minimal pruning.  Native primarily to southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, it generally matures in a shrubby form to 5-15' tall, but may grow as a tree to as much as 20-30' tall. Small, elliptic to oval to oblong leaves (1/2" to 1 1/2" long) are simple, opposite, smooth-margined and evergreen. Leaves are dark glossy green above and yellowish-green below. Inconspicuous flowers in axillary clusters are pale green to yellow to creamy white. Flowers appear in April and May, but you've really got to look to see them.

Boxwood can be somewhat temperamental in the Northeast, where its evergreen foliage tends to bronze (turn unattractive brownish-yellow) in harsh winters, particularly if plants are located in open areas exposed to full sun and winter winds. Otherwise, boxwood requires little special care other than annual pruning. No serious insect or disease problems. Some susceptibility to blights and leaf spot. Root rot can also be a problem in poorly-drained soils. The main insect pests of boxwoods are boxwood leaf miner, and boxwood mite.

Buxus microphylla 'Japonica':  Fast-growing, very hardy boxwood, native to the hills of Japan.  Foliage is brighter green, and the growing habit is looser, so more intense pruning is required.

Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa':   This dwarf version, also known as "Dutch Box," is slow-growing, more compact, and lighter in color.  Makes a great potted plant for patios or as edging due to its much smaller size (usually no larger than 2-3 feet tall and wide).

I think the perennial appeal of these glamorous garden gems is their ability to stand alone or gather into gorgeous groupings--creating a sense of style that never goes out of season.