Sharing the health benefits of plants 

You may have tried cider but have you tried fire cider?! Fire cider is a spicy, homemade tonic. It uses unpasturized apple cider vinegar to extract minerals and alcaloids from immune-stimulating ingredients. This simple recipe has been made famous by Rosemary Gladstar, a well-known American herbalist, who wanted to show people how easy it was to make medecine in your own kitchen using accessible and affordable ingredients. Let’s take a look at some of those ingredients. Garli

Known as the Misty Isle, the Isle of Skye in the north-west of Scotland experiences a mainly mild, wet climate. Due to westerly winds...

France has a number of well-known aperitif drinks including Pastis, Suze and Lillet. But, did you know that these three drinks are all...

You won’t find them listed on food nutrition labels yet bright red strawberries, deep purple blackberries and dark black olives all contain polyphenols. Polyphenols are a class of compounds found uniquely in plant food. You may have heard of some of them such as flavonoids or resveratrol. Those responsible for the colours red, orange, purple and blue are known as anthocyanins but, in fact, over 8,000 polyphenolic compounds have been identified [1] . Not only are polyphenols r

Citrus fruits are often associated with vitamin C but they are not the only source of this vital vitamin. Vitamin C, also known as...

Mulled wine and mince pies are firm favourites in my household at Christmas time. Northing beats a warming glass of mulled wine in front...

Following a shock, injury or disease, we are tired, demineralised and our immune system is weakened. Convalescence is a crucial period of...

We may believe that plants rely on us to feed them, but in reality it’s the other way round. Plants are « autotroph » which means that...

Imagine, if you will, a well-organised botanical garden on a hillside facing snow-covered mountains and a fjord. You wander through a...

An essential element of French stews and soups, the bouquet garni is a tied bundle of herbs used to flavour dishes. One of its advantages...

You are sitting out enjoying the sun when you feel a sharp sting or burning sensation on your skin. Before you know it, there is a small,...

What do you put on your skin? The skin, the biggest organ in the human body, provides a defence barrier to protect internal organs and also plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis [1] . Homeostasis is the interior state of balance allowing the body to function correctly. Natural and environmental factors change the structure of the skin from both the inside and outside on a daily basis. Here are three common flowers which assist in repairing damaged skin. To extrac

The ubiquitous dandelion is often considered a weed yet has an extraordinary number of uses. The latin name for the common dandelion is...

Regardless of the season, each walk is an opportunity to discover plants at various stages in their life cycles. On this drizzly Sunday...

Winter is an invitation to observe the finer details of the natural world. In temperate regions the vibrant colours of the spring, summer...

Plants are incredible organisms. Aside from being an essential part of our ecosystem and providing the earth with oxygen through...