Because I won’t be traveling anytime soon, I decided to take a look at medicinal plants around my home in Upstate New York.  One of these plants is the balsam fir tree. It has a long history of medicinal use with Native Americans and dozens of health benefits.  It also has the benefit of actually smelling nice too. Read more

In Western cultures, “leafy greens” are usually bitter or slightly citrusy-tasting greens like spinach, kale or arugula.  By contrast, Asian cultures eat many more types of greens, including ones like Houttuynia Cordata – aka fish mint — which has a very distinct flavor (to say the least!).  While the taste of fish mint might not be for everyone, it is loaded with health benefits that make it worth consuming. Read more