Let's talk about superfoods. We've all heard of them....but do we know why they are coined superfoods? Many people have their own standards for what they would classify as a superfood. Here at Kindred Acres, Moringa is for sure a superfood to us. It is packed full of nutritional content, higher than any other edible green available to us. Some varieties are used medicinally to heal many ailments of the body. It's so powerful, that in some countries it is actually used to kill bacteria in the water to make it potable! It is touted to be The Tree Of Life. The oil/extract from the seeds are often used in cosmetics and are touted to be amazing for the skin, hair, and nails (I can attest that my hair LOVES the oil). The leaves are the most nutritionally dense part, being higher in vitamin A than carrots. Even more then that, the most astounding part is that Moringa is A COMPLETE PROTEIN! Every vegan and vegetarian should consider growing this. There aren't many leafy greens that are a true COMPLETE protein. Sure, many leafy greens contain protein but are they a complete protein by themselves, containing all 9 essential amino acids by themselves?? Not many offer this. Moringa leaves are a complete protein by themselves and also offer a high iron content, vitamin c, potassium, calcium, and many other essential nutrients. It truly is a superfood. There are quite a few varieties of moringa so it's super important to know what variety you choose to grow because some parts of some of the varieties are poisonous. Here at Kindred Acres, we have our favorite chosen. We have grown this variety in the past and have perfected our ability to grow a good, strong, healthy, and abundant tree. When I say the word tree, some people are automatically thinking a big/large tree or plant. There are some dwarf varieties that are manageable for a small plot of land, and some that are even great in a pot on a patio or balcony! One of the dwarf varieties is Moringa Oliefera. It can be kept as small as 3 to 4 feet tall in a patio pot. It can be grown in-ground and allowed to get anywhere from 5' to 12' tall. It tops out at 12' so it won't get bigger than that. It's a thin, wispy tree so it doesn't take up large amounts of space. Other varieties of moringa are full-grown trees with stocky trunks and can take up a great deal of space. Some have useable leaves, flowers, bark, and roots while others have poisonous roots and toxic flowers. Scientific names are important when it comes to this plant. If you are in the North Carolina (USA) area, we are holding a low-cost class on how to grow this amazing variety, what kind of care/maintenance it needs, how to overwinter it, how to use it, it's benefits, and so much more! You'll also get to take home some seeds with you to start your own!! Check out our Facebook page for details and to sign up for the class. Here are a few pictures of just a few of our trees around the food forest. By next year we hope to at least double our production of them. Our tallest tree is just shy of 6 months old and has already reached 10' tall. It has been very prolific, providing us super nutritious food, and has now begun to flower. We have a few that are around 6-8 ft tall and one that stayed very short, coming in at just 3' tall.
Being in Charge of Our Own Health: A Little Disclaimer | SteemPeak
Originally posted here: https://steemit.com/naturalmedicine/@kindredacres/superfood-check-out-one-of-our-favorites
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