dandelions

(wikipedia:)
While the dandelion is considered a weed by most gardeners and lawn owners, the plant does have several culinary uses, and the specific name officinalis refers to its value as a medicinal herb. Dandelions are grown commercially on a small scale as a leaf vegetable. The leaves (called dandelion greens) can be eaten cooked or raw in various forms, such as in soup or salad. They are probably closest in character to mustard greens. Usually the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in salads, while older leaves are cooked. Raw leaves have a slightly bitter taste. Dandelion salad is often accompanied with hard boiled eggs. The leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, carrying more iron and calcium than spinach.[4]

Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine, for which there are many recipes.[5] It has also been used in a saison ale called Pissenlit (literally "wet the bed" in French) made by Brasserie Fantôme in Belgium. Another recipe using the plant is dandelion flower jam. Ground roasted dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute. Dandelion root is a registered drug in Canada, sold principally as a diuretic. A leaf decoction can be drunk to "purify the blood", for the treatment of anemia, jaundice, and also for nervousness. Drunk before meals, dandelion root coffee is claimed to stimulate digestive functions and function as a liver tonic.

nutrition for a growing baby

protein - Fish, milk, eggs, beans
iron - spinach, broccoli, parsley, breads, grains, cereals, potatoes, dried fruits, beans
vitamin C 90mg per day (help absorb) - juice/fruit, Rose Hip, guava, kiwifruit, broccoli
vitamin B12 - supplements
vitamin D - direct sunlight, dairy
calcium, zinc - milk, yoghurt, cheeses, beans, nuts, tofu, lentils, eggs, breads, cereals, pasta, rice, wheat germ, bran, onions, ginger and sunflower seeds
as well as sufficient carbohydrates

moses and the bathtub

Using water to shower, to do laundry - then turning it into a garden...
It's a sin to let all that water down the drain!
The bonus: having clean water at the end.

Here's how it goes:

The first treatment - a old bathtub or similar handy "instant pond"

It's filled with gravel (some soil mixed in)
Where we will have:

Phragmites australis - takes up a lot of nutrients, cleans water.
It's a mini constructed wetland. The reeds are good for making baskets too (which might be a bonus if we need to send a baby down the river in an emergency.


For the second treatment, I would like:

Calla Lilies, which are beautiful lilies native to my country and region where I grew up in. ALSO, they take up nutrients and clean the water.
I'm just not sure about having such a poisonous plant where babes are walking and crawling, grabbing and eating.

Well, the reeds are a good start.
Now, to find some bathtubs...

Brain Foods

Survival of the fittest and happiest.
All functions are supported by many elements.

The brain
functions to control the central nervous system - it regulates all human activity.

Give it lots of water, oxygen and...
nutritious food. Neurotransimitters are made from amino acids in protein. Protein should come earlier in the day to keep up the performance.
Vitamins and Minerals convert amino acids into powerful neurotransmitters.
B-complex vitamins NB, as well as A, C , E.
Minerals - Magnesium and manganese needed for brain energy, sodium, potassium and calcium help with transmission of messages.
Carbohydrates are good for serotonin, will help feeling relaxed, so eating it at night should help sleep.
FAT - omega-3 fatty acid - oily fish like tuna, salmon, trout, herring, mackerel, anchovies...
botanical sources -seed oil from: chia, kiwifruit, perilla (shiso), flax (linseed)... (see *)

Four major neurotransmitters:

Acetylcholine - excites other neurons, is involved with voluntary movement of muscles, behavioural inhibition, drinking and memory.

Acetylcholine rich foods: egg yolks, peanuts, wheat germ, fish, milk, cheese... broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

Norepinephrine - synthesised form of dopamine
As a stress hormone, norepinephrine affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Along with epinephrine, norepinephrine also underlies the fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle.

BANANAS are rich in tyrosine which is the precursor of norepinephrine and dopamine

Dopamine - behavior and cognition, motor activity, motivation and reward, sleep, mood, attention, and learning.

Dopamine rich foods include all proteins (meat, milk products, fish, beans, nuts, soy products). 3-4ounces of protein will help you to feel energized, more alert and more assertive.

Serotonin - modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality, and appetite. Usually inhibiting - too much will make you drowsy.

Serotonin rich foods are carbohydrate based - pasta, starchy vegetables, potatoes, cereals, breads.

brainfoods
wikipedia - arousal
more chia
purslane

Rose Hips

Vitamin C

The Dog Rose (Rosa canina) provides rose hips with excellent source of vitamin C, about 1200-200mg per 100g.

16 April - First Post

I have started a garden at my new home. After long time travelling, I finally have a base that's stable enough to invest some time in growing things. I'm taking the permaculture aproach, although I have no fromal training, I am trying to learn as much as I can through practice, trying out anything I can with the resources to my disposal.

I have just raised a lot of seedlings. Silverbeet, spinach, lettuce, mustard greens, rocket, chives, shallots, broccoli, coriander, origanum, parsley, peas... and they'll all go into a mulched patch I've prepared.

I love soil most of all. I like making soil as healthy as possible, and I'm fascinated by the intricate processes going on in living soil.

This blog will be a documentation of everything I learn, everything that inspires me, and my observation of my own growing garden world.