Everybody needs a weed...

Chickory

No, I didn't suggest you needed weed. Gee people, it's still illegal in some states! 

This is a post about weeds. The kind that drive most gardeners nuts. If you're not into gardening, health, the medicinal properties of plants, this is gonna bore you big time. 

I've been on a binge when it comes to expanding, growing, cleaning, creating in my garden during COVID. With the advent of sunny weather in my area I have been in the yard having some garden fun when the sun is shining no matter how cold it might be. 

When I'm not outside I have been on the computer quite a bit, wandering through garden sites, learning about shade plants, growing veggies and all that kinda stuff. I've also been going a bit overboard on ordering seeds. I had to slap my own wrist yesterday and make myself walk away from the computer, stop drooling over the cool plants. 

I ordered a ton of seeds. Way more than I'll ever be able to grow. Now I'm adding new beds to house some of my cool new seeds. I'm cleaning out and extending other beds. Which leads me to weeds...

I'm great at growing weeds. If I were judged on my gardening skills by how many weeds I grow in my yard I'd be top of the heap, a-number-one. I'm also pretty good at growing grass in my flower beds. Not so hot about the grass growing in the rest of the yard. Fertilizer and care might help.

As I've been pulling out some of the weeds from the beds I've noticed that some look really cool. Some have pretty little flowers. I felt bad killing the things. 

I got curious and started trying to find out what they were. Imagine my surprise (chagrin) when I found out I had just ordered seeds for, sigh, one of my weeds. Yep, yours truly ordered chickweed and yours truly has it growing like wildfire all over the place. 

Dandelion

Next I found Creeping Thyme out around my lilies. At least I hadn't ordered seeds.

Now I'm on a mission to identify all of my weeds. 

I already know I love dandelion and that I have plenty. I am going to put in a small patch of them to keep the lawnmowers from destroying this healthy weed. And I have purslane, which is edible. I used to pull it up like, um, a weed. Now I let it go and grow. It is a great one to have around in the event of a Zombie apocalypse.

Flipping back to chickweed... The reason I ordered the seeds is because it has medicinal properties. Even though it clearly identifies itself as a weed (for chicks?) in its name it escaped my attention that it was a weed. Ditto for Joe Pye Weed. Yes, I ordered it and no, I haven't found it in the yard. Yet.

Once I starting delving into weeds I found that many of them are prized as cures or help for various ailments. I also learned that some of the "herbs" I order in bulk for my health teas are called weeds by many. Hmph. I was a bit surprised to see things like Daisies on the weed list.

Red Clover

Soooo, of course I had to go find out why certain pretty and often beneficial plants were called "weeds". I "assumed" all of these years that once a weed always a weed, that all weeds were to be pulled up and destroyed, and that they were noxious, horrible things. 

Wrong. 

Weeds are simply plants that are not valued in the places they are growing, typically grow vigorously, and sometimes choke out plants that are considered more valuable. (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weed) Hence, daisies can be a weed. Something loved by some can be despised as a weed by others. I'm betting my Obedient Plants are considered weeds by some. (Just had a thought --- I need to do some research on "invasive plants". I keep coming across that when I'm considering buying a plant or seeds and it usually stops me from clicking 'purchase'. Some are invasive in one clime but not in another, which just speaks to native plants vs imported --- like kudzu, the bane of the South.)

I have decided that I am going to love my weeds. I'll keep them away from right around my flowers so they don't choke them out, and may move them to the woods or elsewhere, but I'm not pulling them up, dang, I have to write this..."like weeds".

I bet if I put them in little pots I could sell them when they're blooming. Who wouldn't want something called Purple Dead Nettle? :-)

Here's a list of weeds with medicinal qualities that I've found thus far:

• Burdock
  
• Chickweed*
• Chicory*
• Cleavers#
• Common Mallow
• Creeping Charlie (ground ivy)
• Curry Dock
  
• Daisies
• Dandelion#
• Jewelweed (I want this one)
  
• Kudzu
• Lambsquarter
• Mint*
• Mullein#
  
• Plantain
• Purple Dead Nettle
  
• Purslane* (I have this growing all over, already knew it was a good one)
• Red Clover
• Self Heal*
  
• Stinging Nettle
• St. John's Wort *
  
• Violets
• Wood Sorrel
• Yarrow*

*I either have or I ordered seeds
#I buy in bulk and make teas

If you'd like to know more about chickweed's medicinal properties: https://www.verywellhealth.com/chickweed-what-should-i-know-about-it-89437

More about the benefits of Purslane: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/purslane

A short one on two new things I'm doing for sleep...

I have a full-blown on-going blog about sleep on the sidebar if you'd like more on sleep hacks, tips, things to try. These are my two latest additions and thus far both seem to be helping. 

Addition #1 - Ashwagandha 

I make a cup of herbal tea at night. I do it about 3 hours or so before I go to sleep to mitigate the mid-night or 2a.m. bathroom trip. Kinda silly to go through all these hoops for good quality sleep and have it interrupted by a full bladder, right? :-)

I mix my own teas and the one I drink at night is one blended for my specific needs so I won't bore you with the ingredients. However, one thing I do that you may want to try is adding turmeric and ginger. I use ginger and turmeric root, readily available at most grocery stores, and pop thin slices in the tea. I'm working on a turmeric blog will try to remember to pop back on here and link when I get finished. I also add my nightly Calm (magnesium) to the cup (leg cramps, brain, pooping...it's not the only magnesium I take, each type has different benefits...guess I need to do a magnesium blog?). 

The NEW addition is ashwaghanda root. 

I was out and about on-line doing some research and came across the tidbit that it helped with sleep. I use the powder in my smoothies and it is also in a few of the brain supplements I take but it's probably all out of my system by the time I go to bed. Guessing on that one. Could be that just giving it a boost at night is what does the trick.

I started experimenting with it, adding it for a few nights running to my tea bag, missed it off and on. I noticed that my deep sleep improved when I added it to my night tea. I'm still tracking to see if it holds true but so far it's a winner. I work more on my deep sleep than I do on length of sleep. Dave Asprey has a lot on deep sleep, need to get back over and read some more of his "stuff". 

Addition #2 - Quinine (in Tonic Water) 

I recently had my veins done (hereditary issue, thanks mom :-)). I asked the vascular surgeon about the leg cramps I suffer through fairly often. He said that while he couldn't, as a doctor, tell me to do it many of his patients swore by tonic water. 

The magnesium I take doesn't seem to do much for my particular type of leg cramps...then again, maybe they'd be horrific if I didn't take it every night! I don't plan to find out.

So...I went out and did some reading and then went on a hunt for some tonic water that I'd drink at the local grocery stores. Bleh. They all had sugars, sucrolose, a variety of additions that I would never put in my body.

I finally found one at my local Kroger. Their Diet Tonic Water doesn't have a sweetener in it. I bought a 99 cent bottle to see if it helped. 

Wow. I haven't had leg cramps since I started drinking it. I have no idea if it's a placebo effect -- don't believe it is as I've "believed" in other things that supposedly worked on leg cramps that didn't for yours truly. I do think that everyone's body is different and maybe this is the thing that works on my particular type of leg cramp but maybe not yours. It's a cheap thing to try and if it works I will expect a hug if we ever meet. 

I use it in the tea mix I mentioned in Addition #1 to cool my tea. I leave space in the top of the tea cup and add it. I'll also put a little in my daily drink mix off and on but not consistently. 

Note: I gather that quinine is also known as cinchoa or Countess powder. Guess who's off to do some research? Could be that I can just buy some of the powder and use it, or maybe the root for my tea. It's very bitter so maybe I'll just stick to the tonic water.

Have you tried either of these? Doing something I've missed? Experimenting? Figured out ways to improve your deep sleep? Check out my blog on the sidebar and let me know if I should add anything to my list. Thanks! 

Hope you have a healthy, restful, 2021.

Side tip re: Calm --- I buy it on Amazon, have it on their Subscribe and Save program. I was at Costco recently and they had a much larger container (20 oz vs 16 oz) for a dollar more than Amazon's smaller container. I grabbed one. I just popped over to Amazon and noticed they've dropped the price for the 16 oz container by $2. Ha. Keep an eye on it if it's something you use as there may be more price changes!

Just Hook Up the IV

Caffeine Survey Reveals Most, Least Caffeinated Cities

/PRNewswire/ -- The second annual HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey, commissioned by HealthSaver, a national emerging health care discount service, found that the most caffeinated city in the country is Tampa, followed by Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

The least caffeinated cities are Riverside/San Bernardino, followed closely by Atlanta, San Diego, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Dallas. The survey considered numerous caffeine sources, including coffee, tea, sodas, energy drinks, chocolate, pain relievers and caffeine pills.

Considering caffeinated coffee consumption alone, it was no surprise that Seattle ranked No. 1 nationwide for the second consecutive year.

The HealthSaver 2008 Caffeinated Cities Survey, released today, was conducted to determine the caffeine consumption habits and attitudes of consumers across the U.S., and to learn more about cultural views and health benefits of this morning pick-me-up, afternoon alert booster and late-night indulgence.

"With the advent of rich, high-end coffees, soaring popularity of energy drinks and national fascination with green tea, our HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey has brewed up some very interesting trends, findings and results," said Brad Eggleston, vice president of HealthSaver. "This groundbreaking research is an important tool to help educate about the health benefits of moderate caffeine consumption in the United States."

The health benefits of caffeine are plentiful and well-documented in numerous studies in recent years. Coffee and tea, in particular, have emerged as good health food sources that can lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, and cirrhosis of the liver, as well as lift your mood, treat headaches and even lower risk of cavities. Caffeine also enhances athleticism, endurance and performance, according to health care experts.

"Even though at one time coffee was considered harmful to your health, at this point there is no compelling research to indicate that, in fact, is true," said Dr. Peter R. Martin, Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology and the Director of the Institute of Coffee Studies, Vanderbilt School of Medicine. "Newer studies actually prove coffee in moderation is good for one's health."

Here's the buzz on the most and least wired cities:
Most Caffeinated Cities

2008 2007
1. Tampa 1. Chicago
2. Seattle 2. Tampa
3. Chicago 3. Miami
4. New York 4. Phoenix
5. Los Angeles 5. Atlanta


Least Caffeinated Cities

2008 2007
1. Riverside/San Bernardino 1. San Francisco
2. Atlanta 2. Philadelphia
3. San Diego 3. New York
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul 4. Detroit
5. Dallas 5. Baltimore



Other cities surveyed in 2008 include Baltimore, Miami, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

For the second year in a row, Seattle ranked No. 1 in coffee consumption, with 55 percent of residents surveyed saying this elixir of alertness would be the most difficult caffeine product to give up.

Nearly one-half (49 percent) of all respondents nationwide said they drink caffeinated coffee every day, while cola and tea tied with a 20 percent daily consumption rate. Sweets containing chocolate ranked fourth among caffeine products, with a 13 percent daily consumption, the survey found.

Some key survey findings:

Most Coffee Consumption
Regular coffee & specialty coffee drinks

2008 2007
1. Seattle 1. Seattle
2. Miami 2. Boston
3. San Francisco 3. Houston
4. Los Angeles 4. Chicago
5. Tampa 5. Miami


Least Coffee Consumption
Regular coffee & specialty coffee drinks

2008 2007
1. St. Louis 1. Dallas
2. Riverside/San Bernardino 2. New York
3. Houston 3. St. Louis
4. Phoenix 4. Atlanta
5. Detroit 5. Philadelphia


Most Cola Consumption
Regular Coke, regular Pepsi, Mountain Dew

2008 2007
1. Houston 1. Chicago
2. Minneapolis/St. Paul 2. Dallas
3. St. Louis 3. St. Louis
4. Chicago 4. Atlanta
5. Washington, D.C. 5. Tampa


Least Cola Consumption
Regular Coke, regular Pepsi, Mountain Dew

2008 2007
1. New York 1. Philadelphia
2. San Francisco 2. New York
3. Riverside/San Bernardino 3. Miami
4. Boston 4. Seattle
5. San Diego 5. San Francisco


Most Tea Consumption
Green tea, iced tea, black tea

2008 2007
1. New York 1. Miami
2. Tampa 2. Tampa
3. Baltimore 3. Washington, D.C.
4. Boston 4. Philadelphia
5. Atlanta 5. Atlanta


Least Tea Consumption
Green tea, iced tea, black tea

2008 2007
1. Minneapolis/St. Paul 1. Minneapolis/St. Paul
2. Miami 2. Detroit
3. San Francisco 3. San Francisco
4. Detroit 4. Seattle
5. Seattle 5. Boston


Most Chocolate Consumption
Candy, ice cream, cake, cookies

2008 2007
1. Seattle 1. Chicago
2. Phoenix 2. Atlanta
3. Chicago 3. Minneapolis/St. Paul
4. Detroit 4. Phoenix
5. Boston 5. St. Louis


Least Chocolate Consumption
Candy, ice cream, cake, cookies

2008 2007
1. Atlanta 1. Los Angeles
2. Dallas 2. Riverside/San Bernardino
3. Riverside/San Bernardino 3. Houston
4. San Diego 4. Miami
5. Philadelphia 5. Dallas


Most Energy Drink Consumption
Red Bull, Monster etc.

2008 2007
1. Atlanta 1. Riverside/San Bernardino
2. Riverside/San Bernardino 2. Los Angeles
3. Tampa 3. Chicago
4. Seattle 4. Miami
5. San Diego 5. New York


Least Energy Drink Consumption
Red Bull, Monster etc.

2008 2007
1. Dallas (tie) 1. Philadelphia
1. Baltimore (tie) 2. San Francisco/Oakland
3. Washington, D.C. 3. Houston
4. Detroit 4. Dallas/Ft. Worth
5. Philadelphia & St. Louis (tie) 5. Boston


Cities Most Likely To Say Caffeine Is Good For You

2008 2007
1. New York 1. Seattle
2. Miami 2. Chicago
3. Baltimore 3. Miami
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul 4. San Diego
5. Tampa 5. Boston


Cities Most Likely To Say Caffeine Is Bad For You

2008 2007
1. Detroit 1. Los Angeles
2. Phoenix 2. Riverside/San Bernardino
3. Riverside/San Bernardino 3. San Francisco
4. St. Louis 4. New York
5. Houston 5. Atlanta


Cities Most Addicted To Caffeine

2008 2007
1. Seattle 1. Boston
2. Philadelphia 2. Minneapolis/St. Paul
3. Phoenix 3. San Diego
4. St. Louis 4. Chicago
5. Los Angeles & Boston (tie) 5. Atlanta


Cities Least Addicted To Caffeine

2008 2007
1. Chicago 1. New York
2. Tampa 2. Philadelphia
3. San Francisco 3. Miami
4. Houston 4. Houston
5. Riverside/San Bernadino 5. Tampa



Consumers tipped their coffee cups on a variety of caffeine-related trends:

-- For the second straight year, nearly one-half of all respondents (42
percent) said coffee/specialty drinks would be the hardest to give up.
-- Men are much more likely than women (47 percent vs. 39 percent) to say
coffee would be the hardest to give up, similar to the first annual
survey.
-- Nearly three-fourths (72 percent) of all respondents said they are not
addicted to caffeine.
-- Among age groups, the older the consumer, the more likely they are to
say coffee would be the most difficult caffeinated product to give up,
a pattern similar to that found last year.

Other key findings of the study:
-- Women are more likely than men to say they are addicted to caffeine
(29 percent of women vs. 24 percent of men).
-- A majority (64 percent) said they consume about the same amount of
caffeine as they did a year ago.
-- More than one-fourth (28 percent) consume less caffeine now than they
did a year ago.
-- The younger the age group, the more likely they are to say they
consume more caffeine than a year ago.
-- Among respondents consuming less caffeine, 53 percent said it is
because they are seeking to improve their health; and nearly
one-fourth (24 percent) of those consuming less caffeine are doing so
because of a change of diet/currently on a diet plan.
-- More than one-fourth said they consume more caffeine than a year ago
because their everyday routine is more demanding. Another six percent
said it was because they have more access to caffeine, and 2 percent
said they consume more because of fatigue due to sleep problems.
-- Over one-half of respondents said they are way over their ideal weight
(12 percent) or over their ideal weight (54 percent). Only four
percent said they were under their ideal weight.

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