Wild Plants: Compiling A Healthy Menu

Wild plants and a healthy lifestyle are almost synonymous. Today it is almost impossible to find really useful products in the store. And even those that bear the proud title of environmentally friendly, in most cases they are not, as they are grown using chemical fertilizers.

But in the plants collected with your own hands, you can be sure. However, this requires clear knowledge about what kind of wild plants are best to look for, how to collect them most correctly, turn them into blanks, and in what form to eat them.

What are wild plants, and what are their benefits for the body

Wild plants have been adapting for years to survive in nature, so they acquire incredible resilience, the ability to grow in adverse environmental conditions, resist insects, and fight various diseases to which they are susceptible. Eating edible wild plants, a person strengthens and heals his body, fills it with the power of wild plants. It is a natural source of vital compounds of various chemical structures.

So, say, sorrel, burdock, gout, nettle, quinoa, wild garlic, chicory, our ancestors included in their diet dozens, if not hundreds of years ago. For the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad, wild plants were a real salvation: they used more than forty of their species! To date, wild plants have not lost their popularity: especially in Siberia and in the northern part of the European territory of the country.

Sometimes it is enough just to process the plant correctly - and it is already ready for use. For example, dandelion and chicory only need to be scalded: this will help remove excess bitterness and neutralize toxicity. And acorns (oak) or a yellow capsule should be kept in a saline solution, or alternate soaking them in running water with drying.

Of course, there are exceptions: sometimes the processing of wild plants requires a lot of patience, time and energy costs. It can be so complex that it is completely impossible to produce it with improvised means - special equipment is required.

In addition, do not forget that exceeding the permissible dose or excessively frequent consumption of certain types of plants can lead to adverse effects and even aggravate the current state of health. As Paracelsus said, everything is poison and everything is medicine. So, let's say, excessive intake of oxalic acid in the body, which is contained in oxalis, nettle and sorrel, can adversely affect the functioning of the liver, and also lead (if there are other predisposing circumstances) to the deposition of calculi.

Again, there are a lot of edible plants on the planet, so remembering and understanding all their properties is not so easy. However, among them there are those that, firstly, do not require complex processing, and secondly, are well known to most people.

What is the difference between wild plants and greenhouse plants

Both in Europe and in Russia, wild plants have made a splash on the market of useful and healthy products - and all thanks to their undeniable beneficial effects on many body systems and, of course, naturalness. In our country, more and more often you can find advertising inscriptions about the sale of wild plants.

The opinion of many nutritionists is this: there is no difference if any additives or fertilizers were not used as a top dressing when growing plants. But even if you were engaged in a home garden with your own hands, you should never forget about factors such as selection and genetic engineering. All this will certainly affect the seeds. If we talk about the amount of minerals and vitamins, then in those and in other fruits and herbs they will be the same amount.

And yet, a number of experts, on the contrary, believe that wild plants in their usefulness and taste are significantly superior to plants grown in greenhouses and gardens. We can also agree with this, because wild plants “choose” for themselves places in nature where they can be filled with vitamins to the maximum. And under cultural conditions, berries and herbs grow on the same soil, the fertility of which, one way or another, is gradually deteriorating.

The most useful and at the same time affordable wild plants

• Angelica forest (angelica). An excellent diuretic, stimulating, in addition, the secretion of bile. As a seasoning, you can add leaves and young stems to food.

• Fireweed narrow-leaved (Ivan-tea). Good for the heart, gastrointestinal tract, strengthens the immune system and has long been used as an anti-cold remedy. Salads, cabbage soup and even mashed potatoes are prepared from young leaves. Tea is brewed from fermented leaves.

• Mary (swan). She treats gastritis and ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, is used for various disorders of the digestive system. Everything is used: wild flowers, leaves (both fresh and dried), young stems. You can insist, pickle, prepare tea, cocktail, mashed potatoes and, of course, soup.

• Burdock large (burdock). It has a strong cleansing effect, removes toxins and toxins from the body, helps the digestive and endocrine systems, and also supports the detoxification function of the liver. Greens go to soups and salads. The roots can be cooked like plain potatoes (boiled, baked, fried, stewed) or dried and then ground into flour.

• Chickweed medium (louse, mokrichnik). Suppresses inflammatory processes inside the body, and, in general, increases efficiency. From woodlice prepare teas, salads, soups.

• Dandelion (medicinal). It cleanses the body of toxins, is useful for the normal functioning of the stomach, and is used as a medicine for diabetes. The bitterness from the plant is removed by soaking in cold water for 30 minutes. A delicious drink is prepared from the roots, somewhat similar to coffee (the roots are dried, roasted, and then ground).

   

• Shepherd's bag (bag). It improves the work of the stomach, raises the tone of the muscular apparatus of the uterus, it is recommended for use by people with poor blood clotting. Dried leaves and seeds are used as spices, and salads, soups, and cocktails are prepared from raw ones.

• Red clover (red). Used to improve blood clotting, as well as a diuretic and sedative. It can be added to tea, soup or salad.

• Kislitsa (hare cabbage). Useful for the liver and stomach, acts as an anthelmintic. In cooking, it is used as sorrel, added to salads and soups.

• Siberian hogweed. Wild herb used to treat the gastrointestinal tract, it also improves appetite, acts as a sedative and relieves spasms. Leaves and fresh shoots (without thick skins) are added to salads, side dishes, soups, and infusions are prepared from them.

• Wormwood (chernobyl). An excellent sedative and appetite enhancer, also useful for gastritis and intestinal cramps. Wormwood is used to make drinks, plus it adds a special flavor to various dishes.

• Heather common. It is used to treat heart and kidney diseases, is used for colds, relieves swelling. Decoctions, teas and tinctures are prepared from dried heather.

• Common pine. Regular use of needles promotes the renewal of body cells, improves blood clotting and, as a result, leads to a decrease in blood loss. Tea is prepared from pine, introduced into the diet in the form of decoctions and cocktails.

• Rowan. A good diuretic that also improves the flow of bile. This wild plant inhibits fermentation processes in the gastrointestinal tract - and, therefore, is applicable for excessive bacterial and / or fungal growth. Used in canning and for the preparation of decoctions, infusions, teas.

• Strawberry. A berry that is especially useful in such a pathology of carbohydrate metabolism as diabetes mellitus. It is recommended for people with poor metabolism and weak immune systems. Fights viruses, acts as a diuretic and choleretic agent, stimulates hematopoiesis. It is used in the form of tea, cocktail, infusion or decoction.

• Raspberry. Strengthens the immune system, acts as a sedative and anti-cold remedy, relieves inflammation. Teas, tinctures, decoctions, juices are prepared from it.

• Larch (grass). A good sedative, antimicrobial and antiparasitic agent. In addition, this wild plant removes toxins, normalizes bowel function. It is used in the form of teas and in cocktails.

• Stone berry. Wild berry, soothes, suppresses inflammation, acts as an antipyretic. Removes toxins, useful in metabolic disorders. It is added to salads, decoctions, infusions, smoothies are prepared.

• Grass of wheatgrass creeping. Helps improve metabolism, acts as a choleretic agent, helps to remove stones. Used in the form of tea, juice, decoction, tincture.

   

• Violet (forest). Soothes, relieves inflammation, cleanses the blood, disinfects, acts as a diuretic. You can add to salads, prepare teas, cocktails, infusions.

• Acacia. It has antipyretic, expectorant, laxative and diuretic properties. The greens of this wild plant are similar in taste to legumes. It is put in salads, used for cocktails, infusions and decoctions.

• Birch. Infusions are prepared from birch leaves, which contribute to the renewal of body cells, act as a sedative and choleretic agent, and strengthen the immune system.

• Yarrow). It is useful for various diseases of both the stomach and the digestive system as a whole, it is used in the absence of appetite. Overdoses are dangerous, the symptoms of which are dizziness and a rash on the skin. From the leaves, young stems and wild flowers, teas, infusions and decoctions are prepared.

• Common tansy (field ashberry). It is used to treat the kidneys, stomach, liver. In cooking, it is used as a spice for baking, it completely replaces cinnamon or nutmeg.

• Lungwort (medicinal). Improves blood clotting, is used as an adjunct to the main therapy in the treatment of anemia of various origins. Even under the influence of high temperatures, it does not lose most of its properties, it is actively used to eliminate cough. Teas, infusions are prepared from lungwort, they are used for pickling, salting and cooking all kinds of products.

• Coltsfoot. A well-known proverb about this fairly common wild plant says: "Daughter before mother." The thing is that the flowers on it fade and crumble before the leaves have time to appear - which is why the first should be collected in April, and the second - in June or July.

  Decoctions and ointments are prepared from coltsfoot, which are used in the treatment of gastritis, cystitis, used as an expectorant and diaphoretic, as well as for rinsing hair - in particular, its combination with nettle is perfect.

  For pain in the teeth or a strong cough, it is recommended to fumigate the patient: ask him to inhale the smoke coming from burning dried leaves and roots. Wounds and inflammations are treated with freshly squeezed plant juice, it is also instilled into the nasal cavity for rhinitis. In addition, it improves the process of digestion and stimulates appetite - its use is indicated for such an eating disorder as anorexia. Pregnant women, patients with various kinds of liver pathologies, as well as women with an irregular menstrual cycle should use coltsfoot extremely carefully.

• Sleep. It is rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that acts as a protector of our cells from the peculiar attacks of free radicals. Fresh shoots and leaves are used for food along with petioles - the first, by the way, are sour, and the second are pickled. The range of use is very wide: soups, salads, cabbage soup, smoothies, juices, sauces. In addition, when dried, it is an excellent seasoning that gives the dish an unforgettable aroma and a delicate aftertaste. There are no contraindications to this edible wild plant.

   

• Nettle. Rich in iron, magnesium, vanadium, potassium - vital chemical elements. The best time to collect young shoots is April, May, and also the beginning of June - moreover, in the afternoon. Then the plant becomes prickly, hard, and even covered with insects, which greatly complicates the mechanical process itself.

  Nettle stimulates blood formation - thanks to this property, many authorities note significant improvements after two weeks of taking it in the treatment of anemia. In addition, the decoction is very useful for hair - we advise you to brew it in the evening, let it brew and rinse the roots and stems with it in the morning.

  It is better to eat nettle fresh - like greens, or add a few leaves to smoothies. When boiled (in soups), it partially loses its beneficial properties. Dried herb is a great condiment.

How to collect wild plants

The timing of the collection of wild plants largely depends on the geographical location, the climatic conditions of the area, and the part of the plant used. All the most valuable can be concentrated in the stems, roots, bark, flowers.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that both during life and even throughout the day, the content of active components in the plant may change - this is all necessary to obtain a preparation that has maximum benefits.

How to prepare for the collection?

1. Find as much information as possible about edible wild plants - ignorance, as they say, is no excuse.

2. Learn to recognize useful herbs and not confuse them with similar ones that have no medicinal properties - the latter, moreover, can even be poisonous.

3. Find out from which plants which part is to be collected and at what time - pharmaceutical books are great.

4. Study the collection technique and the existing rules for this.

5. Find out how the primary processing of the collected raw materials is carried out.

6. Familiarize yourself with the safety rules (if it comes to collecting toxic plants).

At the same time, the harvesting technique is also important, and the more competently you do everything, the better, in the end, the result will be.

1. Collection of roots (rhizomes and tubers)

   The best time to harvest wild roots is when the top of the plant has already wilted - that is, in autumn or early spring. The difficulty of collecting after the end of winter is that it is difficult to determine with complete certainty which plant root you have dug up.

   The collection should begin only after the seeds have ripened and crumbled: so as not to disturb their subsequent renewal. Part of the rhizomes (bulbs, tubers) must be left in the ground so that the thickets can recover. This is especially important for plants that reproduce vegetatively, and also applies to young roots and tubers: there will be little raw material from them, so let them grow better.

   For digging, use a shovel, sticking it in about 10-12 centimeters from the stem. Excess soil from the roots must be shaken off, then folded into a wicker container and rinsed well under running cold water.

   However, there are also wild plants whose roots should not be touched at all: at the same time, they lose a number of useful substances (in particular, mucous compounds) - shake off the ground from them, and then peel off the skin with a knife - this will be more than enough.

   Clean washed rhizomes of plants are dried (small - in their entirety, large - cut in length or width), laying out in one layer on the grass or on a piece of burlap. After - cut off the aerial part and small side roots, if necessary.

2. Collection of kidneys

   The most suitable moment for collecting buds of trees and bushes is early spring, when they have not yet blossomed, and they concentrate the largest amount of useful elements. Broken buds can no longer be collected.

   Practical advice: it is best to collect in forestry land during the felling period, so as not to spoil living trees and bushes (especially if harvesting is to be large enough).

1. Collecting the bark

   The bark is harvested in the spring, when the active movement of juices begins in the trees and bushes. It should be removed from cut branches, and if we are talking about young shoots (not older than 1-2 years), then you can not cut more than 15-20% of the branches. If you take the bark directly from a living plant, then active sap production will begin in an open place, as a result of which not only the branch, but the entire tree (bush) can dry out.

   You can suggest the following scheme of actions: with a well-sharpened knife, make several cuts across the trunk at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other, and then make three cuts along the length between them. The resulting strips are carefully separated by hand, moving towards the lower transverse incision, but without tearing it off completely. Almost to the end, the separated ribbons must be left on the branch so that they are dried (in the process they will twist like a groove, or into a curl).

    

   Do not collect bark from wild plants on which lichen “lives”, or there are any other obscure shapeless growths.

   In order not to harm the forest communities, for the harvesting of birch bark, mark areas of the forest where cutting down or so-called thinning is planned. It is possible to start stripping the bark even five years before the felling itself begins. A tree with bark removed (if it was not supposed to be cut down) may die, get sick, or be attacked by pests.

   In places of recreation, the harvesting of birch bark should be prohibited altogether. This refers to the banks of reservoirs, picturesque groves along the roads, tourist and fishing areas. The aesthetics of such zones is greatly spoiled by the appearance of trees with bark removed.

2. Leaf Harvesting

   Leaves of wild plants are recommended to be harvested in dry weather, during the flowering period, although there are, as elsewhere, there are some exceptions.

   Recommended

   “Foods rich in potassium: why is it simply impossible without them?” More

   How to cut off correctly? With a hand, downward movement, or gently break the petiole with a fingernail at the very leaflet. It is impossible to cut off the foliage at the tip of the shoot, from this it may completely stop growing. Leaves choose whole, healthy, not bitten by caterpillars or snails. Dirty or sluggish ones are also not worth collecting.

3. Collection of flowers

   Flowers include large inflorescences, and just individual flowers, and even petals. If they grow low, like grass, then they are simply torn off with their hands along with a small pedicel. If the flowers are on the tree, then the branches are bent with long sticks, to the ends of which hooks are attached. You should not break off branches or cut them down to get to the flowers: in this case, they will dry out and the whole tree may die. Remember that some of the flowers must be left. This is especially important for plants that reproduce only through seeds.

    

   Before laying out the flowers for drying, it is necessary to sort them out, remove too long pedicels and discard leaves that accidentally fell into the collection.

4. Collection of herbs

   That part of wild plants that is above the ground should be harvested when flowering is in progress, but fruits have not yet appeared. Stepping back a little from the surface of the earth, just cut the grass with a knife or a pruner, just don’t uproot it: not only will you pollute the raw materials, but also upset the natural balance, depleting plant stocks.

   Choose dry weather for harvesting, preferably not sunny, and wait until the grass dries out from the dew.

5. Collection of fruits and seeds

   The best time to pick juicy berries and fruits is early morning or evening. If you collect them under the rays of the scorching sun, they will soon release the juice and begin to deteriorate. It is better to put blanks in wicker baskets, alternating with a layer of leaves or grass (every 3-5 cm) in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit. In the process of collecting with your fingers, also take very carefully, do not pinch.

   Spoiled wild berries (dirty, dried, unripe, crushed or eaten by insects) are not suitable for harvesting: they will quickly begin to rot and will have to be thrown away. You can not spoil the shrub during the picking of berries, pull it out of the ground or break branches.

6. picking mushrooms

   To prevent mushrooms from spoiling too quickly, you should not collect them in plastic or metal containers, only in wicker boxes and baskets. Mushrooms are a perishable product, and the process of decay is accompanied by the formation of harmful substances. They can accumulate a dangerous amount in edible mushrooms. Therefore, as soon as you have collected it, immediately start processing it. Very old or worm-affected mushrooms are not suitable for harvesting. When collecting, be very careful, learn to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones that look similar to them. If in doubt or don’t know at all what kind of mushroom is in front of you, it’s better not to take it.

    

   Chaga mushrooms are available for harvest throughout the year, but when the trees are clear of leaves, they are more visible, so late fall, winter, or early spring are great.

   The fungus is cut down from the trunk with an ax, and this spoils the birch, it can even lead to its death. It is necessary to combine the collection of chaga and birch bark, and if this is done in winter or early spring (of course, on trees intended for felling), then you can also collect birch buds, the healing properties of which have long been known.

Here are some other important things to consider when harvesting wild plants:

• Only healthy plants that are not spoiled by beetles, caterpillars and other insects are suitable for harvesting.

• During the collection, immediately fold the different plants separately: when they are slightly dry or flattened, it will be difficult for you to distinguish them.

• The best containers for blanks are wicker baskets or birch bark boxes. Plastic containers or plastic bags are completely unsuitable for plants (especially for herbs, flowers, leaves): they do not allow air to pass through, which is why the collected material rots, deteriorates, and loses its medicinal qualities.

• Rainy or foggy weather is not suitable for collection. If you went to harvest in the morning, wait until the dew dries.

• It should be remembered that the timing and seasons for collecting plants in different regions and climatic zones will be different.

• You should not harvest wild plants with an overabundance, so that it does not turn out that you do not have the opportunity to process all the collected material.

• Plants should not be collected along roads where there is a lot of traffic.

12 tips for drying wild plants

The moisture content in plants is approximately the following: about 45% - in the root system, about 85% - in the aerial part: in foliage, grass, fruits and inflorescences. It is very important to dry the raw material as soon as possible, otherwise it will begin to rot and disappear. The highest quality product is the one that dries quickly.

Active beneficial elements in plants are destroyed precisely because living cells and their active enzymes continue to function when wet. But it should also be dried correctly, otherwise mold will grow in the blanks, bacteria, fungi will multiply, and the raw materials will soon rot.

Freezing medicinal wild plants is not worth it; the best way to preserve them is quick, gentle drying. Here are a few rules to follow:

1. No later than two hours after harvesting, the plants should be sorted out, remove foreign debris and begin to dry.

2. You need to place the workpieces at some distance from each other.

3. The best places for drying are in the shade, in the attic, under the roof of a shed. The raw materials are laid in one layer, having previously laid something. If you live in an apartment, use the oven, dryer, any free shelves.

4. Plants dry well in bunches suspended somewhere in the shade.

5. Herbs are not dried under open sunlight. At the same time, they lose not only color, but also almost all of their medicinal properties.

6. In the sun and with good ventilation, roots, bark, seeds, fruits should be dried. The only exceptions are some plants with a pronounced smell: calamus, valerian - they need a shadow to dry.

7. If the roots are very large, they should be cut lengthwise or widthwise or even in circles.

8. If the blanks turn brown during the drying process, it means that they have been exposed to too high a temperature. In terms of taste and their medicinal properties, they will no longer be the same as they should be.

9. Remember that for wild plants with a high content of essential oils, the maximum drying temperature is + 30 ° C: at a higher temperature, the evaporation process will begin.

10. For plants rich in glycosides (rose hips, for example), on the contrary, a higher temperature (+ 60 ° C) and quick drying are needed. This will stop the work of enzymes, under the influence of which glycosides break down.

1. How to check if the blanks are completely dried? The leaves should be easily ground into powder, the stems should break with a crunch, the roots should also (do not bend). The berries become dry, crumbly, not sticky, without the slightest sign of moisture.

2. If it was not possible to dry the plants during the day, they should be taken away from the open air in the evening, otherwise they will get wet again from the night moisture and morning dew, darken and lose their beneficial medicinal properties.

5 tips for storing wild plants

1. After drying, the blanks are placed in storage. The following containers are suitable: cardboard boxes, birch bark tuesas, fabric bags, paper bags, glass jars, boxes pre-lined with white paper.

2. Moisture should be excluded from the dried product: it will cause mold. Moreover, plants can not only lose their beneficial properties, but even become poisonous.

3. Any plastic container is categorically not suitable for storing dried wild plants, as well as rooms with unstable temperature conditions. Under such conditions, the workpieces will fog up, rot and quickly become unusable.

    

4. Wild plants rich in essential oils and other rapidly evaporating components are stored in glass (preferably dark) tightly closed containers. This will protect the blanks from dampness and direct sunlight. Strong-smelling plants are best kept separate from others.

5. Stick labels on all containers with blanks, write on them when, where you collected the plant and what it is called. For further storage, a living room is quite suitable if it is not very hot and is often ventilated. Choose a darker place in the room. As for the shelf life, for foliage, grass and inflorescences it is a year or two; for the bark, roots and fruits - about three.

Wild plants on the menu

The value and usefulness of wild plants is undeniable. Therefore, since time immemorial, people have been using for food everything that can be collected in nature: fruits, rhizomes, bark, foliage and herbs. It is important to understand the science of their proper preparation.

1. wild vegetables in salads

   You can add any young greens to salads (finely chopped), namely, leaves, inflorescences, buds. Do not make exceptions for very fragrant plants, many of them are very helpful for the digestive tract.

   The dish can be prepared entirely from edible wild plants, or you can add them to a ready-made salad of vegetables or fruits. Herbs will fill your diet with the necessary vitamins and minerals, so the more the better.

    

   Bitter-tasting plants should be left for 20 minutes in a cold saline solution: take 300 ml of water and 1 tsp. salt. Cook immediately after soaking, as the bitter aftertaste will reappear the next day.

   Here is a small list of wild plants that are edible and suitable for making salads and soups:

   • Young dandelion leaves (the best time to collect is when the stems have not sprouted yet).

   • Nettle leaves. In a plant of a purple hue, even young stems are suitable for food.

   • Quinoa. Leaves are used for cooking, and in terms of protein content, they are not inferior to legumes. Quinoa is recommended to be consumed by mixing with other herbs.

   • Varieties of sorrel, that is, ordinary, small, water.

   • Serbian (wild radish). It makes excellent soups, and boiled radish smells about like fresh beans.

   • Turnip leaves.

   • Sleepy plant.

   • Green cucumber grass. The best time to collect is before the flowers appear.

   • Lungwort.

   • Grass sour.

   • Wild mustard.

   • Wild garlic leaves.

   As for the taste of wild plants, dandelion leaves, for example, may well replace arugula. Cucumber grass smells very fresh and appetizing, it is added to salads.

   Recommended

   "Rational nutrition: principles and features" More

   Very original dishes are obtained with the use of young birch leaves and barely opened buds, as well as closed, dense and crispy tulip buds.

   How to season these salads? With sour cream, vegetable oil, cottage cheese, you can mix everything, add vinegar and even herbs like wood lice or gout (grind them with a blender).

2. Soups from wild edible plants

   Sorrel, nettle, quinoa, field thistle, Jerusalem artichoke tubers, rhubarb, acacia inflorescences are excellent for soups. Greens are better absorbed if you use olive oil as a dressing, and with croutons or cheese it will turn out even tastier.

   Yellow acacia flowers will beautifully decorate the soup: they do not lose their brightness even in boiling water.

3. Wild vegetables as part of the second courses

   Almost all wild plants are well suited for frying, stewing, baking. Therefore, edible herbs can be included as a main component or as an addition to the recipe for casseroles, stews, omelettes, pies, cutlets, put in pancake dough or used as a filling for pancakes. Add to potatoes or even use Jerusalem artichoke, burdock, willow-herb roots as a substitute.

    

   An important note: if you use cruciferous plants that contain mustard oil for cooking, then remember that under the influence of high temperatures their taste deteriorates. To preserve the piquancy and pungency of these herbs, they are best added to food raw.

4. Wild plants in desserts

   Many plants are used to make jam. Calamus, angelica, linden flowers and rose petals, pine cones, burdock roots are suitable for this. Dandelions produce delicious honey. Here are some tips for preparing sweet dishes:

   • Sour or slightly sweet herbs can be used for syrups, jams, puddings, and any pastry.

   • Flowers look great as decorations on desserts: small roses, calendula, dandelions, violets.

   • Candied inflorescences will also serve as an excellent decor.

   The taste of plant jam will become even more intense if you add, for example, lemon or orange peels, nuts, gooseberries and even zucchini to it.

5. Wild herb tea

   Such tea, as a rule, is unusually tasty and very healthy.

   • Raspberry and currant. They act as antipyretic, anti-cold and diuretic. Supports the immune system, helps with sore throat and stuffy nose.

   • Tea with cherry branches relieves swelling, improves kidney function, is a good sedative, analgesic for cystitis.

   • Plum is recommended for hypertensive patients and people with anemia. In addition, plum tea relaxes and relieves headaches. No need to brew it too strong and drink very often. Optimally - once or twice a day twice a week, 100 ml.

   • Rosehip is useful for malfunctions of the digestive and respiratory systems. In addition, he treats colds, gives strength after illnesses.

   • There is a lot of vitamin C in apple tree branches. Add them to tea with a deficiency of ascorbic acid or in the treatment of sore throats.

How to get juice from wild plants

It is best to squeeze the juice in a juicer. There, the screw rotates at a rather low speed (in a blender it is faster), and thanks to this, the trace elements are better preserved. In addition, the blender does not always cope with the structure of some rather powerful and stringy wild herbs, so after grinding the product will also have to be filtered.

In general, if you are going to make juice from wild plants, then the juicer should be chosen wisely. The option recommended by manufacturers and specialists is models with two screws. It is they who can easily cope with thick leaves and stems. Again, small blades of grass are poorly squeezed out in a vertical apparatus, and if you lay them in bunches, then there is a risk that the mesh will not withstand (it will crack), because the bunch remains voluminous and there is nowhere to press it. If there are two augers in the juicer, it first grinds the plants (even their hard parts) at low speeds, and then squeezes the juice. It turns out a lot and without the destruction of trace elements.

Wild plants and disease treatment

There are a lot of useful trace elements with medicinal properties in wild plants. These plants are used both as independent remedies and as an addition to medicines. In general, very many drugs are based on plant components, due to which such drugs have good bioavailability and give a stable effect when used.

For example, vinca extract is indicated for chemotherapy. The healing properties of plants have been used by people for many centuries, passing knowledge from one generation to another. Plantain should be applied to a wound or bite, and celandine treats warts. If you have heart problems, brew hawthorn flowers and berries, and linden and wild elder are good for colds. Here's how else to use wild plants in the treatment of diseases:

1. Yarrow, chamomile, calendula, sage, garlic, eucalyptus, tea tree leaves are effective against pathogenic bacteria.

2. Raspberry leaves, yarrow, shepherd's purse, cuff are used to stop bleeding.

3. There are herbs that can gently stimulate metabolism with the "attraction" of all the organs involved in it: the intestines, skin, lymph, lungs, liver and kidneys.

   These plants include burdock, nettle, dandelion, red clover, tenacious bedstraw, alfalfa.

4. Herbs that have protective and healing functions in relation to the liver: eleutherococcus, chicory, artichoke, milk thistle, sandy immortelle, fumes officinalis.

1. Wild plants with a bitter taste: dandelion, wormwood, gentian, yarrow, burdock, curly sorrel, medicinal verbena, angelica. These plants have a beneficial effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, and also activate secretions in the digestive tract.

2. They reduce the concentration of glucose in the blood and are effective as an adjuvant in the treatment of diabetes: chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, elecampane, dandelion, burdock.

3. During lactation, the following plants that stimulate the formation of milk are useful: milk thistle, fennel, nettle, fenugreek hay.

4. Wild plants that strengthen the immune system and trigger phagocytosis (which is important in the fight against bacteria): ginger, garlic, echinacea, black elderberry, Baikal skullcap.