Arugula Advantage
• Botanical name: Eruca sativa
• If you ever see a salad green referred to as “rocket,” it’s simply another name for arugula, or roquette in French. Yet another brassicaceae along with kale and cauliflower, its delightfully pungent leaves have been cultivated in the Mediterranean since time was recorded. As such, arugulais a perennial favorite in Italian cooking.
• Rather nondescript in appearance, arugula is often added to mesclun mixes, where it adds a delicious zest. While the young, paler leaves have a mild flavor - good for fresh dishes like salad and pesto - the older, darker leaves have a bit of pepper to them, making them stand out in soups and pizza toppings.
• Health Benefits of Arugula

Swiss chard
What's New and Beneficial About Swiss Chard

Rose Hip / Rosehip
A rose hip is the fruit of a rose. Also known as rose haw or rose hep. The wild dog rose is the type of rose most often cultivated for their hips. This plant grows up to ten feet tall and bears a white, very fragrant flower. Once the flower has bloomed, and all the petals have fallen off, the hip is picked and used in a wide variety of preparations. Rose hips are the best source of vitamin C; they contain 50% more vitamin C than oranges. A single tablespoon of the pulp gives an adult more than the recommended daily allowance of 60 mg. They can be eaten raw, after being put through a blender, or soaked in water overnight and then cooked in the water for about half an hour. Because of the high vitamin C content they are an excellent immune system booster, and are often used as a supplement to prevent or treat a cold. The pulp from rose hips may be used in sauces or made into jelly.
Health benefits
Diuretic and laxative

Health benefits of Purslane
 This wonderful green leafy vegetable is very low in calories (just 16 kcal/100g) and fats; nonetheless, it is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
 Fresh leaves contain surprisingly more omega-3 fatty acids (a-linolenic acid) than any other leafy vegetable plant. 100 grams of fresh purslane leaves provide about 350 mg of alpha-linolenic acid. Research studies show that consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and help prevent the development of ADHD, autism, and other developmental differences in children.

ROSEMARY
Rosemary is one of those herbs with a thousand uses. It's extremely hardy and therefore easy to grow and maintain inside or out. Indoors, it requires lots of light but not too much heat and humid air. Spritz the plant with water a few times a week. Add an entire sprig to vegetable soups for a bright, unique flavor.
When purchasing rosemary, fresh is superior because it's more subtle than the pungent dried form. Freshrosemary can be refrigerated in a Ziploc bag for several weeks; dried rosemary should be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dark, and dry place to keep for several months.
To make your own rosemary-infused oil, place a sprig or two of completely dry rosemary leaves into a glass jar, top with olive oil, replace the lid, and shake lightly. Store in a warm, dark place for two weeks, strain, and then simply pour back into the glass jar. Use ¼ cup for a fragrant bath or blend with balsamic vinegar to drizzle all over a salad for a delicious dressing.

Hedge Woundwort
We move this month from the fame of Elder, to a plant of relative obscurity that has been calling my attention. I am not sure whether it is growing in more abundance this year, or whether I am just noticing it more because it has chosen to move into my garden.
Hedge Woundwort is a tall, hairy perennial that grows in hedges, woods and on waste ground, where its tall spires of crimson-purple flowers stand out among the lushness of green growth of other plants. The flowers are arranged in whorls around the central stem. They are hooded, with the lower lip beautifully variegated with white against the crimson background. Bees love this plant and are frequent visitors. The whole plant has a fairly pungent even foetid smell, which is not particularly pleasant. It has dark green pointed-oval leaves that are stalked and toothed.

GINGER
Botanical name: Zingiber officinale
Prized for its medicinal and culinary properties in Asian cultures for thousands of years, ginger, also known as ginger root, is an underground rhizome. It's a little strange-looking, like a small, rounded, brown cactus. But the fragrance is pleasantly pungent, and the flavor completely unique, reminiscent of citrus with acidic notes.
Ginger is a versatile addition to soups, sauces, marinades, and a number of other dishes, from baked apples to stir-fried vegetables. A cup of tea, of course, is one of its hallmarks, not just for pleasant flavor, but soothing qualities.

Carrot Chronicles

Botanical name: Daucus carota
Extremely versatile to eat and available nearly anywhere in the world, carrots have been around for centuries. Historians believe that carrots were cultivated by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, as they were mentioned by Pliny the Elder and prized by Emperor Tiberius. Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family, a term derived from the umbrella-like flower cluster on top of the plants in this family. You’ll find similar fern-like leaves on plants thecarrot is related to, such as fennel, parsley, dill, and anise.
Colors of carrots first ranged from black, pink, red, yellow and white before the more common orange hue emerged, reportedly just after the fifth century. In the Middle Ages, references to carrots and parsnips seemed to be interchangeable, in spite of the marked size and color difference.

BEANS
1) Increase your bean consumption—gradually. Per the above, eating more and more legumes will encourage a greater presence of the enzyme we need to digest them, and help to get you over your fear of the mighty bean!
Try adding them into your diet in 1/4 cup increments, and increasing very slowly. I can eat at least a cup of beans in one sitting (though a more standard portion size, for me, is 1/2 to 3/4 cup), but that’s because I’ve been happily and comfortably been eating beans for a long time. Keep experimenting with fun, new recipes until you arrive at a place where you’re digesting beans without discomfort.
2) Try Beanzyme. This is a vegan version of Beano (which, sadly, is not vegan). It’s a supplement of the enzyme necessary for bean digestion (also useful for crucifers like broccoli, which contain oligosaccharides, too), and it can be immensely helpful if you plan on eating a meal that is rich in legumes.

Possible health benefits of spinach
Diabetes management: spinach contains an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic acid, which has been shown to lower glucose levels, increase insulin sensitivity and prevent oxidative stress-induced changes in patients with diabetes. Studies on alpha-lipoic acid have also shown decreases in peripheral neuropathy and/or autonomic neuropathy in diabetics.1
Of note, most studies have used intra-venous alpha-lipoic acid and it is unsure whether oral supplementation would elicit the same benefits.1
Cancer prevention: Spinach and other green vegetables contain chlorophyll which has shown to be effective at blocking the carcinogenic effects of heterocyclic amines which are generated when grilling foods at a high temperature.2

8 Excellent Reasons to Eat More Eggplants

I have always been an eggplant lover. I was shocked to hear that the Hindi word for them, ‘baingan,’ is actually derived from another word that means ‘without merit,’ since the eggplant has for long time been misunderstood as a non-nourishing food.
Whoever floated this idea, should be eating their words—and more eggplants! Here’s what the humble eggplant can do to help you live healthier:
• The iron, calcium and other minerals in eggplant supply the essential nutrients required by the body. All this, while relishing a highly flavorful veggie, is a good deal, indeed! Stuff, grill, bake, roast, stew your eggplants—they’re delicious in most avatars!
• Eggplants contain certain essential phyto nutrients which improve blood circulation and nourish the brain. But remember—these nutrients are concentrated in the skin of the eggplant, so don’t char and throw it away.

Health Benefits/ARTICHOKE
High in antioxidants
Both types of artichoke are low in fat and calories, so are excellent choices for traditional weight loss diets. Contributing essential minerals andfiber, Jerusalem and Globe Artichokes are a healthy addition to any eating plan. Globe Artichokes are particularly high in antioxidants, in the form of vitamin C and phytonutrients, which are thought to protect cells against the attack of free radicals.
Cynarin and Silyamrin

PUMPKINS

Pumpkin: It’s yummy and it’s seasonal. And we’re in the middle of a full-on flavor takeover. There’s pumpkin in your bagels, beer and coffee. Starbucks has sold more than 200 millionPumpkin Spice Lattes in the past 10 years. Even the makers of Pringles are getting in on the action. While most pumpkin-flavored treats should be added to the once-in-a-while list, pumpkin itself (not to be confused with artificial pumpkin spice flavoring) is actually one of the healthier foods of the season. Here are six reasons it’s OK to be totally obsessed with this season’s superfood.
1. Feel Fuller
Pumpkin seeds pack about 1.7 grams of dietary fiber per ounce, while mashed pumpkin has only 50 calories per cup and 3 grams of fiber. “Fiber helps keep you fuller longer, which keeps your appetite at bay so you eat less overall,” says nutrition and fitness expertJJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet.
2. Boost Vision

What's New and Beneficial About Cabbage
• Cabbage can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in cabbage do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they've been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it's easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw cabbage still has cholesterol-lowering ability, just not as much as steamed cabbage.
• Researchers now realize that different types of cabbage (red, green, and Savoy) contain different patterns of glucosinolates. This new knowledge means that your broadest health benefits from cabbage are likely to come from inclusion of all varieties in your diet.

Ravishing Radishes
Botanical name: Raphanus sativus
Offering a peppery, satisfying crunch with every bite, radishes have a unique place in the hearts of veggie lovers. A root from the Brassica family and a cousin to cabbage, the many shapes, sizes and colors of different radish varieties is surprising.
In the U.S., the average large radish is red, round with a glistening white interior and roughly the size of a ping pong or golf ball. Another type is the creamy white daikon - a true tuber with the tail to show for it, and a winter radish, while the red ones proliferate in the spring. The original radish was black. Other varieties come in pink, dark grey, purple, two-tone green and white, and yellow.