Feijoas

Could the greatest improvements to fighting off dementia begin in your garden and the community garden? Incorporating diverse fruits, herbs, and vegetables in your diet can reduce dementia risk. Replace alcohol with herbal teas like lemon balm or chamomile for better sleep and brain health. Blueberries, blackberries, and pomegranates offer antioxidants to protect against high cholesterol and blood pressure. Leafy greens like kale and spinach improve eyesight, while longevity spinach helps manage diabetes, reducing dementia risk. Saffron and turmeric lift mood and fight inflammation too. A biodiverse garden in a community garden setting also encourages social engagement, fighting isolation, and boosts brain resilience through mental stimulation. ----- Want more info? Read on ... To lower the risk of dementia, adding specific fruits, herbs, and vegetables to your diet can make a big difference. Swap alcohol for herbal teas like lemon balm or chamomile to improve sleep and brain health. Drinks like coconut water or kombucha provide hydration and probiotics as alternatives. Leafy greens like kale and spinach, rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, improve eyesight and lower dementia risk. Carrots and sweet potatoes, high in beta-carotene, also enhance vision and protect the brain from oxidative stress. Longevity spinach helps lower blood sugar and fight diabetes, a key dementia risk factor. Including it in your diet improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation, both critical for brain health. Antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries, blackberries, and pomegranates protect the brain from high cholesterol and blood pressure, supporting vascular health and reducing cognitive decline. Saffron and turmeric fight depression and inflammation, protecting brain circuits from damage that could lead to dementia. Swiss chard and St. John’s wort also offer mental health support. To combat social isolation, a community garden encourages gatherings, while visual stimulation in a busy garden engages the brain, improving cognition and boosting overall brain health. Diverse gardens provide nutrients that promote healthy neural activity. The colors, textures, and smells stimulate multiple senses, strengthening brain function and reducing dementia risk. Colourful gardens also foster physical activity and exploration, improving memory through increased blood flow. These spaces offer learning opportunities, building neuroplasticity and resilience in the brain. A garden full of plants like capsicum, broccoli, walnuts, and flaxseeds supports sensory organs and brain function. Biodiversity strengthens your body and mind, creating a natural defense against dementia. Finally finishing off with the ever controversial glass of red wine. Drinking one glass of red wine might help with dementia prevention due to antioxidants like resveratrol, which may protect brain cells. Moderate consumption is linked to better heart health, which supports brain function. However, excessive alcohol increases the risk of cognitive decline. Some studies show benefits, but it's hard to know if red wine alone helps or if other factors like diet and lifestyle matter more. It's better to focus on a healthy lifestyle overall—exercise, a good diet, mental stimulation, and managing chronic conditions are proven ways to reduce dementia risk.

The term "spinach" is often used to describe various leafy greens that generally require light cooking. While some of these greens can be eaten raw in small amounts, they are usually considered salad greens when consumed this way. Examples of such greens include Sisso spinach and young passionfruit leaves. Spinach as a General Term "Spinach" is not limited to the common spinach plant but can refer to many different types of greens, even those from other plant families. Amaranth and chard, for example, are often considered "spinach" in some regions. This broad definition allows for a wide range of leafy greens to be used in cooking. Fruit Tree Leaves for Consumption and Tea In addition to common greens, many fruit tree leaves can also be used for culinary or medicinal purposes, particularly in teas. These leaves are packed with nutrients and have long been used in traditional remedies. Famous tea leaves: - Guava leaf, known for aiding digestion and lowering blood sugar levels, with a mild taste - Coffee leaf, less common but offering a tea with lower caffeine than coffee and a pleasant, mild flavour - Mango leaf, traditionally used for blood sugar regulation and gut health, with a slightly sweet, earthy taste Leaves Commonly Used as Edible Wraps Large, broad leaves are often used as wraps in various cuisines, adding subtle flavours to food during steaming, grilling, or baking. Examples include: - Grape leaf, commonly used in Mediterranean dishes like dolmas, with a tangy taste - Banana leaf, often used in Asian and Latin American cooking for wrapping food during steaming or grilling, imparting a mild, sweet flavour - Papaya leaf, used in some cultures for wraps or in curries, with a slightly bitter taste and medicinal properties - Mulberry leaf, high in nutrients and used in wraps, particularly after being steamed or boiled to soften Other Edible Leaves Some leaves, though not commonly eaten, are nutritious and can be used in teas or cooking. Examples: - Strawberry leaf, often used in tea, contains tannins and vitamin C, known for aiding digestion and reducing inflammation - Passionfruit leaf, young leaves are edible and can be added to salads or cooked, commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine My Favourite Spinach Varieties Right now, my two favourite spinach varieties are: - Longevity spinach, also known for its medicinal properties, often used in traditional remedies to help with blood sugar control and inflammation. It can be eaten raw or cooked and thrives in warm climates - Brazilian Sissoo spinach, a perennial green with a mild, earthy taste. It is easy to grow and is often used in stir-fries, soups, or salads These greens offer a rich variety of uses, both for their nutritional value and their culinary versatility. Have you tried any of these, or do you have a favourite green you like to cook with?

Gardening is more than just a hobby; it's a heartfelt journey, a nurturing act that binds us to the earth. As gardeners, we dream of creating lush, bountiful jungles that not only feed us but also provide a sanctuary for our wellbeing and nature itself, like insects. Frogs, birds and more. Yet, this path is not without its challenges. The capricious weather can test our patience like Perth's bloody hot summers, financial constraints can limit our resources, and the relentless reminding of water restrictions can seem like an unyielding adversary. These obstacles can sometimes feel overwhelming, casting shadows over our dreams. But even in the face of these trials, we press on. We strive to cultivate beauty and sustenance, to create a refuge from the chaos of the daily modern life. Gardening is a labour of love, a testament to our resilience and dedication. Each seed we plant, each bud that blossoms, a fruit seen for the first time brings us closer to that dream. In this journey, we all have aspects we find challenging. Perhaps it's the frustration of watching a cherished plant wither despite our best efforts, or the weariness that comes with endless weeding. What is your greatest fear? The worry that our garden won't thrive, or the anxiety over the unpredictable nature of weather and pests? Yet, these fears and frustrations are also part of the journey. They teach us patience, resilience, and the importance of nurturing not just our gardens, but also our own spirits. They remind us that gardening, like life, is full of ups and downs, triumphs and setbacks. The journey itself, the learning, the improving, the progress, all of this make the dream a reality. So, what do you strive for? Will you see your hard work bear fruit, the satisfaction of a garden that feeds you and nourishes your purpose? We strive for a place where our families can gather, where nature can find a foothold amidst the concrete and chaos of urban life. Most importantly, we strive for the peace and fulfillment that comes from being a part of something greater than ourselves, from knowing that we are contributing to the beauty and sustainability of our world. In the end, gardening is more than just growing plants; it's about cultivating hope, resilience, and a deeper connection to the earth and to each other. It's a journey of love and learning, one that shapes us as much as we shape the land. When people visit my ever-evolving garden, I love to hear where they are at in their journey. Gives me warm tingles when I hear this and I'm not afraid to admit gives me great joy to know that whatever early or mature stage they are in their garden the experience they had at mine may have inspired them enough to bring them a little closer to theirs.