Action4Canada - A4C Prepper Dan： The Benefits of Dandelions Vlog13

00:00:00.000 Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prepper Dan. Today, it's springtime. It's a beautiful

00:00:11.140 day. We're going to talk about these pesky little weeds that pop up all over the property. 0.90

00:00:16.760 These are known as dandelions, and you probably have them all over your place as well. But

00:00:21.000 are they really a pesky weed? Well, I beg to differ. Somebody has said one time there's

00:00:26.380 no such thing as a weed. It's just a misplaced plant. We're going to explore all of the

00:00:31.080 benefits of these wonderful little flowers. Maybe you've heard it said that in the month

00:00:35.040 of May, it's no mow May. Now, I live on the East Coast, and some of you that may be on

00:00:39.820 the West Coast, you've probably had to mow your lawn already several times because it's

00:00:43.720 a little bit warmer out there. Well, parts of the West at West anyhow. But here in the

00:00:49.080 East, we're almost at the end of May, and I've held off mowing my lawn already. My neighbors

00:00:53.400 have mowed those already twice. But there's a lot of benefits to these little flowers,

00:00:58.600 and I want to explore that with you. Maybe by the end of this short video, you'll understand

00:01:03.380 why we let these little guys grow, and you may learn something very interesting. So let's

00:01:09.800 get into the meat and potatoes of these little flowers, and we'll learn a few things.

00:01:15.380 Now, you can see in some of our paths here, we have these dandelions growing absolutely

00:01:20.560 everywhere, in every little nook, cranny, and crack. And these things will grow under

00:01:28.560 any really growing condition, in the shade and in the sun. Here you even see them growing

00:01:36.480 in the driveway. Really hard-packed gravel. I mean, this is somewhere that we literally

00:01:43.420 dry every single day. And once these are done with their pretty yellow flowers, they like

00:01:50.560 to spread around by sharing their little seeds. The winds just pick these up, and it doesn't

00:01:56.920 take too long before they spread their beautiful natural beauty. Now, pulling them from some

00:02:02.040 places, such as hillsides and that, where it doesn't really matter if they grow or not,

00:02:07.060 it's fairly easy. You grab the whole bottom of the clump securely, and then just kind of

00:02:12.640 wiggle it in loose soil, shake it out, and then you get the whole root system as well.

00:02:20.480 In this case, not so much of a root on this one, but yeah, these are fairly small roots

00:02:27.400 on this one. But on some of them, you get a nice, big, fat root. These ones just have

00:02:33.460 little roots, but a lot of good eating in this particular package right here.

00:02:37.740 And there's nothing like a little treat for the bunnies. They'll eat the flowers first,

00:02:45.580 probably. Yep, there they go. A real salad delicacy for all the bunnies. Officially known as

00:02:58.060 Taraxicum officinale, when this little flower appears, signifies a sure sign of spring. The word

00:03:06.440 dandelion means lion's tooth, probably a reference to its jagged leaves. It's a common plant in the

00:03:13.140 grasslands and the cultivated grounds. It's native to Eurasia, but it's been naturalized in all parts

00:03:19.180 of the northern hemisphere, right through to USDA zone 3. Now, most people are less than enchanted

00:03:26.280 when these little flowers appear. Oftentimes, they're more numerous than the grass alone in

00:03:32.460 most home lawns. But this plant is actually cultivated in some places and used for both food

00:03:38.960 and herbal remedies. The dandelion is a short-lived perennial that'll grow just about anywhere,

00:03:45.740 regardless of the soil conditions. But rich soil will improve its growth. These plants withstand

00:03:51.980 frost and freezes, and they will tolerate crowding. Heat and insufficient moisture will cause the leaves

00:03:58.440 to get bitter, but it won't kill the plant. The lance-shaped leaves grow in a rosette emerging early in the

00:04:05.160 spring from the crown, and individual leaves may be entire or lobed, with the tooth lobes anywhere from

00:04:11.520 shallowly to deeply incised. You'll often find different lobe patterns that may occur in the

00:04:16.860 same plant. Now, these rosette of leaves can be a food plant for the caterpillars and some butterfly

00:04:22.380 and moth species. The stem contains milky latex sap, and it's important to note that if you are allergic

00:04:29.940 to latex, you should probably avoid this flower. The flowers are utilized by bees and other pollinators

00:04:36.180 and can be an important nectar source early in the season when few other flowers are blooming. And

00:04:41.420 that's why most people like to just leave the flowers alone in the month of May. The flowers are

00:04:47.680 followed by the distinctive globe-shaped seed heads, and each has a pappus, a feathery parachute of soft

00:04:54.180 white hairs that makes it easily carried by the wind. Did you know that each plant can produce up

00:05:00.800 to 20,000 viable seeds? How many of us remember just blowing on these when we were children?

00:05:07.380 Dandelions can also reproduce vegetatively from pieces of taproot, with the upper sections of the

00:05:12.980 root having greater viability. The deep taproot grows up to three feet long, and that's why they are

00:05:19.480 so resilient. But usually, they're only about 6 to 12 inches long. Regardless of which part you intend

00:05:25.920 to eat, make sure the dandelions have not been treated with chemicals. Wash them thoroughly to

00:05:31.040 remove all soil and insects from the underside of the leaves or roots. Keep in mind that the young

00:05:36.200 plants, especially the leaves, are not as bitter as the older plants. The leaves are high in calcium,

00:05:42.960 potassium, and iron, and as I just mentioned, they're best tasting when they are tender.

00:05:47.980 Now, you can cook these in some olive oil and a little bit of garlic, and they will taste much

00:05:55.340 better. The roots can be eaten as any vegetable. They have a turnip-like flavor if dug early in the

00:06:02.900 spring. Be cautious of ingesting too many roots, as they are reported to be both a diuretic and a

00:06:08.940 laxative. The blossoms also can be eaten fresh, and they're sweetest when picked early in the season.

00:06:15.060 They should be used immediately after picking because the flowers will close up quickly.

00:06:20.320 I won't get into too many details here, but I do want to tell you about the nutritional value of

00:06:25.320 these dandelions. So, let me get to you point by point here. Number one, these dandelions are highly

00:06:31.760 nutritious. From root to flower, the plants are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Vitamins such

00:06:38.280 as A, C, and K. They also contain vitamin E, folate, and small amounts of other vitamins like B.

00:06:46.400 The dandelion greens provide several minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

00:06:53.440 The dandelion root is rich in carbohydrate inulin, a type of soluble fiber that's found in plants

00:06:58.960 that support the growth and maintenance of healthy gut bacteria in your digestive tract.

00:07:04.340 The dandelion root is often dried and made into tea, but you can heat it whole like any other root

00:07:10.740 vegetables. We're going to talk about dandelion tea in just a few minutes. Second, the plant contains

00:07:18.000 potent antioxidants. Dandelion contains compounds that neutralize the free radicals. Third, dandelions may

00:07:26.220 help fight inflammation. Now, inflammation is a natural immune system response to injury or infection.

00:07:33.180 However, long-term inflammation may permanently damage body tissues and your DNA.

00:07:39.660 Fourth, dandelions may aid in blood sugar management. Number five, they may reduce cholesterol and

00:07:46.840 triglyceride levels. And some compounds in dandelion may decrease triglyceride and cholesterol levels,

00:07:52.540 which are key factors in heart disease. Number six, may lower blood pressure because these little

00:08:01.440 flowers are also a diuretic. Number seven, they promote liver health. Number eight, they may aid in weight

00:08:09.520 loss. Number nine, they might have anti-cancer effects. Number 10, they may support healthy digestion and

00:08:18.600 treat constipation. Number 11, they may boost immune health. Number 12, they may be a useful skin care

00:08:26.180 treatment. Number 13. Number 13, because of their high level of calcium and vitamin K, they may support

00:08:33.060 healthy bones. Now, the dosage and supplement forms here, there's not been a whole lot of study in human

00:08:40.020 forms. However, it's suggested that for fresh and dry leaves, four to 10 grams a day. A leaf tincture,

00:08:47.760 about two to five mils, three times per day. A fluid extract, and we're going to talk about that in a

00:08:55.480 little bit, one to two teaspoons, or five to 10 mils a day. Fresh roots, two to eight grams a day, and a

00:09:01.040 dried powder, which you can purchase, 250 to 1,000 milligrams, four times per day. So how do you make a

00:09:07.960 herbal tea with dandelion extract? Well, it's very simple. You steep about one tablespoon of the stems or

00:09:15.680 the flowers for 30 minutes in about five ounces of boiling water. You strain the roots and flowers,

00:09:21.780 and you drink them up with your tea. This recipe can be doubled or tripled if you plan on making

00:09:27.140 several days worth of tea. You can add a little bit of honey, just to sweeten it up a little bit,

00:09:32.460 and some people even add a little bit of turmeric to the brew. Additionally, you can try roasting the

00:09:38.720 root of your dandelion plant to make a coffee-like beverage. So here's how you do it. You clean up the

00:09:44.100 root. You chop it up in a food processor. Use a baking sheet and roast the pieces in an oven at 300

00:09:50.040 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. Then you let it steep in boiling water for about 10 minutes before

00:09:56.720 drinking. So what about the dandelion root? Well, what is it good for? We're going to talk about making

00:10:02.880 a dandelion root tincture in just a moment, but some of the benefits include stomach digestion and

00:10:09.040 gastrointestinal issues, constipation, liver detoxification, acne, eczema, high cholesterol,

00:10:17.820 heartburn, various disorders, diabetes, cancer, and joint stiffness. That kind of gives you an idea

00:10:26.060 why the pharmaceutical companies and the big pharmas really want you to eradicate it off your

00:10:32.320 lawns and off of our properties, right? So what is a tincture? Well, a tincture is a method for extracting

00:10:40.640 and preserving the medicinal constituents of herbs in a solvent other than water. Now, the most popular

00:10:47.700 thing to use is 80-proof alcohol, or you can use vinegar such as apple cider vinegar or glycerin, but

00:10:56.560 alcohol is an excellent solvent to use because it works so well to extract the widest range of plant

00:11:01.300 properties and allows for the easy absorption of its healing compounds into the body. So the easiest

00:11:07.140 way to make a tincture is to get yourself a small jar, a pint jar, and you fill the dandelion root two

00:11:15.000 thirds full of the way of finely chopped roots. Then you would pour enough high-proof alcohol, vodka is the

00:11:23.320 most common one to use, over the herbs until the alcohol level is about an inch above the top of the herbs.

00:11:28.860 Now, if you're using dry herbs, they may also absorb the liquid, so you've got to check to make sure that

00:11:34.800 the alcohol is still covering the roots about a day or so later. Cover the lid tightly and place a jar

00:11:43.620 in a dark cupboard and allow to soak for four to six weeks. Now, for the first week or so, you'll want to

00:11:50.220 shake that jar or tip it upside down at least once a day. Make sure the roots are still covered with

00:11:56.420 alcohol and if not, you may need to add alcohol. After four to six weeks, you want to strain your

00:12:02.140 liquid from the roots and to strain, you can pour your liquid through a fine mesh sieve into another

00:12:07.520 wide mouth jar or through a cheesecloth. But if you're using a cheesecloth, you'll want to squeeze

00:12:12.200 the liquid out. Allow the liquid to settle overnight. Strain again if necessary. Transfer into a labeled amber

00:12:20.020 bottles and store in a dark place. Now that you have your tincture, for maintaining general health,

00:12:26.660 you would use half a teaspoon twice daily. For acute skin eruptions, you would add 10 drops in water

00:12:33.380 frequently throughout the day. For arthritis, gout, eczema, psoriasis, and liver trouble, one teaspoon

00:12:40.460 three times a day in water. Or for indigestion, you would use 10 drops in water every hour until resolved.

00:12:47.960 Now you can also use a tincture or make a tincture using just the flowers and it would be the same

00:12:55.300 process. Keep in mind if some people want to stay away from the alcohol or if you want to make a

00:13:01.700 tincture for children, that apple cider vinegar is a good alternative to use for making your tinctures.

00:13:08.320 So I hope you found this little video about the mighty dandelion informative and instructive. You know,

00:13:15.020 you may find that there's many other plants in your backyard that you may consider invasive,

00:13:19.920 maybe even as weeds. But I want to challenge you to do some research on a lot of these plants because

00:13:25.600 when our medical system was taken over quite a few decades ago, this was our medicine. And now we've

00:13:34.540 got big pharma making a lot of medications out of products that really aren't good for you. A lot of

00:13:42.080 products are made out of petroleum-based medications. We've got cancers now that never

00:13:46.900 existed before. And I want you to know that you can help heal yourself, you can help take care of

00:13:52.720 yourself by doing a little bit of research. And I may make a few more videos like this just about

00:13:58.000 what's in our backyard. Because I know that right here on our property, we've got a few acres here in

00:14:03.380 Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. There's a lot of good medicinal things that we can just harvest

00:14:08.300 ourselves and either dry, dehydrate, or make tinctures out of and make teas out of. And so this

00:14:16.080 is all trying to just inform you and educate you. So I hope you found this fun and informative. And I

00:14:21.980 hope you have a new appreciation for this pretty little yellow flower. And by the way, this is my

00:14:28.700 favorite color. It's a very bright and joyful color. And it just brings, I don't know, it just

00:14:37.180 brings joy to your soul when you have something this bright. And that's just a little tidbit. So

00:14:45.300 thanks for being with us today on this other edition of Prepper Dan. And we hope to catch

00:14:49.680 you in the next one. God bless you. Have a wonderful day.

Action4Canada - May 29, 2024

A4C Prepper Dan： The Benefits of Dandelions Vlog13

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