Last fall, after most of the lush greens had died back, I was researching some of my favorite plant allies. Tucked away in some obscure website was the briefest of sentences that caught my attention. It said that the Greeks washed with Chickweed juice to "remove spots.". What did that mean!? Where they removing age spots? Freckles? Cancer spots? I HAD to find out.
So this spring, when the lush leggy "weed" was in full ripeness, I harvest bag loads of her sweetness, and proceeded to take her home to juice. It took hours for my little juicer to process, and as I stood over my sink, counter strewn with green carnage, I decided to shoot a little of the fresh green juice back.
I took off.
It was like drinking high-octane, rocket fuel, but of the very natural kind. My fire was lit. My energy revitalized. I felt the best I'd felt in months...maybe even years.
Apparently this wasn't unusual. A little more research shows that Chickweed is a brilliant little plant eaten by wisdom keepers for decades (centuries even) to treat:
~ exhaustion
~ disorders of the blood~ kidney disorders, as well as
~ itchy eyes
~ skin issues
~ and much much more.
Perhaps it helps with exhaustion because it is so packed full of nutrition. It contains some hard to get nutrients - like selenium and niacin, and for vegetarians iron. It has magnesium (of which 1 in 4 Americans is deficient) as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, Vitamin A, B-1, B-2 and C
Needless to say, the "wash" got side tracked and I've incorporated chickweed into my morning routine, stepping down my mined, industrialzed multivitamin for this natural friend at my feet. This leafy "weed" is found in your lawn, garden, even the cracks of sidewalks (though I suggest harvesting from a cleaner source!). Since it is most lush in spring and fall, I'm freezing my juice to keep me well supplied and on Fire throughout the year.
So keep an eye out for chickweed. You may find her everywhere, waiting at your feet to give you a rocket boost too!
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