Kelp is a group of large sea algae that is commonly referred to as seaweed. This amazing plant species has been used for many years by sea dwelling cultures. It is renowned for its powerful nutritional benefits.

The Sea Vegetable PowerHouse

Kelp is part of the brown algae family in the order of Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera of this form.   In the 19^th century, the word “kelp” was used to describe seaweeds that were burned to form soda ash (sodium carbonate).

Kelp grows in shallow, underwater oceanic forests. It depends on cool temperatures between 43-57 degrees F (6-14 degrees C). Some kelp species grow well over a foot a day and can reach heights of 250 ft. These kelp species are easily harvested due to their surface canopy and underwater growth rate.

Kelp is Rich in Alkaline Buffering Nutrients:

Kelp is extraordinarily rich in alkaline buffering nutrients such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It is also a phenomenal source of chlorophyll to boost blood cell formation and purify the body.

Kelp is considered the world’s most potent source of naturally occurring iodine. Some species have been known to concentrate iodine by up to 30,000 times the amount in sea water. Iodine deficiencies are becoming increasingly common throughout the world. The areas with the least amount of iodine deficiencies are typically coastal regions where seaweed is readily available. Iodine deficiencies are known to cause hypothyroidism and goiter formation. Kelp has been used for many years as a remedy for these problems.

Kelp Boosts Glutathione Levels:

The Japanese call several Pacific species of kelp Kombu. These cultures use Kombu in many traditional dishes such as soups, stews, and sushi. Kombu is a powerful source of natural glutamic acid which is a precursor to the body’s master anti-oxidant, glutathione. Kombu is often used to soften beans during cooking and help convert challenging sugars into a more digestible form and thus reduce flatulence.

Sea vegetables like kelp are also a great source of the mineral vanadium. Vanadium helps form the haloperoxidase enzymes that help provide a natural antioxidant defense that has allowed these sea vegetables to flourish. Vanadium is a critical trace mineral that enhances insulin signaling and blood sugar balance by inhibiting the tyrosine phosphatase enzyme. This process also reduces glucose formation and enhances the body’s ability to store sugar in the form of muscle and liver glycogen. This is an important adaptation that helps the body withstand stress more effectively.

Kelp Has Unique Sulfated PolySaccharides:

Sea vegetables also contain a unique group of polysaccharides called fucoidans. These fucoidans have a characteristic branching pattern with sulfur containing molecules. They are being widely studied for their ability to reduce inflammation within the body. These sulfated fucoidans have been shown to reduce pain, fight viruses, and prevent atherosclerosis.

Fucoidans produce their anti-inflammatory effects by blocking selectin production and inhibiting pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and enzymes. Selectins are glycoproteins (sugar-protein molecules) that are often used to signal inflammatory processes in the body. Fucoidans also inhibit the enzyme Pphospholipase A2 (PLA-2) that turns on inflammatory processes.

Immune Boosting Activity:

These sulfated polysaccharides have also been shown to block the typical binding sites for many viruses such as Herpes. By blocking binding sites, the virus is unable to replicate. Without adequate replication, the viruses are unable to survive.

These sulfated polysaccharides are also revered for their powerful ability to reduce blood clots. Heparin (Coumadin) is a popular medical agent used to reduce clots. Heparin is also a sulfated polysaccharide although it is a synthetically derived form. Both of these reduce platelet cell coagulation that forms blood clots. Heparin comes with a number of dangerous side effects while naturally occurring sulfated polysaccharides in kelp have no known side effects.

Sources for This Article:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp
• http://www.noamkelp.com/technical/handbook.html
• http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=135
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haloperoxidase

When it comes to organic gardening, you want the best of both worlds. You want healthy, bug free plants without resorting to toxins or pesticides. However, garden pests don’t always cooperate. One great organic solution is to plant companion plants. These plants can help to ward off bugs and make the plants you love grow bigger and stronger. Here are some examples:

Plant Catnip with Collard Greens

Catnip helps prevent flea-beetle damage on the collards.

Surround Broccoli and Potatoes with Sweet Alyssum

This quick to spread, fragrant, low-growing, flowering plant is a member of the mustard family, with a taste similar to horseradish. It also attracts beneficial insects to protect your broccoli and potatoes, and you can eat it.

 Protect Spinach with Radishes

Planting radishes near your spinach helps to keep leaf miners away from delicate spinach leaves and allows the radishes to grow unharmed underground.

Let Corn be Your Beanstalks

Allow beans to grow up the tall corn stalks and you will help protect the corn from predators. Bean plants draw in beneficial insects that eat the bugs that love corn.

Grow Cabbage with Thyme, Dill, and Tomatoes

Thyme repels cabbage worm, while dill attracts cabbageworm predators. Cabbage helps dill grow strong and upright. Tomatoes also repel diamondback moth larva that likes to chew on cabbage leaves.

Defend Carrots or Beans with Rosemary

Rosemary is not only a tasty herb, it also repels bean beetles and carrot flies.

Save Your Roses with Garlic

Plant garlic alongside your roses to ward off bugs.

Plant a Border of Marigolds and Wormwood

Marigolds repel a variety of bugs, including nematodes that attack the roots of your melons. Wormwood repels animals like deer and rabbits as well as white flies. Together they make a great border to help keep your organic garden pest free.

Plant smart and keep your garden healthy.

Approximately 200 synthetic industrial chemicals interact with our cells every single day.

Autism now affects one in 50 children.

Cancer is the leading cause of death (after accidents) in children younger than 15 years in the United States.

In the last twenty years, the rates of asthma, allergies, and ADHD are on the rise:

• 400 percent increase in allergies
• 300 percent increase in asthma
• 400 percent increase in ADHD

$2.6 trillion of the GDP is spent on treating disease every year.

These are facts. Unacceptable facts.

And Ed Brown wants to do something about it.

Moved by his wife’s two unexplained miscarriages and a nasty tasting glass of water at work, Ed (now father of two healthy children) was determined to uncover the possible cause of these and other health issues. With camera in hand, he traveled the country seeking insight from the top minds in the fields of science, advocacy, and law.

The result: an award-winning documentary, Unacceptable Levels.

The film poses challenges to our companies, our government, and our society to do something about a nearly unseen threat with the inspired knowledge that small changes can generate a massive impact.

You don’t have to take on the world to change it. Just pick one thing in your life. Water, food, regulations—it doesn’t matter. Just pick something. Become curious about it and start asking questions. Find the answers just like I did.

“And know that of all the people out there, you finally found someone that can truly make a difference. That person is—and always has been—you.” ~ Ed Brown

His documentary dissects the ways chemicals saturate our homes and environment amid a backdrop of a glaring lack of regulation. It chronicles the results of the post-WWII chemical boom and details common avenues of exposure, from food to fluoride to toxic sludge. The film brings together 47 non-profit organizations and 91 companies to support the overwhelming need for chemical reform in the United States.

Unacceptable Levels opens the door to conversations about the chemical burden our bodies carry so that we can make informed decisions now and in the future.

Screening in San Francisco July 11th and Chicago July 24th (with special guest actress/eco activist Mariel Hemingway), the film will hopefully reach beyond the typical environmentally conscious audience… and empower all viewers to make better decisions for their children and themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/PVB6XSyBTVE

Please help spread the word about the film by sharing this post and liking their facebook page here. You can also follow them on twitter @UnacceptableLev.

If you live near San Francisco or Chicago, please come out for the screening! Both will be followed by a panel discussion led by Ed Brown. I’ll be attending the Chicago event and hope to see you there!