![]() In an Op-Ed in USNews by Richard Schenkel on 14 Aug 2015 it was noted ... "In 1902, Thomas Edison predicted: "The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease." That future is now. But rather than focus on preventing diseases, modern medicine has evolved to treat symptoms. Over the last century, the health care industry transformed by dramatic advances in science and technology. During that journey, the American diet has swung like a pendulum from the simple, un-processed nutrition of our pre-industrial days to highly processed, high-fat, sugar-infused dependencies. As the fast food generations grew up, health care costs rose and treatments were developed to address diet-related illnesses. Today, the pendulum is swinging back. Fresh food is trendy and the appetite for eating well is growing. It's an ideal time for hospitals and health centers to leverage healthy dining trends to bring health care costs down. In fact, a 2013 Union of Concerned Scientists report found that the cost of treating cardiovascular disease could fall by $17 billion a year if Americans ate the USDA recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. As we find ourselves confronting the role of hospitals in our future, we should once again consider Edison's wisdom and be grateful that in 2015 more and more hospitals are finding that fresh food is good medicine and good business." Our Farmacy line of Micro Farms along with countertop growing units can provide you with a first line of protection with fresh live food grown right in your home. We believe in isolating the crops with the most benefit for restoring health and wellness in spite of modern diets.
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![]() Vegetables that have a bright color are known to be rich in nutrients. Having a red pigment for example, indicates that red cabbage is high in two substances called lycopene and anthocyanins. Together, these powerful antioxidants help keep the heart healthy and prevent prostate cancer. Red cabbage also contains a number of other healthy nutrients, making this a must-have vegetable in your diet. University of Maryland researchers have found that microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts. “The microgreens were four- to 40-fold more concentrated with nutrients than their mature counterparts,” says researcher Qin Wang, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland in College Park. “When we first got the results we had to rush to double and triple check them... For example, red cabbage microgreens had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage." Although more research is needed, Wang says there may be a good explanation for microgreens’ high nutrient content. “Because microgreens are harvested right after germination, all the nutrients they need to grow are there,” says Wang. “If they are harvested at the right time they are very concentrated with nutrients, and the flavor and texture is also good.” Red cabbage has also been shown to contain these other nutritents: Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin known for its beneficial effects on eyesight. However, it has many other functions as well. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, vitamin A helps rebuild bone, regulates cell growth and produces white blood cells. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that promotes strong connective tissue and wound healing. Red cabbage has a high content of vitamin C. Potassium is an electrolyte mineral that plays various roles in the body. It helps regulate heart rhythm, promotes muscle building and regulates the balance of acid and base in the system. Vitamin K is known in medical terms as phylloquinone, and it is primarily responsible for blood clotting. This fat-soluble vitamin is prevalent in red cabbage. Folate is a B vitamin, also known in synthetic form as folic acid. This vitamin plays a significant role in the formation of red blood cells in the body. Red Cabbage MicroGreens, New Super addition to our Farmacy line of nutritional kits. ![]() Our second new kit is red garnet amaranth. With a striking red color and earthy beet like taste, this whimsical powerhouse stands out for its maxxed out nutrition. Amaranth is emerging into the forefront among grains because of its remarkable nutrition. It's higher in minerals, such as calcium, iron, phosphorous, and carotenoids, than most vegetables. Amaranth is a great source of lysine, an important amino acid with protein content comparable to that of milk, more easily digested; neither can be said of other grains. Amaranth contains more than three times the amount of calcium and it's also high in magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Amaranth contains 6 to 10% oil, predominantly unsaturated, or around 77% unsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic acid, required for optimum nutrition. Not least in this list, amaranth is the only grain with documented vitamin C content. Noting in a "...Yale study on pea microgreens – or young pea seedlings as they were called back then – also discovered that the seedlings started to produce large amounts of vitamin K when they were exposed to light... Vitamin K functions as an electron acceptor when chlorophyll – abundant in all green plants including microgreens – absorbs sunlight to produce carbohydrates and oxygen during photosynthesis. Vitamin K also offers health benefits for humans by promoting normal blood clotting and preventing excessive bruising. Vitamin K also plays an important role in maintaining strong and healthy bones. The 2012 microgreen study analyzed the levels of phylloquinone (the type of vitamin K produced by plants) in different micro-sized greens, and found the highest levels of vitamin K in amaranth microgreens (Red Garnet variety). The researchers observed marked differences in vitamin K concentration between different microgreens, with the values ranging from 0.6 to 4.1 micrograms per gram." Source: healthwithfood.org ![]() We are featuring for a limited time sale bundle consisting of our countertop LED Growing Unit, the MicroFarm ONE+ and all five of our Farmacy featured crops. We are in the process of rolling out the individual crops but wanted to give people who have been following the evolution of our Farmacy offerings a chance to get started and get growing. We expect that our five crops will be on display by the end of the month and we are deciding how to package it. This deal is priced to give you all the crops PLUS the ONE+ LED growing system for the cost of the system alone. This will give you 2 trays of each crop or a total of 10 of these wonderful sources of food and nutrition. The crops included in our Farmacy Special are: Red Amaranth, Chinese Kale, Cilantro, Red Cabbage and Garden Cress. Each of these crops will be listed individually when the line is complete this month. Take advantage of this Pre Introduction Sale - contains everything to grow your own Farmacy Crops to bring health and wellness to your table. ![]() Nutrition has always been a key issue for health and wellness. When faced with the immediate deterioration of nutritional content once produce is harvested, it is not hard to imagine how compromised the nutritional content of “fresh” produce that must be stored and consumed in the inner cities and food deserts of our urban society. Without access to freshly harvested produce, the only certainty is an accelerated downward trajectory of nutritional content. "A 2010 study published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science reported that young lettuce seedlings, harvested 7 days after germination, had the highest antioxidant capacity as well as the highest concentrations of health-promoting phenolic compounds, compared with their more mature counterparts. A few years later, a team of scientists from the University of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Agriculture analyzed the nutrient composition of 25 commercially available microgreen varieties. They discovered that in general microgreen cotyledon leaves had considerably higher nutritional densities than their mature counterparts (cotyledon leaves refer to the first leaves of a seedling). This large-scale microgreen study was published in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." Source: HealthWithFood.org Micro Greens/Herbs have the potential to deliver all the nutritional goodness of fresh produce in a concentrated "package" right in your home. From the research it has been shown that these micro plants can deliver anywhere from 4-40 times the punch of their fully grown produce. Or put another way a small amount added to your food can introduce the same vitamins and antioxidants as full servings of the same crops. Thus by consuming a varied intake of essential nutrients, these little powerhouses can supplement and add to your daily nutritional intake without resorting to pills and extracts. Let your food by thy medicine!!! By simply adding Micro Greens/Herbs to your daily intake, natural and fresh vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can be consumed and thus added to diets that are normally lacking. Because the units grow out a live crop, the time from harvest to plate is now measured in minutes rather than weeks or months. Peak nutrition delivered and grown right on your countertop. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ― Hippocrates ![]() From Our Farmacy - The Garden Cress Kit - a great source of Vitamins C & K, Carotenoids + Cancer Fighters. In India and Europe, the medicinal properties of garden cress (Lepidium sativum) have been recognized for centuries. This culinary and healing herb has a tangy, peppery taste similar to leaf mustard and watercress. Its distinctive flavor and high nutritional value makes garden cress a tasty and healthy addition to salads, smoothies, omelettes, sandwiches and more. Garden cress has been studied extensively, and extracts are showing effectiveness on breast cancer cells in laboratory testing. Being part of the brassica family, it is a natural source of anti cancer compounds. Garden cress also contains carotenoids to help with eye health. It even has more vitamin C than oranges per weight. Just a small helping contains almost 100% of your daily requirement for vitamin K, which is necessary for blood & cardiovascular health. This potent, nutritional powerhouse is also extremely fast growing and robust. Our countertop LED MicroHerb growing units make a beautiful addition to the home. This kit contains one black growing tray, a recycled plastic humidity dome, WonderSoil (sustanainable coir based bioSoil with worm castings & mycorrhiza), and organic, non-GMO garden cress seeds. Complete instructions are included to grow your crop in just 7-10 days. Adding a little garden cress microherbs to your meals will spice up your life, and go a long way in both taste and nutrition. |
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