The Roots of Health – Episode 29: Foraging with Sam Thayer

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What would you think if I told you that you could feed yourself a nutritious, seasonal, whole foods diet with no carbon footprint… for free? Maybe you’d think that I’d lost my mind, I do that sometimes, but I assure you – that my mind is with me today. Once upon a time, before the advent of grocery stores and before we decided that manmade foods were somehow safer than the greens found in nature… human food was exactly that.

My goal by the end of this show is to get you to go outside – pluck something that you’ve always considered a weed, and eat it.

My guest today is going to up my odds at reaching that goal. Sam Thayer, is an author, a forager, and an internationally recognized authority on edible wild plants.

Sam and I talk about the opportunity that you have to forage, the benefits of foraging, and some of the most common wild greens (he bets most of them are within steps of your home). We talk about major objections to foraging, including being poisoned, modern pesticide and herbicide use, and worry about destroying nature. And – now that you’ll be convinced to start – Sam tells us the best way to go about it and discusses some great resources for you.

Our Earth really is covered with an incredible diversity of wild foods that are nutritious, sustainable, safe to eat, & free. Learn about them one at a time, and head outside to forage.

Here are a few plants that should be right outside your door:

1) Purslane

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2) Sow Thistle

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3) Amaranth

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4) Lambs-Quarters

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5) Shepherds Purse

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6) Wild Violets

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