Full disclure, I have a balcony on which I experiment with planting. I don’t have a garden or homestead yet - working towards it. In the meanwhile I get my practice on a small scale to prepare for the the real deal. It is good to have a variety of things, keeping our ancestral way of living in mind. We were never sure when our next meal was. If you caught an animal the tribe was fortunate to eat meat, just the same for fishing trips. If unsuccessful though, we needed to survive with other things. That’s where fruits, nuts, seeds, roots and tubers came in. Just like the example with eating bugs. Bugs was a mal of choice when there was no other option. Plus they needed to be in a certain stage of development (larve).
Side note 1: fully developed bugs have chitin in them, a known allergen to us. We can’t break it down nor cook it out of food. Some people can handle it better, with little to no immediate discomfort while others have a strong response to it.
We need to think of plants in a similar way. They are an addition to meat and the go to option when we have no access to meat. Some may need more plants and less meat while others fair better with more meat than plants. Here is where bio-individuality kicks in and we need to figure out for ourselves what combination fits us better. The stage in which we eat the plant will determine as well whether it is supportive or harmful. The way we prepare them as well.
If you can, focus on heirloom and wild type greens, herbs and spices, and fruitbaring pants, especially berries. They are low glycemic yet full of nutrients. Focussing on plants that do well in your area is also important, to make sure you have a good yield. For survival, any food that supports us goes. When in thriving mode, the possibility to trade with someone for something more desired or better, is always there.
Sprouts are a great way to eat greens. They haven’t developed much of the cellulose around the cells, which we as humans have difficulty digesting and getting the nutrients out. Thus with the sprouts we get better access to the beneficial bits. Also at that time they are more packed with nutrients because they are in their growing phase.
Root timing is connected to what is happening above ground. The plant above ground will let you know when is the best time to harvest the root and eat it. Roots and tubers can be both nutrient dense and medicinal foods. Learn for each plant when is the best time to harvest, best way to prepare and eat. Fermenting is a great way to go for plants and roots. The bacteria start breaking it down for us, making them more bioavailable to us with much less of the sugars and antinutrients or none at all. Cooking high starchy fruits and vegetables and freezing them helps make them resistant stracthes that break down much further down the digestive tract/ in the gut feeding the best buddies in there rahter than the naughty ones that wreak havoc when they can go out of control.
As a system we co-evolved with one another, plants, animals and manking. Through their fruits plants spread their seeds. When ripe they become nice and sweet for animals and us to eat. At that time most of the antinutrients are low or completely gone. One way to know is the flavor. At this time protection from predators is not necessary anymore and the need to spread the seeds (further away from the original plant) are at their highest. Caveat, fruits from big agra has been designed to be overly high in sugar, thus heirlooms and wild types are the way to go.
Side note 2. Very little people know that the original bananas are relatively small and have a lot of tiny seeds in them. They have been cultivated to have no seeds, be larger and sweeter. Especially in South America, you can still find the (more) original bananas. When there’s no other way, opt for green bananas (in your vegetable smoothie or for baking) for they have lower glycemic values than ripe ones. This way you still get your potassium in without the high sugar amount.
The more diversified we can be, the better. If you are fortunate to be able to have animals around, great. If you don’t or are able to grow only a certain type of crops, go for it and get to know others whom you can trade with.
Side note 3. Our microbiome adapts to the region we are in. It takes just a few days. So, focus on growing and eating what grows naturally or easily in your area. Your microbiome is trained to digest that. When you go somewhere else or on vacation and you feel a mild discomfort, it is your microbiome getting a shock from the new and different food and adjusting to it. Once adapted, all is well again. As long as things are natural, your body will know how to deal with it. When unnatural or in excess, the body tells you so. First quietly and when ignored long enough, loudly.
