The Walk from Water to Earth: Honoring Seaweed

Kelp - a brown seaweed with 30 species

We have made the walk from water to earth many times as humans, yes? I think about how we came from the ocean as a species. We grow in a fluid inside our mother’s wombs similar in makeup to the ocean before we ever take our first breath. And we walk the Medicine Wheel each and every year from the water of the west in autumn to the earth of north in winter, until our very last breath. Every year. And it’s now. It seems so simple, and for me falls easily into being good medicine, to take in nourishment from a sea vegetable that grows in the rich mineral baths of our sweet oceans. Shoring up our reserves is the task here and seaweed from our original mother, the mother of us all, provides nourishment and supports restoration for the deep journey inward during winter where we are asked to crystallize our experiences and feelings into wisdom, all the while meeting the physical demands of colder weather, opportunistic microbes, and a culture that does not support slowing down and honoring such ways of being. We must do it anyway and support each other along the way. Seaweed is here and has been since our beginning, and embodies the support needed to make such a journey. I offer here some simple ways to work seaweed into your life as a practice of honoring this walk from the teachings of the west to the north, and from water to earth.

Bladderwrack - Fucus vesiculosus

Kinds of Seaweeds in my Apothecary-Pantry

​Sea vegetables spend their entire lives luxuriating in the world’s largest, oldest, most complete mineral bath. They soak it up and are among the richest sources of iodine, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, manganese, and all other trace minerals essential to the growth and repair of our bodies. Getting precise numbers for the mineral content of each variety is difficult because it varies based on the seaweed type, growing location, water temperature, water depth, climate, and season. Often the exact numbers our scientists want actually fall into ranges which make the rest of us happy.

My pantry and apothecary currently have: Kelp – (Macrocystis pyrifera) ‘Giant Kelp’ and (Nereocystis luetkeana) ‘Bull Kelp’, Winged Kelp (Alaria esculenta)
Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosis),  Dulse (Palmaria palmata),  Hiziki (Hizikia fusiforme), Kombu (Laminaria japonica)

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Winged Kelp - Alaria esculenta

​The Quick List: Amazing Benefits of Seaweed

• Has important antibacterial and antiviral effects.
• Reduces cholesterol levels in the blood by escorting these fat globules out of the blood through the bowels. Yes, you can actually see the globules in the blood draw tubes of some of my patients. This sparks good conversations with them!
• Helps chelate (release) other radioactive elements from our tissues. When the body is saturated with natural iodine from seaweed, it will more readily excrete radioactive iodine taken in from the air, water or food. And no, none can be allergic to iodine from a seafood allergy. It is require to be alive by our bodies.
• Contains B12 (rarely found in vegetables).
• Is rich in iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese and all trace minerals required for growth and repair of our bodies.
• Provides a substance called aliginic acid that helps the body eliminate toxins.
• Contains 14 times more calcium by weight than milk. Plus magnesium in ratios our bodies require for absorption.
• Has easily absorbable, abundant Iron with the added benefit of keeping the bowels regular.
• Is high in protein, low in fat and contains little or no carbohydrates.
• Has components that lower blood pressure and reduce arteriosclerosis (clogging of arteries).
• Has abundant trace minerals required for smooth function of our endocrine system and hormonal pathways, as well as for growth and repair of all tissues.
• Makes super healthy medicine plants in the garden when you add seaweeds to your compost teas. 

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​​Our Daily Seaweed Vitamins

Have a look at the teaching video on making my daily Seaweed Vitamins that my students receive in Lesson 6 of the course 'Birthing an Herbalist in 13 Moons' at ElderMoon School of Herbs. Enjoy!

I grew up in quite a toxic environment among poorly raised apple trees on farms that sprayed often here in the Hudson Valley of New York. As a child we would play in the spray as if it was a sprinkler. Then drink and bathe in the well water and eat the fruit of these poorly mistreated trees. When I walked to the herbal medicine world in my early twenties it became so obvious that chelation of toxins from my tissues was a major task for me.

So I did my homework. I ditched commercial vitamin pills and decided that daily seaweed would start the process of release on the inside while I drastically changed the outside of my life to support a more chemical free footprint for myself and family. We are open systems with our natural world. We take in and excrete what is in Nature. Focusing on remaining open, discerning where and how I will live, and supporting eliminations has kept me from descending into the fear of illness based on such a childhood. 

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​​Gingered Carrots with Wild Atlantic Wakame

I leave you with a nourishing favorite from my kitchen. Wild Atlantic Wakame, also called Winged Kelp or Alaria is Alaria esculenta. It grows in thick beds on low surf-battered rock ledges and the company I love harvests by the tides of the full and new moon in early spring before the leaves of the trees have returned. It’s the most challenging seaweed to harvest due its remote locations near rocky islands off the coast of northern Maine. Delicate and easy to eat, I often encourage those new to seaweed to start with this one. It’s delicate in taste and texture and easy to work with.
INGREDIENTS

• ½ ounce atlantic wakame (Alaria) soaked in ½-1 cup warm water for 10 minutes; chop and reserve the soaking liquid
• 2-3 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 6 large carrots cut into your favorite shape
• 1-2 onions sliced
• 1-2 tablespoon coconut oil or other oil you love for sauté
• Dash of toasted sesame oil and fresh cracked pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare your carrots, onions, and ginger and sauté 5 minutes or more
2. Add the atlantic wakame, tamari and sesame oil and cook until carrots are to your liking.
3. Use the reserved soaking water from your wakame if more liquid is needed during the cooking.

So easy and delicious whether well or recovering from illness. When my family is in recovery mode, we’ve made large batches of this and add it to miso broth with a simple light protein of fish, egg, tofu, or chicken and fresh sliced scallions. Dulse, Hijiki, Arame and other Kelps work well for this recipe too but may need a little more cook time to get the tender texture we all seek. Alaria is the easiest to start with if you're new to eating seaweed. Enjoy - Jen

Wild Atlantic Wakame - Alaria - Winged Kelp - Alaria esculenta

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ElderMoon School Current Offerings

Are you hearing the call to go deep with the plants? Me too. Always! Knowing the plants for healing is in our bones and is our original medicine system. This is the birth place of all other schools of medicine. Come learn how to incorporate simple remedies for yourself and loved ones. Most Courses are Discounted 15% through 11/30/16. Our Give Back: 5% of all course fees are donated to reforestation efforts in the rain forests directly through the smaller organizations of 'TreeSisters' and Rocio Alarcon of 'The Iamoe Center' in Ecuador. Together We Rise. 

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