December 06, 2015

Healthy Gut, Healthy Mind: 10 Brain-Friendly Foods to Improve Mental Health

December 06, 2015/ Urban Farmerly

Brain-friendly foods called “superfoods” can enhance different aspects of brain health. People who suffer from mental troubles often seek help by visiting their primary doctor or psychologist. This normally results in a long list of prescriptions with side effects that, from personal experience at least, don’t always improve and can sometimes worsen mental health.

Luckily, there are many natural approaches for improving mental health, including the foods mentioned below.

September 16, 2015

Urban farming top 5 depression fighters

September 16, 2015/ Urban Farmerly

So folks, for many of you the days will be drawing in and the temperatures dropping. For us in Singapore and surrounds we have a different thing keeping us inside: the haze, caused by destructive burn-back agricultural practices used in Indonesia, especially to clear for benighted palm oil plantations. The air is choking and the sky a shade of beige. So whether it’s a Northern Hemisphere winter or an equatorial choke-out, we’re both likely to be staying indoors more, and that can be depressing. But fear not, urban farming can help!

June 02, 2015

Healthy herbs - part three

June 02, 2015/ Urban Farmerly

In this latest part of the trilogy we return to European roots (yeah, bad pun intended), with a trio of savoury favourites: parsley, sage and rosemary. Again, let’s look at the nutrition principally in this post, with the growing guides to come.

March 26, 2015

Healthy herbs - part two

March 26, 2015/ Urban Farmerly

Having covered basil, thyme and mint in the last healthy herb post, this one will focus on cilantro/coriander, chives and ginger for more of an Asian theme ;)

These herbs (okay, okay, ginger isn’t technically a herb) have been chosen because they can grow in various different climates, so shouldn’t just be confined to those of us in Asia. I’ll talk through some of the nutritional benefits, and the book we’re editing will provide the growing tips, so stay tuned!

March 03, 2015

$upplements – are they really what they say?

March 03, 2015/ Urban Farmerly

Do you buy supplements? I do, and I used to buy a lot more until I recently read a little bit about the industry. The more I read the more it felt like one of those holiday scams; you know, “Oh no Sir, this is real ruby, special price for you”, he said holding up the orange piece of glass, or “We powdered the saffron to preserve it and so you have more,” he said holding a vial, the contents of which smelt like sawdust shavings.

Only, those scams seem to have a modicum more honesty...

February 21, 2015

Healthy herbs - part one

February 21, 2015/ Urban Farmerly

In previous posts I’ve extolled the virtues of growing herbs in small spaces. Beyond the culinary benefits they bring to most dishes, and the potential money you save not buying a few overpriced sprigs from the store, many pack a mighty nutritional punch.

This and subsequent posts will focus on a few herbs (and spices) that you can grow at home, examining what’s been written about their nutritional properties. As highlighted in my previous post, Nutrition Attrition, there are contradictory articles. This is not a scientific analysis, nor is it detailed enough to cover all perspectives. What I’ve sought to do is identify consistent comments in both Western and Eastern sources about these herbs’ potential nutritional (and wellbeing) benefits.

For more on the various nutrients mentioned see the nutrient summary in our ‘eating guide’.

December 22, 2014

Nutrition attrition

December 22, 2014/ Urban Farmerly

When I see the endless column inches espousing healthy living I understand why they exist, but question whether preaching is the best medium. Can’t we just decide for ourselves? Yes…

…But, a few minutes of research will show you that there is great discord in the many articles devoted to the subject of nutrition in fruit and veg.

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