Various countries have wild blueberries. Ancient Greeks and Romans used various parts of (some sort of) blueberry plants and fruit medicinally. Historical records on their role in their ancient culture, though, are very scanty(1). Syrup or conserve of bilberries, the nearest blueberry relative in Europe, was used for quenching thirst and fevers in the east side of the Pond(2). 
Native Americans believed that the blueberries west of the Atlantic were helpful for coughs and the leaves of the bush as a health tonic(1). Roots became a tea. In northeastern North America, this was the low-bush blueberry, with plants only a foot-ish in height. These berries were small compared to modern ones, but sweeter and are considered way better-tasting. Fog-shrouded, sandy, "well-drained, highly acidic" coastal barrens, often treeless, held naturally-occurring patches. Native peoples were pioneers of the technique of control-burning these wild patches, still done by tribes today. When done every few years, this will fertilize the soil, disencumber the patches of old bushes, and increase yields. Pemmican, the meat-and-tallow travel provision, commonly was one of the foods that included wild blueberries(2).
Explorer Samuel de Champlain was the first to document Native American use of blueberries, in 1615. The berries were plentiful, many were dried for the winter, and they became one of the native foods that were vital to early European colonists. Commercial harvesting didn't happen, though, till the 1840s(2). Despite their well-known cold tolerance, there are also some blueberries that grow even deep into the Southeastern US(1,2). The South actually turned to canning those from their own wild barrens during the Civil War when markets closed for exporting seafood(2). Georgia is actually one of the top blueberry-growing states today, after some northern states(1).
It wasn't till well into the early 1900s when blueberries were developed that could be grown on farms(2). 
Important to note: Though blueberries are about the highest source of antioxidants among fruits or veggies(1), wild ones have way higher content of antioxidants and "phytochemicals such as anthocyanin."(2) Non-organic farmed blueberries also have the eleventh-highest toxic pesticide content of 2023 produce crops(3). As of 2018, most wild production was from Maine and some sustainability of harvests needed to be worked out. Wild ones pretty much can't be exported fresh as they don't transport well(2).

References:
1. Malcolm, Patrick A. "History of Blueberry Plants." Pioneer Thinking, Pioneerthinking.com,  https://pioneerthinking.com/history-of-blueberry-plants/.
2. Blakely, Julia. "Native Fruit: The Wild Blueberry." Unbound, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, 13 November 2018, ​https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2018/11/13/native-fruit-the-wild-blueberry/#.ZDX4ybrMLD4.
3. "2023 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce: Dirty Dozen." Environmental Working Group, ​https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php.

There are many different aspects of metabolism, which is "the sum of all the chemical processes that occur in your body"(1) and "the internal process by which your body expends energy and burns calories."(2) Let's consider the resting rate of metabolism!
Resting metabolic rate means the rate that allows the mere functions that support life itself(1). Every nutrient taken from food, breath breathed, ounce of blood pumped, and cell grown or repaired means energy used in metabolism(2). Digesting and absorbing food (food's thermic effect) and activity are the other expenditures of metabolism. Those who lead sedentary lifestyles have resting metabolic rate account for about 70% of their total energy used in the day. Having more lean body mass (muscle and organs are included) is the biggest determinant of resting metabolism. NOTE: Physical activity is the greatest overall variable in metabolism, taking up anywhere from 15-50% of total metabolic energy expeditures for the day(1)! [We will consider physical activity's effect in a further article.]
Protein is more thermogenic, or takes more energy to process and absorb, than other nutrients in food(1,2) and may even boost metabolism at each meal! NOTE: Pacing protein, taking it in at more evenly during the day versus one primary chunk at dinner, will "support greater muscle retention and muscle growth" and will be even better for metabolism(1)!
A fasting cleansing protocol, more than just a temporary drop to calorie consumption, provides "a 'reset' to appetite, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity" plus causes the body to declutter cells (autophagy) and deal with toxin-loaded fat stores(1). Green tea has "a compound called epigallocatechin gallate" which may provide a little boost to metabolism. Three cups of green tea has about 250 milligrams, enough to burn off an average of a hundred further calories a day(2).

Personal Product Favorites (Links below):
Protein shake (my best breakfast and dinner)
Cleanse drink 

References:
1. "Why Metabolism Matters for Weight Loss." Isagenix Health, Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. Web. February 28, 2023. https://isagenixhealth.net/why-metabolism-matters-for-weight-loss/.
2. "The Truth About Metabolism." Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing. March 30, 2021. Web. February 28, 2023. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-metabolism.

Twenty species of pines will produce seeds poking out of their pinecones, technically not nuts. Four varieties are harvested most by man: “the Mexican pinon, the Colorado pinon, the Chinese nut pine, and the Italian stone pine.” Pine nuts were harvested for thousands of years in the western US Great Basin(1) and a good part of the Mediterranean region. Some kind or other has been found in French caves, the ruins of volcano-devastated Pompeii, and waste dumps of Roman encampments in Britain. Romans and Greeks thought them tasty. Roman legionaries took them along Spain has led the world in production of pine nuts in recent years(2).
Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Persian-born, and Andalusian physicians have all claimed medicinal properties for pine nuts. Various historic medical authorities including the prominent Roman physician Galen believed they cleared lungs/chests. Other historic uses/ascribed properties included remedying coughs, kidneys, bladders, and bleeding and as an astringent(2).
New Mexican pine nuts had relatively good transportation to markets compared to other pine nuts from the southwestern US prior World War II, due to trading post systems. Route 66 traffic after that war meant better pine-nut market access for the Diné (Navajo) and Hopi. The Great Basin/Nevada has a Great Basin Pine Nut variety that is much easier to shell. However, transportation out of the region wasn’t very much available until the time of the Internet except for “California, Reno and Mormon population centers.”(3)

References:

1. “How Much Pine Nuts Should I Eat A Day.” The Super Healthy Food, September 27, 2022. Web. Nov. 19, 2022. https://thesuperhealthyfood.com/how-much-pine-nuts-should-i-eat-a-day/.
2. Casas-Agustencha, Patricia, Salas-Huetosa, Albert, and Salas-Salvadó, Jordi. Abstract of “Mediterranean Nuts: Origins, Ancient Medicinal Benefits and Symbolism.” Public Health Nutrition, Dec. 2011. Abstract in Wellness Resources. Web. Nov. 19, 2022. https://www.wellnessresources.com/studies/nuts-and-pine-nuts-history.
3. “The Story of the American Pine Nut Market.” PineNut.com: Helping Trees Empower People. Goods From The Woods. Web. Nov. 19, 2022. http://pinenut.com/pinon-pinyon-history/pine-nut-markets.shtml.

The exact point(s) hazelnuts originated from are debatable. Some believe they came from the east part of the Black Sea. The quintessential Greek historian Herodotus testified to their being in this area by his time(1). They indeed have been grown in the Black Sea coast of Turkey (northern part of the country) for 2,300 years or more, still considered an ideal climate for their production(2). They were food for early inhabitants of China and Switzerland(1).
Herodotus also testified to a method of pressing the oil out of them while they were in a bag. Rural areas still obtain olive AND hazelnut oil in such a manner. Ancient Greeks and Romans used hazelnuts in sauces and there was also a dessert using them and honey(1). The Bible even mentions hazelnuts(2, 3).
The Turks actually knew about hazelnuts when they were still in the center of Asia versus the far-western portion of the continent we now call Turkey. “Turkish scholar Ibn-i Sina (930-1037) mentions hazelnut as a medicine used to cure various diseases”. Travelers to the Giresun portion testified to how the land was rife with them in both the 1200s and 1902(1).
The first known documentation of international trade of the nuts from the region is from 1403 when a Spanish messenger ended up with a ship filled with them(1). Many European nations would make trade agreements to receive them between 1737 and 1909 plus the US in 1912(1). “More than 500,000 producers are involved in the cultivation, harvest, processing and sale of hazelnuts” in Turkey and the country still produces 80% of the world’s supply of them(2), having had a monopoly on production and export in the first part in the 1900s(1).
Sam Strickland, an English sailor who retired from the Hudson’s Bay Company, planted the first hazelnut tree in Oregon in the 1850s. It took nearly half a century more for commercial production to begin. The Willamette Valley of the state itself has a good soil and climate for growing them(3).

References:

1. “History of the Hazelnut.” Burak Tarum. Web. October 15, 2022. https://buraktarim.com/history-of-the-hazelnut/?lang=en.
2. “Hazelnut History.” Global Food. August 6, 2021. Web. October 15, 2022. https://globalfoodusa.com/the-history-of-hazelnuts/.
3. Swanson, Paul D. “From Filberts to Hazelnuts. On the History and Naming of the Oregon State Nut and Other Naming Controversies.” Northwest Hazelnut Company. Web. October 15, 2022. https://hazelnuts.com/hazelnut-history/.

"Pumpkin" and "winter squash" are sometimes interchangeable names for species in a genus called Curcubita. The majority of authorities on the subject, however, consider the big, orange species C. maxima as a "pumpkin" and two other species as winter squash. One of these winter squashes, C. moschata, is what modern canned "pumpkin" actually is(1). 
Archaeologists consider pumpkins and winter squash as likely native from the southwestern US down through Central America to Peru. Evidence of their cultivation stretches about as far back as any crop in the Americas(1). "Pumpkin seeds have been found throughout Mexico, South America, and the Eastern United States" and the pumpkins themselves used to be much "smaller, harder, and more bitter". Native Americans eventually got the flavor to sweeten over time, found them easy to grow, and ate them throughout the year. Preserved pumpkins helped them through the winter; pumpkins could be "boiled, parched,... baked", dried and ground into flour(2), and even roasted in strips via open flame(1). Seeds were food and medicine(2). Strips of pumpkin were even woven into mats(1) and the gourd parts became containers or bowls(2).
Pumpkins came to Europe via the early explorers of the Americas and were already grown in England and France by the middle of the 1500s(2). However, they need a long growing season and warm summer temps not present in Northern Europe and so didn't catch on there(1). This meant that some of the Pilgrims may have been quite familiar with pumpkins by the time the Wampanoag natives aided them through the grueling first winter in the New World(2). The Greek word "pepon" for "large melon" became the French word for pumpkin, "pompon", which became "pumpion" in England before they were called pumpkins in Colonial America(1)!
​A 1630-ish poem referenced furious consumption of pumpkins and parsnips(1,2) by early New England settlers(2). They even had a method of turning pumpkins into custard that was baked in cooking-fire ashes(1,2).

References:
1. Trinklein, David. "Pumpkin: A Brief History." University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources. CAFNR Marketing and Communications. October 4, 2013. Web. August 24, 2022. https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2013/10/Pumpkin-A-Brief-History/.
2. Fort, Anna. "A Brief History Of Pumpkins." GBH. November 1, 2017. Web. August 24, 2022. https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2013/10/Pumpkin-A-Brief-History/.​

Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli are ultimately descended from wild forms of cabbage from the Mediterranean Sea region(1). That area is where the eating of cabbage sprouts is considered to come from. They would spread into Northern Europe in the early Middle Ages and the Brussels (modern-day Belgium) area later in the Middle Ages. It was in the Brussels area that Belgian cabbage would develop into the Brussels sprout(2).
Brussels would skyrocket in population with industrialization a few hundred years ago. Nearby Saint Gilles farmers had issues finding space to cultivate. The then-more refined Brussels sprouts grew in a vertical direction with heads tucked under the leaf stalks, so they required less land to grow. This made them a major blessing to the Brussels area(1). 
French settlers would bring Brussels sprouts to Louisiana as part of the eventually-global spread of the veggies. High nutrient value was a major factor of this spread(2).

References:
1. "Brussels sprouts, the Origin story." Nature & Garden, https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/brussels-sprouts-history.html.
2. History Rob. "Brussel sprouts: history & origin." History Rob, https://historyrob.com/history-blog/brussel-sprouts-history-origin/.

One primary variety of a certain warm-weather, bean-family, root veggie comes from Mexico and the other from South America. Some, called the "agua," are more round and some, called the "leche," are elongated. It made a great sea-voyage staple for Spanish sailors because it lasted a while and quenched thirst with high water content. It can be enjoyed cooked or raw. Cinnamon will bring out an apple-like taste and savory spices a potato-like taste(1). Enter the jicama, a very nutritious veggie that I would eat when I was NOT a veggie-eater. Let's see some of its nutrients and benefits..
- Vitamin B6 helps boost various brain functions and combat antibody invasion(2).
- Excellent levels of Vitamin C "control... inflammation by reducing oxidative stress levels and protecting against cancer, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline" plus help support healthy skin(1) and the immune system(2).
- Potassium dilates arteries and combats artery stress. Iron and copper also aid circulatory health and are especially critical for making "healthy red blood cells"(2).
- "[M]agnesium, copper and iron... help bolster mineral density in your bones."(2)
Unlike most other root veggies, jicama is low-calorie. High levels of fiber increase satiety, help support weight loss(1,2) help fight urges for excessive snacking(1), and support digestive tract health(2). 
- Inulin, "a non-digestable dietary carbohydrate"(1) and soluble fiber, doesn't metabolize into simple sugar though tasting sweet and therefore is safer for diabetics(2). Inulin is a prebiotic, undergoing healthy, crucial fermentation in the gut. The resulting good bacteria give off "a few types of short chain fatty acids". These fatty acids help lower risk for "inflammatory diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease", support further beneficial bacteria, and lower amounts of bad species of bacteria(1).

References:
1. Wilkes, Angela. "What is Jicama?" Keto Meals and Recipes by Angela Wilkes. Angela Wilkes. Web. 13 Apr. 2022. https://www.ketomealsandrecipes.com/2017/05/05/what-is-jicama/.
2. Seward, Marc. "8 Benefits of Jicama." Healthy Focus. Healthy Focus LLC. 21 Mar. 2017. Web. 13 Apr. 2022. ​https://healthyfocus.org/benefits-of-jicama/.

Peaches are native to northwest China and believed to have been first domesticated along the Yangtze River, where fossilized peach stones have been found from thousands of years ago. Peach blossoms were an especially important cultural item for the Chinese - the blossoms were hung on doors for new year celebrations and carried by soldiers who preceded emperors traveling from town to town(1). The Chinese would end up spreading peaches to Persia, where they were grown widely(2). Alexander the Great brought peach seeds to Europe as a result of his conquest of Persia(1,2). The scientific name of peaches, Prunus persica or "Present from Persia," was a Roman/Latin tip-off to Europeans getting peaches through there(1). Ancient Herculaneum, ravaged by infamous Mount Vesuvius, had peach paintings on its walls(2).
"In the 16th century, Spanish explorers brought the first peaches to South America"(1) and it was actually in the century after that that the fruits came to England(1,2) where it remained a delicacy(1), widespread with the Victorians as a dessert(2) including with Queen Victoria herself(1).
Early 1600s English colonist George Minifie may have planted the first North American peach tree at his Virginia abode. Thomas Jefferson planted some at Monticello(1). The Elberta peach, the most widespread in the world, was first produced in 1875 in Georgia by Samuel H. Rumph and a trial shipment fetched $15 a bushel in New York City. Mr. Rumph designed railroad cars with ice bunkers and iced boxes on casters for transporting peaches and essentially gave away his railcar design. Elberta peaches grew in "all soils and climates, from the Gulf to the Great Lakes, the Atlantic to the Pacific"(3).

References:
1. Frog Hollow Farm. "The History of Peaches | Frog Hollow Farm | Where Did Peaches Come From." Frog Hollow Farm. Frog Hollow Farm. 27 Apr. 2017. Web. 20 Dec. 2021. https://www.froghollow.com/blogs/news/the-history-of-peaches-frog-hollow-farm-1.
2. Jillian. "The History of the Peach." Kingsburg Orchards. Kingsburg Orchards. 25 Jul. 2013. Web.20 Dec. 2021.  https://www.kingsburgorchards.com/peach-history-blog.
3. "Peaches." University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. University of Georgia. Web. 20 Dec. 2021. ​https://peaches.caes.uga.edu/history.html.

Kale (and collards) are considered more like earlier forms of cabbages, less altered by breeding of man, as opposed to "cauliflower, broccoli, and head cabbage" which only have a two-thousand-or-so-year history. Kale and collards are "nonheading cabbages [that] bear the Latin name Brassica oleracea variety acephala, the last term meaning 'without a head.'" The name "kale" is from the Scottish derivative for the Greek and Roman words for the whole grouping of cabbagelike plants(1). Kale is also extremely nutritious and easy enough to grow where it has been widely used during food shortages - plus is very cold-tolerant(2). In fact, it can weather "snow, ice and temperatures as low as 10 degrees below zero" and a hefty frost actually improves the flavor(3). The Greeks and then Romans grew kale and collards; the Romans had several kinds including some with crisped or curled leaves and from mild taste to sharp. It is debated whether the Romans or Celts first took kale to France and Britain, where they have been retained for years since(1).
The Scottish eat a lot of kale to where "kale" is synonymous with "food" and "'off one's kale'" refers to a person unable to eat - the cold tolerance part was huge in the Highlands and a vital reason for its dominance. The Scottish ate it boiled and mashed, including with potatoes(3). In France, kale would eventually become a "lost & forgotten vegetable" that would lose popularity "to parsnips or turnips or sunchokes". A possible reason is believed to be it was about the only food available during the World Wars and lost its appeal(2).
The first definite reference to kale in kale in America was from 1669, though it may have made its way from Europe earlier. Kale and collards don't do as well in the heat, in which they develop a strong, distasteful flavor; collards ended up being the big winter veggie in the South. Collards are themselves very rich in minerals and vitamins and helped nourish many poor Southerners(1).

References:
1. "Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards." Aggie Horticulture: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html.
2. "What's the History of Kale?" The Kale Project. The Kale Project. 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. http://www.thekaleproject.com/simple-faqs/whats-the-history-of-kale/.
​3. Shea, Bridget. "Kale: The Fascinating Culinary History of Today’s Trendiest Vegetable." The University of Vermont Medical Center. The University of Vermont Medical Center. 27 Oct. 2017. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. https://medcenterblog.uvmhealth.org/wellness/recipes-wellness/kale-history-recipe/.

Welcome back to BRAIN NUTRITIONAL HEALTH! NOTE: Before I begin this article on the history of mustard seed, I decided to write it only because the seed itself has good properties - even medicinal uses, as we will see. However, it tends to be drowned in vinegar these days, and the condiment is mostly made with GMO white vinegar and other ingredients like not-good colorings. I've excluded modern history of mustard seed use for that reason. Please see "Not the Same: GMOs" for more on GMOs in general in the following: (LINK)
Mustard seeds have been found in the ruins of communities from the Stone Age, and there are at least 40 species of the plants. Some of the more-used kinds used for condiments are black mustard, hailing from Asia Minor and the Middle East; brown Indian mustard, a Himalayan plant; and white/yellow mustard, hailing from the Mediterranean basin(1). Some claim that Ancient Egypt was the initial source of mustard(2) - archaeological evidence seems to to indicate it was used to flavor food there and King Tut's tomb definitely had mustard seeds in it. Sumerians of ancient Iraq made a paste of mustard seed and put it in verjus, the very acidic juice of unripe grapes. Farming mustard seeds helped bolster prosperity on the Sumerian urban scene(1).
The Greeks used mustard seeds as a pretty broad-spectrum medicine - for such things as snakebite, hysteria, and the plague. Indeed, in the modern world, we've found that they contain powerful nutrients like anti-inflammatory minerals "manganese, iron, magnesium, and selenium" which may help cut down on symptoms of such conditions as arthritis and asthma. The Vitamin B3 and niacin help lower cholesterol and, among other things, help digestion. Possibly early as the 500s BC, mustard seed was used for scorpion stings by Pythagoras; Hippocrates(1) [of the medical oath] "used mustard in medicines and poultices" in the following century. Plasters of mustard were used, among several uses, for toothaches(1).
The Romans put ground mustard seed into wine and introduced mustard to Spain(1) and the north of France, where monks began cultivating it. Monasteries actually made rather hefty profits from mustard by the 800s. The word "mustard" is actually thought to come from grape must, the unfermented grape juice it was mixed with so commonly(2). An official Vatican position for a mustard maker was made by a mustard-enamored pope(1,2). Explorer Vasco de Gama brought mustard to India(1).

References:
1. Sherman, Carol. "Mustard: history of the yellow seed." Hektoen International: A Journal of Medical Humanities. Hektoen International. 18 Feb. 2020. Web. 1 Sep. 2021. https://hekint.org/2020/02/18/mustard-history-of-the-yellow-seed/#.
2. "Home/About us/." G. S. Dunn Dry Mustard Millers. G. S. Dunn Dry Mustard Millers. Web. 1 Sep. 2021. http://www.gsdunn.com/english/?page_id=2943.

Updated majorly 1/7/2025. One reference was no longer viable. New reference added with new information.

"Immune System Part 1: Workings Beyond White Blood Cells", published two weeks before on this on July 28th, listed different parts and workings of the immune system beyond white blood cells - even stomach acid! Please refer to Part 1, particularly as it speaks about what inflammation is, with the following: [LINK]. We now move on to the second of the three-part Immune System article series, on a couple types of haywire immune system responses, allergies and autoimmune issues. 

All autoimmune diseases involve the body attacking good cells. Rheumatoid athritis, MS, lupus, and celiac are included. Various foods have immune-boosting nutrients or else autoimmune-inflaming properties - take for example some veggies. Green leafy veggies "are rich in antioxidants and immune-boosting nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, and magnesium"; cruciferous veggies have the immune-regulating antioxidant compound glutathione. Nightshades are veggies but they have alkaloids that may increase intestinal inflammation. A study showed that blueberries may be helpful to MS patients(1).
​Food allergies are abnormal types of immune responses like hives, breathing constriction, and swelling and are overreactions to proteins of some foods. As much as 8% of US kids have food allergies, compared to approximately 2% of adults. Food intolerances are less serious issues and may cause discomfort, but usually affect the digestive tract more than anything(2).
There are upwards of "160 foods that can cause a reaction in sensitive people, [but] there are eight common foods that account for approximately 90% of all food allergy reactions... [which] include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans". Intolerance for lactose, the milk sugar, comes from "reduced production of enzyme lactase after infancy."(2) The wrong species of gut flora, lack of good species, and species colonizing inappropriate sections of the gut can induce food intolerances, intolerances to healthy prebiotics or sugars, or food allergies (Davis, 66-69, 284). Those conditions may actually be signs of the need for gut-healthy diet, well-targeted probiotics, and other interventions to revamp the gut microbiome(Davis, 67, 283-84).

[Note: Some allergy-causing foods aren't so good for you anyway, or at least when produced wrong. I do avoid wheat as I get brain fog and lowered immune function. My parents were told I was allergic to milk as a baby, and it turned out the nasty chemicals and hormones in that milk were probably the issue, as I did better after a while. For some examples, please click the "Not the Same" tag on the BNH blog menu to see articles on some foods that aren't so good for the body.]

Personal Product Favorites:
Two servings of veggies with superfood moringa in one scoop
Probiotic with advanced delivery system

References:
1. Younghans, Samantha Faragalli. "The Foods To Eat and Avoid If You Have an Autoimmune Disease:
Defeat Inflammation By Simply Swapping the Worst Foods For Autoimmune Diseases With the Best." Eat This, Not That!. Galvanized Media. January 25, 2020. Web. November 9, 2024. https://www.eatthis.com/autoimmune-disease-diet-foods/.
2. "Questions About Food Allergies? We’ve Got Answers!" Isagenix Health. Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. Web. November 9, 2024. https://www.isagenixhealth.net/questions-about-food-allergies-weve-got-answers/.
3. Davis, William. Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight. 1st ed., New York, Hachette Go, 2022.

Macadamias came from rainforests(1,2) in Queensland and New South Wales(1), which ranged along the northeast coast of Australia and were east of(2) [the major mountain range of the continent called] the Great Dividing Range. The toughness of the shell caused them to remain more of a treasured delicacy to the native Aboriginals. After women collected them, the shells had to be cracked with indented stones fitted to the nuts then struck by bigger stones in order to deliver evenly-displaced force without harming the kernel so much. Tribes traded the nuts and they "used as special ceremonial gifts at inter-tribal corroborees."(2) Early British settlers learned about them from the Aboriginals; Allan Cunningham is credited as the first European discoverer, from the year 1828(1).
​Walter Hill and Ferdinand Von Mueller, botanists, became fascinated with the trees in the mid-1800s(2), who created a new genus to put them in 1858 and named them after "John Macadam, MD., secretary of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria."(1) The first macadamia plantation only came out the 1880s(1,2), in the northern portion of New South Wales, Australia. Hawaii started planting the trees as windbreaks in 1882(1). It was only with the arrival of "successful grafting techniques and the introduction of mechanical processing that commercial production of the tough nut became feasible. Macadamia enthusiast Norm Gerber pioneered the grafting techniques"(2). 
Encouragement to grow macadamias in Hawaii came about in 1910 by the Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station. The University of Hawaii worked on commercial development in the 1930s, yet large exportation of the nuts from Hawaii wouldn't come till after World War 2(1).

References:
1. "History of macadamia nut." Food History. Food History. 25 Sept. 2017. Web. 12 Jun. 2021.  https://www.world-foodhistory.com/2017/09/history-of-macadamia-nut.html.
2. "History of the Macadamia." Australian Macadamias. Australian Macadamia Society. Web. 12 Jun. 2021. https://www.australian-macadamias.org/consumer/our-story/history-of-the-macadamia.

Updated January 4, 2024
​
"'Arctic root,' 'golden root,' and 'king’s crown'" are a few other names for yellow-flowered(1) rhodiola rosea, a root herb from such places as "the more frigid climates of northern Asia, East Europe, and the Arctic."(2) Various cultures have long used it with enthusiasm(1,2), with long use in Russia and Scandinavia for improved stress management and energy, though major scientific study only really began in the mid-1900s. There are in fact "140 different phytochemical constituents" found in rhodiola rosea with 12 considered unique to the adaptogenic herb(1).
"Its rose–scented, bright yellow flowers — located at the end of long, thick rhizomes — were first recorded(1) by the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides in 77 A.D."(1,2) who wrote a text called De Materia Medica. Greeks had long made trading expeditions across the Aegean into Colchis, now modern-day Georgia (the country, not the US state), a habitat of rhodiola rosea(2). Ancient Chinese emperors may have sent expeditions into Siberia(1,2) to procure the "golden root" which was used as a tea for flu and colds(2). Old lore of Scandinavia tells of(1) Vikings using it for physical endurance and strength(1,2) while fighting(1) and pillaging. Sherpas also used it for endurance. Traditional Siberian medicine claims that it lengthens life and different Siberian families kept where their sources of the herb were a secret, trading it for various provisions from abroad. Carl Linnaeus, the famous botanist, came up with the genus and species name in 1725 and himself prescribed it for "headaches, hysteria, and even hernias."(2)
Modern science suggests that rhodiola rosea's phytochemicals specifically aid during stress "by affecting cortisol and nitric oxide levels" including with immune and cognitive health. Research continues into its properties of being helpful in general quality of life(1).
​
Personal Product Favorites [LINKS]:
Rhodiola/adaptogen tonic
Ready-to-drink, rhodiola/adaptogen shot
Rhodiola-containing cleanse-support drink

References:
1. "Ingredient Spotlight: Rhodiola rosea." Isagenix Health. Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. Web. December 8, 2023. https://www.isagenixhealth.net/ingredient-spotlight-rhodiola-rosea/.
2. Ameriden International. "The History of Rhodiola Rosea." Ameriden International, Inc. April 21, 2017. Web. December 8, 2023. https://www.ameriden.com/blog/the-history-of-rhodiola-rosea/.

Magnolia berries are another name for this red, woody-vine berry(1) under forest cultivation in northeast China(2) and part of Russia with yes, "all five basic flavors – salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and bitter". Adaptogens are present(1,2) which "retrain your body to more effectively manage stress and health."(1) "Schisandra berries contain over 65 potent bioactive phytonutrients, including lignans, polysaccharides, and vitamins." The very special profile of polysaccharides and lignans especially have sparked interest in the scientific world - they work together to support immune health and the central nervous system(2).
Ancient Chinese medicine and traditional Russian medicine both incorporated schisandra as a mental and physical health aid(2). Ancient Chinese medicine employed logic believing the five flavors meant properties benefitting the five major visceral organs; improved liver function and bodily detoxification have indeed been shown in modern times(1). The Soviet Union was really looking into its physical and mental endurance qualities by the 1960s and found that its nutrients "help to reduce fatigue and oxidative stress by contributing to normalized nitric oxide and cortisol levels in the blood" - combatting fatigue, allowing longer time at work, and lessening errors made due to exhaustion. Modern studies show properties aiding sleep and energy(2).
Further possible benefits of schisandra include: relief of depression and anxiety; mild sedative effects; boosting metabolism and therefore weight loss; suppression of blood pressure; relief of motion sickness; eye health; and digestive support. Note: Huge quantities shouldn't be consumed, especially for long periods. Dried fruit should be limited to 3 grams a day. Very high doses may raise risk of  epilepsy, peptic ulcers, or increased intercranial pressure. The adaptogenic compounds mean schisandra isn't recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers - the baby might receive too high stimulation(1).

References:
1. Staughton, John. "18 Surprising Benefits Of Schisandra." Organic Facts: Let's Get Healthy Together. Organic Information Services Pvt Ltd. 14 Feb. 2020. Web. 19 May 2021. https://www.organicfacts.net/schisandra.html.
2. "Ingredient Spotlight: Schisandra Berry." Isagenix Health. Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. 4 May 2021. Web. 19 May 2021. https://www.isagenixhealth.net/ingredient-spotlight-schisandra-berry/.

Beets may have come from ancient Egypt in the 2000s BC, and the Babylonians had various uses of some sort for the plant(1). However, until the 1500s, people ate the leaves rather than the roots(1,2). The legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon may have grown beets. Roots were thinner and more fibrous for most of history and were sometimes used in medicine(2). Ancient Greeks started cultivating them after a certain point, eating the leaves and leaving roots for ceremony. Ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates(1) [of the Hippocratic Oath] may have dressed wounds with the leaves(1). "​Despite only growing well during spring and fall, beets were so well regarded in Ancient Rome and Greece that methods were developed for producing them during the hot summer months."(2)
"The root part of the beet was cultivated for consumption in either Germany or Italy, first recorded in 1542." At the time, the roots were more parsnip shaped. It took more towards the end of the 1500s when the bulb-shaped roots came out. The northeast portion of Europe was the first area where the roots really caught on as a staple as they were one of the relatively rare veggies to grow good during winter(2). France was a big part of getting international recognition for the roots, which took almost 200 years after people began eating them - roasted beets obtained delicacy status by that point(1). Women used beet juice as a lip and cheek cosmetic during the 1800s(1,2) - "red as a beet" as a saying was inspired by that use of beets(2).

References:
1. "The Origin And History Of Beetroot And Its Uses." Healthy Beeter: Beetroot for Healthy Living. Healthy Beeter. Web. ___. http://healthybeeter.com/origin-history-beetroot-uses/.
2. Avey, Tori. "Discover the History of Beets." PBS: Food: The History Kitchen. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 8 Oct. 2014. Web. ___. https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-beets/#:~:text=Northeastern%20Europe%20was%20the%20first%20area%20to%20embrace,discovered%20a%20way%20to%20produce%20sucrose%20from%20beets.