Without Mother Nature’s gifts, it would be nearly impossible for humans to survive. She has so far brought many plant species to our planet, the majority of which are well-known to science. However, one expert recently asserted how despite having many plants and foods with medicinal properties right in front of us, we continue to disregard them. Apparently, these are the same ones many people relied on for survival during the Great Depression. Unfortunately, just as the Great Depression has passed into history, so too have a number of medicinal plants that might be useful today. With her most recent book, the aforementioned expert Nicole Apelian chose to remind those who already knew about these plants while educating those new to the alternative medicine sector. The purpose of this review is to introduce The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods.
What is The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods?
The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods is a book that walks readers through over 400 medicinal plants native to North America. The author, Nicole, says careful selection is unlikely to be found in most people’s kitchens or even medicine cabinets. The primary distinction between her strategy and other books of this nature is that Nicole’s approach allegedly emphasizes the steps to correctly distinguishing the beneficial wild foods from the irrelevant ones. Another surprise to our editorial team was being told the suggested plants can be found almost anywhere, including on the streets, in forests, and even in one’s own backyard. To understand Nicole’s perspectives on medicinal plants, we must first dismantle The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods and identify its key features.
What feature does The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods have?
It must be evident by now that The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods informs readers about the crucial, distinguishable features of beneficent plants from the weaker varieties. Truthfully, Nicole is said to have put a lot of heart into the presentation as well as the content to get her point across. In that regard, the following attributes caught our attention the most:
Precise Visuals from Different Angles
The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods contains precise illustrations that will aid in correctly identifying the wild foods. Nicole made sure the visuals are not only big and colorful, but also offer various angles that highlight their key features. This, in her viewpoint, is the best way to smoothen the identification process. She went a step further by including a distribution map to make the search easier.
Beneficial Vs Dangerous Plants
The problem with studying plants is that many of them differ in only a few characteristics, making it challenging to tell them apart. Even if two plants appear to be identical, they may not offer the same advantages. In order to highlight as many features as possible, Nicole divided this book into sections based on healthy and poisonous wild foods. It is important to value this because inaccurate identification may result in unintended side effects. In fact, this level of effort is hardly ever found in books of a similar nature because most authors tend to concentrate on just one viewpoint rather than taking the big picture into account.
Supporting Education
The caliber of the education is what gives The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods a competitive edge. Nicole claims to have provided information on each plant’s medicinal properties, how to use them as remedies for common health issues, instructions on how and when to harvest them, and, to put it mildly, delicious, tried-and-true recipes. Here is a sneak preview of the available learning opportunity:
- A widespread mushroom found in all 50 states that can be dried and stored for a long time
- One street plant’s seed that can be used to make bread without gluten
- A plant used by herbalists as nature’s Prozac to treat anxiety
- A pesky weed that has antiviral properties
- Cattails as a four-season food to increase general vigor
- A plant that eases the tension in the digestive system’s muscles
- An easily prepared probiotic made from elderflowers
- A recipe that honors the union of more than 50 edible berries
- The herb that contains more iron than spinach
- Making wild bread using dandelions
What does a purchase of The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods comprise?
Each purchase of The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods also includes immediate access to digital resources such as:
Bonus #1. The Wilderness Survival Guide
The first bonus, titled The Wilderness Survival Guide, lists a number of survival techniques that can help people make the most of their environment. Nicole specifically lists craft resources that assist each person in becoming independent and self-sufficient. This tool is essential to have on hand, especially for people who aren’t familiar with the concept of scavenging in the great outdoors.
Bonus #2. Household Remedies – How to Recover Naturally at Home
The second bonus’ title practically reveals what it contains. Nicole’s goal with this guide is to resurrect remedies from our grandparents’ time. People will have access to a recipe that instructs them to make cough syrup using black radish to create vinegar socks. This guide, like The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods, reveals many time-tested remedies that can be used at home.
Bonus #3. 104 Long Lasting Foods You Can Make at Home
Finally, people have the opportunity to evaluate 104 foods that are thought to have long-lasting qualities. These foods are also referred to as “survival foods” because they don’t require refrigeration or electricity yet can be consumed without any side effects. Nicole firmly believes that these food items should be kept in stockpiles or pantries for emergencies.
How much does The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods cost?
The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods is available in the following formats and prices respectively:
- Digital Copy: $37 each
- Physical and Digital Copies: $37 each + $9.99 in shipping and handling
Each purchase also comes with a “Keep-the-book” 60-day money-back guarantee. Individuals can put Nicole’s advice to the test, whether it’s while identifying plants or converting them into medicinal solutions. Customers can contact customer service for a full purchase price refund if they have trouble navigating The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods within the first 60 days of the purchase date or are unsatisfied with the information provided. Anyone who wants to keep their copies of the book is free to do so as well. For clarity on this new money-back guarantee, an email must be sent directly to foragersguide@thelostherbs.com.
Meet the Author: Nicole Apelian, PhD
Dr. Nicole Apelian possesses a range of skills. Herbalist, author, biologist, anthropologist, wilderness skills instructor, survival skills consultant, and keynote speaker, are just a few of her well-known professions. Apparently, Nicole’s career reflects her own life. Particularly, her unexpected multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2000 compelled her to brush up on her research techniques for personal wellness.
This ultimately led her to holistic wellness, which she describes as a combination of establishing a strong bond with nature, practicing gratitude, establishing a healthy diet, and using herbal remedies. She was initially bedridden, but amazingly, her strategies enabled her to become fully alive and revived.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods should be viewed as a comprehensive database full of advice on how to use wild foods for better health and survival in times of an emergency. The average cost of emergency food supplies is thought to be thousands of dollars at best, but Nicole claims that not only is the cost excessive, but also these emergency food supplies rarely contain all the essential nutrients required for good health.
As nature houses several varieties of mushrooms, berries and plants, The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods provides indicators on how to differentiate what we see on a daily basis. A great deal of plant life goes unnoticed, which is unfortunate because many of these plants are believed to contain medicinal qualities that can replace many food ingredients slowly causing harm to our organs. Most importantly, this book gives readers the chance to pick up a skill that they can use for years to come.
Regarding the book itself, readers are given not only enlightening knowledge, but also visuals that make sorting and scavenging simple. What use is knowledge if it cannot be put to the test, right? Nicole should be commended for her efforts in raising awareness and motivating people to put this knowledge to use. Of course, alternative solutions of this nature do not replace medical experts; therefore, anyone with a pre-existing health condition is advised to speak with their respective doctors before moving ahead. To find out more about The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods, click here>>>.
RELATED WILD FOOD SURVIVAL GUIDE TO COMPARE:
