7 minute read
EAT LOCAL
Foraging for Stinging Nettle, a local Spring Favourite
LUNA LOISEAU-TREMBLAY
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Finally, after a long pandemic winter the spring
is gently unfolding on Eastern Vancouver Island and with it the new shoots and flower buds of the season. Anna’s hummingbirds are busily prodding the first salmonberry flowers and Rufous hummingbirds are making their way up the island, surprising us at our feeders. The fawn lilies and chocolate lilies come out of dormancy and flowering red currant begins leafing out, reminding us that warm sunny spring days are just around the corner. With the comforting signs of spring, comes the anticipation of food foraging for wild plants which for many of us is a yearly routine to welcome the season. One of the common favorites of this area is the humble Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioica. This species is an herbaceous perennial, growing from one to three metres tall, with spreading rhizomes and serrated leaves growing in opposite pairs along the stem. When flowering, the light green clustered flowers are inconspicuous, drooping over the plant. It grows commonly in meadows, stream-banks, open shady forest, distrubed areas, edges of clearings and along damp roadside edges, often in small to large patches. Many of us have experienced the sting of nettle, as rubbing up alongside can produce painful blisters and irritating rashes. The leaves and stem of this species are covered in stiff hairs, coming from a gland producing formic acid, which is secreted when the hairs are broken. This stinging characteristic of Urtica dioica is an excellent defense mechanism but of course,
humans have found a way around that to benefit from its many positive attributes. Stinging Nettle can be gathered in the spring using a good thick pair of gloves and scissors, its first leaves obvious and easily identified from other plants. Cooking or pulverizing it will take away the sting and it can be cooked and used as greens in soups, lightly steamed and used in the place of spinach in a lasagna or any other dish that would use spinach. Nettle can be drunk as a spring tonic, added to smoothies as a green substitute, or made into a delicious nettle pesto to use as spread or a sauce. It was also harvested for medicine and eaten by many coastal and interior Indigenous groups. In addition, it was an important source of fibre for use as cordage in things like fish nets. Although it was used by many First Nations, there is some debate as to its origin and it is thought this plant is an introduced species that came with Europeans. Urtica dioica is also the food plant for the caterpillars of several species of butterflies in our area, namely the brightly coloured Satyr Anglewing, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell and the Red Admiral. In April and May it is common to find these three butterfly species flying around nettle patches and landing to rest on the leaves of the plant. Thus, it is always prudent to harvest tops and down to the second or third leaf nodes and leave the rest to grow in order for wildlife to also benefit from this wonderful plant. When foraging and harvesting wild plants, it is always good to remember the basic rules around this practice. Be one hundred percent sure of the plant identification and do not eat a plant unless you have identified it properly. Do not take more than you need, do not trespass on a private property or harvest an endangered species and do not forage in protected areas, such as a provincial park. In addition to that, leave as little trace as possible, respect nature, and use a knife or scissors, leaving the roots of the plant. Plants of Coastal British Columbia including Washington, Oregon and Alaska by Pojar and Mackinnon is an excellent resource for learning plant identification for our area. It is found easily online and in bookstores.
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Spring Training
Running Tips for Transitioning Outside
Photo © Adobestock / blas
Even if the temperatures are still cold, the start
of March is always an exciting time for runners. The promise of spring lures runners outdoors, away from the treadmill. But all the excitement to get outdoors and run all of the miles can result in injury. The transition between winter training – low mileage, often on the treadmill – and spring training – outdoors, with harder workouts and long runs – can increase injury risk, which is the last thing you want as soon as it’s nice outside. You can take some smart steps in your training to injury-proof your spring running.
Assess your Winter Training
Your current fitness determines your training—not where you want to be, or where you were a couple years ago. What you ran in winter determines the first few weeks of your spring training. If you’ve gone dormant over the winter, you can get moving with ease at Hummingbird Fitness Centre or other low impact training facilities. We recommend you do a month of strength training before getting underway with your outdoor running routine.
Make a Careful Treadmill to Road Transition
The treadmill provides a softer and more consistent surface than outdoor running. The higher impact of pavement and extra demands of uphill and downhill do make outdoor running harder on the body after months of treadmill training. Some runners make the transition without any issue, but injury-prone runners may need to take extra caution.
Try these steps to transition from the treadmill to outdoor running without getting injured: • Gradually transition your training outdoors. Begin with taking one or two of your shorter runs outside.
If that feels good, take another run or two outside the next week, and so on, until you are running outdoors for every run. • Use a foam roller and stretch after each outdoor run. • Do not compare your paces. Some people run faster on the treadmill, others faster outdoors, and still others the same regardless. Focus on your effort, not your pace. • Try running on trails to minimize the impact as you transition. Dirt and grass have all the benefits of outdoor running with less impact than pavement.
Gradually Reintroduce Speed
The trap of doing too much too soon is one of the most common causes of injury—especially when it comes to building your speed. Just as you gradually build up mileage and duration, you'll gradually build up the intensity of your workouts. Start with shorter amounts of work at a comfortably hard effort early in the season.
Include Injury Prevention Exercises
A strong body is resilient to injury. Even if you do everything right when it comes to training, you can still be injured if you have muscular imbalances or poor form. Strength training reduces muscular imbalances, strengthens the core, and makes your muscles more resistant to the impact of running.
If you want to get back into running and are not sure where to start, Hummingbird Fitness Centre is hosting Couch to 5KM Clinics this Spring! This is a great opportunity to work with a trainer and work your way back into running with interval training. Hummingbird Fitness is located at 919 Ironwood Street, Campbell River.
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