SEAWEEDS DEEP SEA SECRETS TO A MERMAID’S VITAL HEALTH “We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”

-T.S. ELIOT “THE SEAWEED IS ALWAYS GREENER IN SOMEONE ELSE’S WATER”-THE LITTLE MERMAID ALGAE ARE THE PREDECESSORS OF PLANTS, THEIR GRANDFATHERS IN ESSENCE. SEAWEEDS ARE THE MOST ANCIENT ORGANISMS ON THE PLANET, AND AMONG THEM THE FASTEST GROWING. MORPHOLOGY HARVESTING TIPS

• Always cut the fronds, rather than removing the holdfast from the rock.

• Harvest in areas of fast moving water, without any industry in the area or upstream.

• 1 in 4 is a good rule of thumb.

• Get to know their seasons, harvesting during optimal times.

• Rinse in ocean water before drying.

• Dry in the Sun.

• Maintains high nutrient profile up to 10 years dried. RHODOPHYTA ~ REDS

• Anti-Viral (Sulphated Polysaccharides) helps cells block penetration of virus

• Potassium, Protein, Vit. A

• Closely related to Fungi

• Traditionally used as antibiotic, vermifuge, antitumor, to treat goiter, cough remedy, wound healing, hydrating, gout, gall stones, hypertension, diarrhoea, constipation, dysentry, burns, ulcers, skin diseases, and lung diseases

• Can be useful for anti parasitic programs due to domoic and kainic acid. SEAWEED GELLO

HTTP://HARMONICARTS.CA/2012/08/SEAWEED- FRUIT-GELLO/ SULPHATED POLYSACCHARIDES

• Antiviral

• Used in contraceptives, protects the body from viral attachments

• Combats HIV, Herpes, and HPV MAZZAELA(IRIDAEA) ~ RAINBOW LEAF PALMARIA PALMATA ~ DULSE

• Harvest early summer to mid-fall

• High iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium

• Vit A, C, D, B’s

• Helpful for seasickness

• Great salt alternative for high blood pressure MASTOCARPUS PAPILLATUS ~ TURKISH TOWEL

• Harvest after storms

• Exfoliant

• Emollient

• Doctrine of Signatures PORPHYRA PERFORATA ~LAVER, NORI

• Harvest year round in Pacific Northwest

• Up to 50% protein

• High in Vitamin A, B’s, E, C, K.

• Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Manganese, Copper and Zinc. GELIDIUM PURPURASCENS~ GEL WEED (GREEK=JELLY)

• Source of agar agar

• Makes great seaweed gelo

• Local alternative for Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus)

• Beautiful for pressings CHLOROPHYTA~ GREENS ULVANS

• Similar properties to reds

• Sulfated polysaccharide; anti-viral.

• immuno-modulating

• Fat burning

• Highly antioxidant ULVA LACTUCA ~ SEA LETTUCE

• Harvest early spring to late summer

• Highly antioxidant and immune modulating

• Grows in nutrient dense areas. *Carotenoid rich

• Ulvans are immunomodulant, antioxidant, and anti-viral.

• High in Vitamins A, B, and C.

• Substantial Silica content

• Promotes collagen and elastin formation (great band-aids!)

PHAEOPHYCEAE ~ BROWNS

• Known for high iodine content.

• Alginates

• Fucoidan

• Fucoxanthins IODINE

• Halogens: Bromine, Chlorine, Fluorine, Iodine.

• Radioactive iodine accumulates in the thyroid, ovaries, breasts, testicles, and colon.

• Iodine 131 has a short half-life of about 8 days, thus a radiogenic life of about 60 days. Storing seaweed dried for 60 days will ensure that seaweeds do not contain Iodine 131

• 5-15 gm/day (dried) or 1-2 tsp. powder average for 145lb adult. On the higher side if drinking municipal water~ chlorine or fluoridated toothpaste, etc ALGINATES

• Specifically bind to toxins including heavy metals and radioactive isotopes in the intestines, helping flush them out of the system.

• Also flushes fatty deposits from the liver. FUCOIDAN

• Initiates apoptosis in the body

• Harmonizes human cells with cancer cells (glyconutrients)

• Immune strengthening and modulating (think colostrum!)

• Anti-inflammatory

• Suppresses allergy response

• Supports Vitamin D synthesis FUCOUS VESICULOSUS ~ BLADDERWRACK

• Harvest year round

• Known for high iodine content.

• Topical gel acts as a sunscreen and wound healer.

• Magnesium, Iodine, Zinc, Iron, Potassium, Lysine, A, C, E, K SEA PALM~ POSTELSIA PALMAEFORMIS

• Harvest early spring

• Wonderful texture, delicious addition to meals

• Rarer to find and harvest

• High in trace minerals LAMINARIA SACCHARINA ~ KOMBU, SUGAR WRACK

• Harvest early spring to summer

• Glutamic Acid (Umami)

• Mannitol

• Kombu-Cha!

• Miso soup

• Improves digestibility of beans

• A, C, D, E, K, B’s

• Mineral and trace mineral rich SPLIT KELP LAMINARIA SETCHELLII NEREOCYSTIS LUETKEANA ~ BULL KELP

• Harvest 1/4 fronds from spring to summer, or find washed up after storms

• 2nd fastest growing organism on the planet 10”/day.

• Mermaid’s bladder

• Wrap fronds around fish for cooking

• Ear candle, didgeridoo

• Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron,

• A, B’s, C, D, E, and K PICKLED BULLWHIP

• 2 C apple cider vinegar

• 1 C apple cider

• 1/2 C grated fresh horseradish

• 1 small dried chile

• 1 TB yellow mustard seeds

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 and 1/2 C dried sliced bullwhip or 3 C fresh

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 TB honey

Combine all ingredients, cover with a weight. Cover with cheesecloth and a loose lid, leave in a cool dark place for 2-3 days. Add a little extra vinegar if using dried to keep bull whip submerged. Add salt and honey to adjust flavour. ALARIA MARGINATA~ WINGED KELP/ WAKAME

• Harvest early spring to summer

• When harvesting cut above cluster of leaflets to ensure re- growth

• Highest known seaweed in Calcium

• Remove tough midrib when preparing in foods

• A, C, B’s, K, Iron, Magnesium, Zing, Potassium WAKAME UNDARIA PINNATIFIDA GIANT KELP~ MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA/INTEGREFOLIA

• Washes up after storms or cut only the top 3 feet to ensure continued growth

• Fastest growing organism in the world! Up to 2ft/day as tall as 800ft.

• renewable energy resource

SARGASSUM MUTICUM~ JAPANESE WEED

GLYCONUTRIENTS

• Responsible for communication on a cellular level. Harmonizes bodily systems.

• All 600 trillion cells need them for proper functioning.

• Bind to proteins and fats to encase the cell structure with information.

• xylose, fucose, galactose, glucose, mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylneuraminic acid (a sialic acid). CONTRAINDICATIONS:

• Contraindications:

• Kidney problems- reds high in potassium

• Browns- surgery/warfarin, vitamin K content (blood thinner)

• Iodine- hyperthyroid or hashimoto’s (still no verdict) TOXIC SEAWEEDS

• Prionitis lanceolata~ Bleachweed (Red) • Desmerestia aculeata ~Acid Kelp/Hair (Brown) ACID KELP DESMERESTIA HERBACEA BENEFITS OF TOPICAL USE

• Promotes collagen and elastin formation, simultaneously reducing it’s degradation

• Tones and tightens the skin

• Moisturizes hair, especially for dry/brittle/frizzy hair

• Hydrating, nourishing, regenerative

• Increases skins brightness and vitality

• Stimulates local circulation, decreases cellulite

• Protects the skin from the elements

• Regulates sebum, helping with acne

• Reinforces the hydrolipidic (protective) barrier of the skin

• Antioxidant activity

• Free radical scavenger OTHER INTERESTING USES:

• Weather barometers

• Cervix dialators

• Roofs

• Fuel source

• Ear candling

• Garden fertilizer

• A wonderful medium for basket weaving

• Cooling and moistening energetics, useful for hot and dry conditions and constitutions

• Seacell wool

• Fabric dye

RESOURCES

• Cookboks: Irish Seaweed Kitchen, Prannie Rhatigan ; Sea Vegetable Celebration, Shep Erhart & Leslie Cerier; The New Seaweed Cookbook, Crystal Maderia; The Seaweed Jelly-Diet Cookbook Guide, Clayten Tylor; Seaweed Soul, Larch Hanson

• Nutritional/Medicinal: Seaweeds edible, available & sustainable, Ole Mouritsen; The Thyroid Crisis and the Seaweed Remedy, Eleanor Kwei

• Topical: The Seaweed Beauty Guide, Clayten Tylor

• Studies: Seaweed: Ecologym Nutrient Composition and Medicinal Uses, Vitor Pomin

• Websites:

• www.seaweed.ie

• www.isaseaweed.org/symposia.php

• http://www.ryandrum.com/

• http://larchhanson.com/