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Belle Benfield

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Belle Benfield

Contemporary Visual Artist

[email protected]

UK 44 7818 430 241

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Another of my favorite medicinal mushrooms is Birch Polypore ( Pitptoporus. betulinus). Mostly because it is a fungus that grows abundantly here in the UK and foraging and making medicines that are local and sustainable is something I’m really passionate about.

This bitter fungus is named after the many pores which fill its underside and produce its spores and the birch trees on which it grows.

Its glucan content, an immune enhancing polysacharride, make it a valuable immune tonic to have in your apothecary. Like many of the medicinal mushrooms, birch polypore has been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. Interestingly, its host birch trees produce betulinic acid which has been shown to kill cancer cells, so its thought part of the fungus’ anti-cancer action comes from it potentiating this specific acid from the trees.

#medicinalmushrooms #funghi #mycelium #mycelia #herbalmedicine #immuneboost #natureisthebestmedicine #immuneboost #cancertreatment #holisticmedicine #birchpolypore #birchtree #tree #woodland #anticancer #herbalistincornwall #studyherbs #medicine #plantmedicine #wildfood #wildmedicine #forager #immunetonic

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ID Turkey Tail:

These are the ID tips I’ve been given over the years:

Topside: - radiating bands of strongly contrasting varied colour – darker grey, brown or reddish tones out to white edge. - Velvety/very slightly fuzzy to touch. Semi-sheen when catching the light.

Underside: - White underneath with pores. - Pores are many and tiny ( approx 3 per mm )
#medicinalmushrooms #funghi #mycelium #mycelia #herbalmedicine #immuneboost #natureisthebestmedicine #immuneboost #cancertreatment #holisticmedicine #turkeytail #trametesversicolor #herbalistincornwall #studyherbs #medicine #plantmedicine #wildfood #wildmedicine #forager #immunetonic

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Whenever I am prescribing medicinal mushrooms to clients and need to decide about dosing, this is the book I turn to: Medicinal Mushrooms, A clinical Guide by Martin Powell of @myconutri

#medicinalmushrooms #funghi #mycelium #mycelia #herbalmedicine #immuneboost #natureisthebestmedicine #immuneboost #cancertreatment #holisticmedicine #turkeytail #trametesversicolor #herbalistincornwall #studyherbs #medicine #plantmedicine #wildfood #wildmedicine #forager #immunetonic

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I’ve got some turkey tail mushrooms popping up on a dead plum tree in my garden so I’ve been paying deeper attention to the wonders of turkey tail medicine this week... Trametes versicolor or Corilous versicolor.

The most studied polysacharride-protein complexes present in turkey tail are PSK & PSP which, when used alongside chemo and radiotherapy, have been shown to boost immunity in patients with cancers of the stomach, oesophegus, lung, ovary and cervix, to improve the body’s ability to stop tumor growth and to extend the survival in cancers of the colon, stomach, oesophagus, uterus and lung. Turkey tail has also been shown to diminish chemotherapy and radiotherapy side effects.

Beyond cancer, there are also studies showing that Turkey Tail boosts the immune status for patients with HIV, Herpes and Chronic Fatigue syndrome.

PSK and PSP are water-soluble so turkey tail can be taken as a decocotion by simmering it for an hour in water.

For a general boost to your immune system, you can drink the decoction through winter or add turkey tail to broths when you are making long-simmering soups or stews.
#medicinalmushrooms #funghi #mycelium #mycelia #herbalmedicine #immuneboost #natureisthebestmedicine #immuneboost #cancertreatment #holisticmedicine #turkeytail #trametesversicolor #herbalistincornwall #studyherbs #medicine #plantmedicine #wildfood #wildmedicine #forager #immunetonic

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Delighted to fill my cup with LOVE last night listening to Satish Kumar speak on the theme. His advice for a love-filled life? Start your day with poetry that lifts your soul and eliminate criticism, comparison and complaining from your relationship with yourself and your beloveds. There's a chapter in his new book #elegantsimplicity on love unlimited.
Whatever you make of Valentines day, we all have space in our life to welcome more love. I truly believe the frequency of love is our strongest superpower. I love you! ♥️💚♥️💚♥️💚♥️💚♥️ #lovewins #lovewhatyoudo #valentines @resurgencetrust #satish #lovealways #loveandauthenticitycoach #loveisstrong #fiercelove #herbalism #lovetheland #lovethesoil #healthylove #hartland #devon #resurgencemagazine @new_society_publishers

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It’s a soil-feeding kind of day.

One of the main things that keeps me busy in my garden is tending to the soil. Healthy soil provides the nutrients needed for plants to grow which creates our food, medicine, the oxygen we need to breathe and the clean water for us to drink. Healthy soil also stores carbon and prevents flooding, both vital in our resilience to climate change.

I planted the Bohelland Medicine Garden last spring and will be expanding it this spring. The soil was pretty minimal, so this winter I have been importing seaweed, leaf mulch and woodchip and layering them to mulch the beds. The veg beds especially like seaweed. Herbs actually produce more of their medicinal compounds when they’re challenged a bit to grow in less nutrient dense soils, so woodchip is often enough.

#soilhealth #earthmedicine #earthworms #permaculture #agroecology #herbalmedicine #herbalistincornwall #cornishgarden #greenthumb #gardener #allotment #howdoesyourgardengrow #holistic #medicine #naturalmedicine #remedy #fertile #agriculture #growyourown #resilience #climatechange #wildfood #wildmedicine #allotmentlife #compost #growwell #seaweed #cornishcoast

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All illustrations and photography by Belle Benfield © 2018 Belle Benfield. All Rights Reserved.

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