Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd or Momordica charantia, belongs to the squash family. This tropical vine produces oblong, green fruits with bumpy exteriors that resemble cucumbers. The plant grows naturally in India and other Asian countries. People cultivate it globally for its fruit, which is a staple in many types of Asian culinary...

For thousands of years, indigenous civilizations have burned sage to heal bodies, cleanse spaces and remove negative energy. Indigenous tribes like the Lakota, Chumash, and Cahuilla have practiced smudging rituals in North America for millenia. These practices were meant to purify the air, safeguard their communities, and connect ceremonies to ancestral wisdom. Tribes used white...

For thousands of years, humans have turned to nature’s pharmacy in search of healing, comfort, and vitality. Medicinal leaves, in particular, stand out as humble yet powerful remedies for varieties of ailments. Across continents and cultures, people have plucked leaves from their gardens, forests, and fields. They have brewed them into teas, crushed them into...

Caffeine aficionados may be familiar with coffee cherries. These are the fruits of coffee trees that look like ruby red grapes when ripe. Inside them are two bluish-green coffee beans. Once extracted and roasted, the beans are ready to be ground and turned into a morning cup of joe. The fruit is typically discarded, but...