Tag organic

Food Profile: Avocado

Avocados are another very popular and healthy fruit. While some feel that it does not taste like much on it’s own, it is used in many dishes, or eaten with milk and sugar. Personally I enjoy a good avocado fresh…

Food Profile: Mango

Mangoes are a tropical hardwood tree, whose fruits are amongst the sweetest and most beloved in the world. They come in many shapes, sizes and colors yet they are all flavorful . Unripe mangoes are enjoyed for their tanginess and…

Calcium and Immunity

We all know about calcium. We hear about it endlessly when we are talking about bone health, and everyone knows that it is essential in building strong bones. We won̻t go into that in this article. What we want to…

Water and Immunity

H2O, also known as Water is something we cannot take for granted. Without it we would die in merely three days. The importance of water in our bodily processes is varied, as nearly every one of our functions uses water.…

Food Profile: Papaya

The Papaya is a South American plant that is a favorite in the Philippines for it’s ease of cultivation and of course, it’s flavor. These fruit come in a multitude of varieties, meaning the shapes, colors and tastes vary. They…

Food Profile: Talinum

Talinum Paniculatum is also known as Philippine spinach. It is a small, short lived annual that can be found growing wild in many places in the country. It’s edible leaves are 90% water, and this plant is also called Waterleaf…

What Is Sustainable Agriculture?

At ESSA, our foremost goal is to promote the practice of sustainable agriculture in the Philippines. In order for us to truly advocate for sustainable agriculture we need to understand what is really is. Let’s take a look at some…

Food Profile: Malunggay

Malunggay, internationally known as Moringa, is a tree that is native to India and grows very well in the tropics. It is renowned for it’s small leaves which are bunched on the branches in clusters. These leaves, when consumed are…

Food Profile: Lupo

Have you ever heard of Lupo? It is known around the world as Sessile Joyweed. It is a leafy weed that grows all around the Philippines. Although it is originally from South America, it has adapted and spread here. It…

Food Profile: Sigarilyas/Balagay

The Winged Bean, known in Tagalog as Sigarilyas and Hiligaynon/Bisaya as Balagay is a leguminous plant that produces uniquely shaped beans in color red or green. It is widely grown in tropical countries and highly valued for it’s versatility as…

Vitamin C and Immunity

Vitamin C is easily the most popular of the vitamins, and most of us have heard to some extent, that it protects us from sickness. I remember eating candy-like vitamin C supplements as a child, and seeing countless commercials about…