It's Green, Prickly And Sour, But This Plant Could Cure Obesity And Save An Ancient Way Of Life

Actually, if you read the article, it says this could curtail appetites. That would therefore lower caloric intake, bringing calorie/exercise ratios into balance for lazy fat people.

I did read the article. An appetite suppressant is still a panacea. They're still just looking for a "natural" form of Dexa-Trim to substitute for self-control. So it wouldn't be bad to feel less hungry in these days of easily available and highly nutritious food. But simply eating less won't automatically translate into lower disease incidence. A pill won't substitute for physical activity. Besides, not all fat people are lazy nor do all fat people suffer health risks from being fat. Fat men who get sufficient physical activity are less likely to have a heart attack than lean men who get no physical activity.

friends of mine called and mentioned that i hadn't been over for lunch in a while. since they live near the cactus king nursery, i decided to do both today.

unfortunately, the cactus kind nursery does not appear to be a reliable nursery:

the nursery is between encinitas blvd and santa fe, both exits of the i-5 freeway, on a ridge above the freeway, overlooking the pac ocean.

i arrived at 10:30, and a woman who identified herself as a new employee assisted me. no one else was available. she rang an old iron school bell which was supposed to arouse the manager, located in the old family house on the property. ten minutes later, out comes this fat, barefoot baby boomer, clad only in overalls. he couldn't remember where the asclepiadaceae gordonii was located. and, he didn't care. later i found out that the owner was retired and this sleepy guy was his adult son who was managing the business. the son would rather be in colorado, he said. he retired to the house, probably to go back to bed.

the new employee and i searched the grounds, finding some plants that appeared similar to the botany descriptions that we had found in books in the office. none of the plants were labelled, nor flowering; therefore, we could not make a positive i.d. we both agreed that we'd located asclepiadaceae, but whether they were gordonii or lugardii etc, we had no idea.

i do not recommend this place.

i saw no reason to mention what our interests are in hoodia.

i was disappointed; my expectations were to find knowledgeable owners and to purchase a small specimen to bring home and grow.

remembering that the quail botanical gardens were nearby, i made a run down there. unfortunately no professionals were on duty on the weekend, and the attendant wanted $5.00 entrance fee. the website is: www.qbgardens.com.

north san diego county is home to dozens of nurseries, some specializing in succulents. they're all over the place; i see cacti in vista, fallbrook, etc.

i'm sure that we'll locate a supplier on the internet. koax.

Zambia's amazing potato cure
by Ishbel Matheson
Sunday, 7 November, 1999
They were large, the size of a small melon, ridged, with tough hairs sprouting on the outer-skin, and shaped like a honey-bee hive... The plant is only grown in Mkushi, in the north of the country. Traditional healers there, who use it to treat a range of illnesses, have long known of its special qualities. In the minds of many Zambians - both educated and uneducated - this is a wonder-spud... The popularity of the vegetable is hardly surprising. Most Zambians are too poor to afford any kind of medication, and when it comes to HIV/Aids, people are willing to try anything. The disease affects an estimated one in four people in urban areas, and with no prospect of treatment with the kind of expensive drugs available in Western nations, any homegrown alternative is eagerly received... Back in the Tuesday market, I buy my knobbly shaped vegetable to take home... [S]omeone else informs me that it takes 15 years for an African potato to grow to maturity, so I give my purchase to a friend, who agrees to plant it out in her garden.

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