Located in the New York City’s Lower East Side, the Manhattan Bridge Skatepark, aka L.E.S. Skatepark, was a once neglected skatepark. Because of its location and the recent closing of the popular skate spot the Brooklyn Banks, it has become one of the most heavily trafficked skateparks in New York City.

In Summer 2012, under the Manhattan Bridge, a run down skatepark received a major facelift. Thanks to a NIKE GAMECHANGERS grant, community skate advocate Steve Rodriguez (5boro Skateboards) worked with design collaborator and builder California Skateparks, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Architecture for Humanity, stakeholders and community members on the redesign that has revamped and literally reramped the existing skatepark.

L.E.S. Skatepark NYC

“The practice of making up with cosmetics or adding any manner of unnatural enhancers to one’s appearance is considered degrading all the important, natural attributes, and divine aspects of a great person, male or female.”

-Rasta

PEPPER: (Capsicum)
PART USED: Fruit, Seeds.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES: Beneficial use for digestive aid, antihelmentic, antimalarial, antiviral  cardioprotective, immunodulator, inflammatory, anti diabetic, anti-cancer, blood purifier, circulatory, analgesic and as a stimulant to speed the body’s natural healing processes. Also, it has the ability to cure flu, headaches, dyspepsia, fever, and common colds.

The fruit of most species of Capsicum contains capsaicin (methyl vanillyl nonenamide), a lipophilic chemical that produces a strong burning sensation in the mouth. Most mammals find this unpleasant, whereas birds are unaffected. The secretion of capsaicin protects the fruit from consumption by mammals while the bright colors attract birds that will disperse the seeds.

The seeds themselves do not produce any capsaicin, although the highest concentration of capsaicin can be found in the white pith around the seeds.

The amount of capsaicin in the fruit of Capsicums is highly variable and dependent on genetics and environment, giving almost all types of Capsicums varied amounts of perceived heat.

The only Capsicum without capsaicin is the bell pepper, a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, which has a zero rating. The lack of capsaicin in bell peppers is due to a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin and, consequently, the “hot” taste usually associated with the rest of the Capsicum family.

Capsaicin is used in modern medicine mainly in topical medications. Although black pepper and Sichuan pepper cause similar burning sensations, they are caused by different substances called piperine and hydroxy-alpha sanshool, respectively.

Here are health benefits to eating scotch bonnet peppers as well. The active ingredient in scotch bonnet peppers [and all chili peppers] is Capsaicin. It has been said to be a miracle drug. I take it to increase my circulation, especially in the winter.

Here are some beneficial information on the medicinal properties:

1. Fight Cancer
A study published in Cancer Research found that capsaicin caused cancer cells to commit suicide. The substance caused almost 80 percent of prostate cancer cells to die in mice, and prostate tumors treated with capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of those in untreated mice.
“Capsaicin inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells in petri dishes and mice,” says lead researcher Dr. H. Phillip Koeffler, director of hematology and oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Further, researchers say capsaicin pills may one day be used to prevent the return of prostate cancer.

2. Provide Pain Relief
A topical form of capsaicin is a recognized treatment for osteoarthritis pain, and may also help alleviate pain from diabetic neuropathy.
Capsaicin is also known to inhibit Substance P, a neuropeptide that is the key transmitter of pain to the brain. Substance P can cause swelling of nerve fibers, which may result in headaches and sinus symptoms. Studies have found that capsaicin both relieves and prevents cluster headaches, migraine headaches and sinus headaches.

3. Prevent Sinusitis and Relieve Congestion
Capsaicin has potent antibacterial properties that fight and prevent chronic sinus infections, or sinusitis. Because it is so hot, it also helps to stimulate secretions that help clear mucus from your nose, thereby relieving nasal congestion. This phytochemical may also help relieve sinus-related allergy symptoms.

4. Fight Inflammation
Capsaicin is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. It works by inhibiting Substance P, which is associated with inflammatory processes. Capsaicin is being looked at as a potential treatment for arthritis, psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy.

5. Soothe Intestinal Diseases
A Duke University study found that capsaicin may lead to a cure for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The substance can also help to kill bacteria such as H. pylori, which can help prevent stomach ulcers.

6. Burn Fat and Lose Weight
Capsaicin is a thermogenic agent, which means it increases metabolic activity. This, in turn, helps to burn calories and fat. Many popular “fat-burning” supplements on the market contain capsaicin, as the substance may significantly increase metabolic activity for over 20 minutes after it’s eaten.

7. Protect Your Heart
Capsaicin may help to protect the heart by reducing cholesterol, triglycerides and platelet aggregation. It may also help the body dissolve fibrin, which is necessary for blood clots to form. Further, cultures around the world that use hot peppers liberally in their meals have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than cultures that do not.

“Nature is not a place to visit, it is a place to live.”

-Rasta

CARROT: ( Daucus carota )
PART USED: Leaves, Roots.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES: The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from beta-carotene, which is metabolised into vitamin A in humans when bile acids are present in the intestines. Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding it back into the diet. Carrots are also rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants, and minerals. Ethnomedically, carrots are used to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites, and tonsillitis or constipation.

Prevent Cancer
Eating carrots can help lower the risk of breast cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. A compound called falcarinol in carrots that is largely responsible for anti-cancer benefits. Falcarinol is a natural pesticide found in carrots that protects roots from fungal diseases. In daily diet, carrots are almost the only source of these compounds.

Improve Vision
The retina of the eye needs vitamin A to function, lack of vitamin A causes night blindness. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a substance which converted into vitamin A in the liver. In the retina, vitamin A is transformed into rhodopsin, a purple pigment that necessary for night vision. In addition, beta-carotene help protect against macular degeneration and the development of senile cataracts. People who eat most Beta-carotene had 40 percent lower risk of macular degeneration than those who consumed little.

Prevent heart disease
A diet high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Also, it is known that regular consumption of carrots reduces cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber in carrots can help lower blood cholesterol levels by binding with and removing bile acids, cholesterol triggers would be pulled out from the bloodstream to make more bile acids.

Nourish Skin
Carrot has a strong cleansing properties that are effective in detoxifying the liver, so that the overall effective for acne that is caused by toxins from the blood. Carrot is also useful for treating uneven skin tones because of pigmentation. The vitamin A and other nutrients contain in carrot efficiently nourish the skin, prevent dry skin and other skin blemishes.

Anti-aging
Carrots contain a lot of beta-carotene, which serves as an antioxidant that helps the body to fight the cell damage done to the body with dirt in the bloodstream and even oxygen. It also help slows down the aging of cells and various negative effect associated with aging.

Dental Health
Carrots can even help clean your teeth, and is the best way to keep your mouth clean after meals. They act as natural abrasives, help in eliminate the sticky dirt from the teeth and stimulate gums. They also trigger a lot of saliva, which helps to scrub away stains on your teeth. Minerals in carrots helps to kill germs in the mouth and prevent tooth damage.

Carrot are really an amazing root vegetable. There are many benefits of carrots and they are easy to add to your diet without much extra preparation. Carrots, as raw fruit juice or in cooked form are good for health.

Kale, like other members of the brassica family, contains health-promoting phytochemicals, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol that are appears to protect against prostate and colon cancers. Di-indolyl-methane, a metabolite of indole-3-carbinol has been found to be an effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent through its action of potentiating “Interferon-Gamma” receptors.

It is a very rich source of ß-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. Thus, it helps prevent retinal detachment and offers protection against “age related macular degeneration disease” in the elderly. These flavonoids have strong anti-oxidant and anti-cancer activities. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body.

Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. Foods rich in this vitamin offer protection against lung and oral cavity cancers. It is also one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; a potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet helps limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Also carries a good amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals. This leafy vegetable is notably good in many B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, vit.B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body.

It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for cellular oxidation and red blood cell formation.

Kale provides rich nutrition ingredients that offer protection from vitamin A deficiency, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia, and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and, colon and prostate cancers.

Kale is available at its best during winter months from November until March. Exposure of crop to light frost in fact enhances its eating quality. While harvesting, individual lower leaves may be picked either progressively as the main stem elongates or the whole plant is cut at the stem and packed in bundles. In the store, buy fresh green leaves featuring crispy, crunchy, brilliant dark blue-green color.

Kale, like chard, is extremely perishable leafy vegetable, so should be used quickly once harvested. If at all to be stored in the refrigerator, set temperature below 35 degree F and high humidity level to maintain their vitality.

The Battery Urban Farm, a one acre educational farm, located in the historic Battery Park, the 25 acre park at the tip of lower Manhattan.

The idea for Battery Urban Farm was sparked in November of 2010, when The Battery Conservancy was approached by eight students from Millennium High School. These Environmental Club students asked if they could grow a vegetable garden in the park. The Battery Conservancy embraced this idea, and quickly got to work. Five months, four thousand bamboo sticks, and 352 cubic yards of organic soil later, Battery Urban Farm was born. The farm is home to over 80 varieties of organically-grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, grains, and companion plants. Open for the growing season, from April through November.