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Beets Are More Powerful Than You Think
There are certain foods that carry more weight than we give them credit for. Beets are one of those foods. I could go on about their full nutritional profile, but instead, I want to focus on just one component—something simple, often overlooked, and surprisingly powerful: nitrates. Beets are naturally high in inorganic nitrates. When you consume them, your body converts these nitrates into nitrites, and then into nitric oxide. That last step is where the magic happens. Nitric
W. Blake Kooi
3 days ago2 min read


The Reality of Death
Recently, I lost one of my chickens. Something got into the chicken run, and in the aftermath, I had to kill the animals responsible. It wasn’t enjoyable. It wasn’t satisfying. It was simply necessary. This is a part of life that many people prefer not to look at directly. But living close to land, animals, and food has a way of removing that illusion. Death is not an abstract concept—it is immediate, embodied, and unavoidable. We often like to believe that we can live withou
W. Blake Kooi
Jul 92 min read


Wild Basil and the “Minty” Instinct
I’ll start with a disclaimer: the way I identify plants is more intuitive than most experts would recommend. So don’t take my word for it—do your own research, check multiple sources, and build your own relationship with the plants. That said, here’s how it often goes for me. I’ll come across a plant and think, “That looks… minty.” Not mint exactly, but something in the mint family. There’s a certain posture, a texture, a vibe you start to recognize after enough time around t
W. Blake Kooi
Jun 292 min read
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