Lemon and Garlic For Cholesterol Reduction

This is an ancient recipe used by the Chinese since time immemorial to reduce cholesterol and possibly reduce heart disease and other related circulatory disorders. I have used it quite successfully to reduce weight as well. The good hting about this recipe is that it is food, hence there is no danger of overdosing and can be quite pleasant to the palate once you have gotten used to the tast of garlic and lemon.

Recipe:
1 lemon, with the seeds removed. (Pix 1)
6 pips of garlic with the shells removed (Pix 2)
200cc of water (Pix 3)

Method:
1. Put all three into a saucepan and boil at low heat for 15 minutes. (Pix 4)
2. Leave the items to cool.
3. The pour everything into a blender and blend until it becomes the consistency of condensed milk (thick and glue-like, for those who have not seen condensed milk). (Pix 7)
4. Keep in container/tupperware in the fridge.

Note: You can also make more by increasing the ingredients proportionally such as two lemons + 12 pips of garlic and 400 cc of water.
How To Use:
1. Take one tablespoon of the lemon-garlic mix and stir into a glass of lukewarm water. It is best when taken upon waking each day.
2. Drink this every morning, on empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before food.
What People Say About This Recipe:
According to testimonials, users claim that this mix is good for reducing cholesterol naturally. The lemon is believed to clean the arteries of plaque while the garlic breaks up fat for removal naturally by your digestive system. No scientific tests have been conducted of course.
Among benefits it is said to offer are:
a) Reduce blood pressure
b) Reduce cholesterol levels
c) Weight reduction.
Note: If you have experienced its goodness in overcoming any health woe you have, share it with others. Use the comments section here.

Cucumber and Spare Ribs Soup

This is one of my favourite, cucumber soup cooked with ribs. The cucumber, known also as 'Low Wong Kwa' by the Cantonese, is a cooling vegetable-fruit. This is not the green variety which you use for sandwiches but the yellow type. It can be purchased at the markets. This soup is believed to be good during hot seasons and contains lots of minerals for your body.

There is no recipe here in that you just buy a couple of cucumbers and slice them up to fit your soup saucepan. For the sake of measurement, use two large bowlfuls of water for each cucumber. If you like, you may add some spareribs. Just boil it like you do for any soup. The longer you boil it, the better it is because by then, the cucumber will be soft and jelly-like. It can be eaten with rice or just plain.

Note: If you like, you can add in some boxthorn berries (keichee) in the soup. This concoction is believe to aid circulation and improve vision.

Strengthen the Qi

Tong sum is well known among the Chinese as a poor man's ginseng. It benefits the lungs and is consumed to improve blood circulation during the cold winter months.

Longan (or 'dragon-eye fruits' ) and red dates are known for its blood fortifying properties while kei chi (hawthorn berries) is believed to be good for the eyes. In terms of active compounds, researchers have found out, it is better than eyebright herb in aid of the eye. Chinese children eat kei chi like raisins, munching as they read their books or when doing their homework. It relieves tired eyes.

When these herbs are combined, the concoction produced is believed by the Chinese as to be able to strengthen one's qi. Longan, red dates and kei chi fortifies one's blood and tong sum improve circulation and the healthy blood is carried throughout one's body and its extremities, hence improving the general health.

This recipe is used to make teas for women in confinement and is highly nutritious and boosts the immune system. My parents and their grand parents have used this herbal teas whenever a female member of the house delivers a baby. You may try it if you like.


Tung sum, longan, red dates and kei chi

Ingredients:-
25 gm tung sum
2 tablespoons Kei Chi , washed and drained
25 red dates, stones removed
80 gm dried longan, washed and drained
2 litres water

Method:-
1.Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan
2.Add water and bring to boil
3.Simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Drink it warm

Fortify The Body With Barley

Barley is an amazing crop and can practically thrive in any harsh conditions. To many civilisations, it is an important staple food. And recent research papers suggest that this humble crop serves humanity more than is earlier thought of. For instance, it helps lower blood cholesterol (hence good for people with blood cholesterol and heart disease).

Researchers in Canada, the United States, and Australia have found out that the components in barley not only effectively lower blood cholesterol but have also improved blood sugar levels in non-insulin dependent diabetics (Type 2). While scientists cannot pin point what exactly in barley causes these health benefits, they believe that the high soluble content in barley are the contributing factors.

The Chinese have long used barley in their diet, sometimes mixing with rice when the latter was scarce or crops fail, for their meals. On hot days, barley is used to cool down the body, as a herbal drink and diuretic.

Dried longan, lotus seeds and yok chuk (picture left) are traditional Chinese herbs used into cooking to improve appetite and digestion. Dried longan have been used to fortify the blood qi while lotus seeds are used to improve complexion.
Here is a recipe I use for my family every one or two weeks when the children will be having their examinations and are usually stressed out by their work.





Barley, dried longan, lotus seeds and yok chuk

Ingredients:-
100gm lotus seeds
75gm barley
100gm dried longan
50gm yok chuk
3 litres water
150 gm rock sugar


Method:
1.Put all ingredients in a big pot except the rock sugar.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer over low flame about 30 minutes. The aim is to extract all the goodness in the herbs.
3.You may add rock sugar for taste and simmer another 10 minutes. (If you are on sugar-free diet, you may add a tiny piece of rock sugar or avoid it totally. If you do not use rock sugar, do not substitute it with sugar-free alternative/herbs, which can result in the efficacy of this concoction).
4.Remove from heat and serve.

Winter Melons - Thirst Quencher, Vitamin Storehouse Extraordinaire

Always look to Nature for the answers to a healthy life and my grandparents have always tried to infuse this thought into us eversince we were young.

"Look at the foodstalls and see what is in season and eat it. It will help counter all ills of that moment." This has been what my grandparents used to tell us when we were young. And like doting granparents, they will serve us various concoctions, meals and herbal drinks, to keep us healthy as an ox.

This recipe is eaten when the weather is hot and humid. The wintermelons, known to the Chinese as Tungkwa, assists in dissipating internal heat. If the weather is hot and you don't get enough sleep during the humid nights, your liver will be warm and hot. This can be seen from bloodshot eyes and bad breath as the heat seeks ways to emerge from your body. If it can't, your blood will work hard to extract toxins, and boils (and in the younger set, pimples) appear.

So here goes and hope you will enjoy its goodness on a hot day.


Steamed winter melon with chicken

Ingredients:-
1 medium size winter melon
15 red dates,stone removed
20 kei chi
50gm dried longan
2 slices of chicken meat (choose breasts-side)
2 tablespoons water
50gm rock sugar

Method:
1.Slice off the top of winter melon, remove seeds and scoop a big hole for stuffing the above ingredients.
2.Combine all the ingredients and put into the melon.
3. Replace the top of the melon.
4. Sit the whole melon in a deep, heat-proof bowl and steam this over low heat for 1-2 hours. Serve hot.

Discover the Secrets of Rejuvenation

The Chinese have for years known and used bird's nests (swiflet's actually) gathered from the high walls of limestone caves in their diet. During the bitter months of winter, they sustain themselves nutritionally using this recipe. For the poor ones, bird's nest double-boiled with rock sugar is a must during convalescence period. For the more financially able, birds' nest efficacy is multiplied when prepared with ginseng, the man-root which is known for its rejuvenative values.

This is a recipe my parents would prepare for us when we were kids, at least once a month. Although were were not exactly rich, my parents would save every cent to buy bird's nests and, when we have more, ginseng, to prepare this simple revitalising recipe for me and my siblings. And if I remember, we do not suffer from colds or flu as often as other children, even during the coldest and wettest months of the year.

Looking back, the bird's nests have long been known to strengthen the lungs and ginseng the heart. It is thus no strange to me now that we have been given assisted in providing us with good health.

If you are able to afford it, do it for your children and your family too. The Chinese say that it is better to spend money on good food than on good medicine.

Anyway, here goes my family recipe:

Bird's Nests With Ginseng

Ingredients:
2pcs of bird's nest
10gm ginseng
1 litres water
50gm rock sugar

Method:
1.Soak bird's nest for 4 to 5 hours in a cold water before picking out the impurities.Drain.
2.Combine all ingredients and double boil*for 4 hours.
3.Remove cover and cool for a while and serve warm.

(*Double-boil cookers can be purchased at any kitchen utensil suppliers. You don't need a huge one, so just estimate how much you need to prepare for your family and get that one)