Working with Gayle, the Chinese Champion!

 

Yes I'm back sooner than you thought. But I may take a short break soon. Here is my collab. with Gayle Simmons. She has a blog dealing with all things to do with the Chinese language Mandarin and Chinese culture. I really found it interesting so I decided to work with her. She is also fun to work with and full of enrgy , only when in a good mood though… (just kidding Gayle!)

 Our idea is to discuss certain Chinese foods or remedies. While talking we got the idea to highlight the top ten Chinese herbal remedies, in our estimation anyway. We also discovered that some are very popular world-wide and well known. Do names like ginseng and liquorish and mushroom ring a bell? These are names we’ve known since childhood, well maybe some of us. these are some of the names you are about to see in our list. we also decided to name them with their Mandarin names as well.

Here is the list from ten to one.

 

 

TOP TEN CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINES

#10 CINNAMON  (Ròuguì)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The true benefits of cinnamon are unknown to many. The bark and root of this tropical tree helps with various circulatory disorders especially the peripheral circulation in the body. It helps regulates the temperature in the human body, treats menstrual disorders, abdominal pain, aids in digestion, numbness and arthritis.

#9 GOJI/WOLFBERRY (Gǒuqǐ)

 

 

 

 

These berries are quite high in antioxidants and fiber. They improve your vision, protect your liver, increase longevity, improve circulation and boost sperm production.




#8 LICORICE ROOT (Gāncǎo)

 

This root plant is well known for its many healing powers including detoxification. It is widely used to treat such ailments as asthma, heartburn, hepatitis, the cold & flu, sinus and even depression. 

 

 

#7 ASTRALAGUS  (Huang Qi)

This yellow root aids in digestive functions, boosting the immune system, increases metabolism rate and helps keep skin healthy. It is also used to make the medicines that help treats deadly diseases such as senility, cancer, hepatitis and AIDS.

#6 MA HUANG 

 

 

 

 

This herb has been made into a modern drug in the form of capsules. It stimulates the central nervous system helping it to function properly. It aids in asthma and sinus congestion, stimulated perspiration as well as open breathing passages. It assists in weight loss because it causes persons who are trying to lose weight to burn calories at a faster rate.

 

 

 

 

 

#5 MUSHROOM  (Mógū)

These vegetables are considered to be high in nutritional value. China has over 200 species of mushrooms. However, it only about 20% of them are known to have powerful medicinal effects on the human body. It helps flush out the urinary tract and help prevent infections as well as the capacity to aid in fighting tumors and help improves the immune system.  

 

 

 

 

#4 ANGELICA SINESIS (Dāng Guī)

 

 

 

This root has earned the reputation for being the ultimate herb for women and is one of the most widely consumed herbs in China. It aids in relieving symptoms of PMS, menstruation and menopause. It also helps in improving women's libido and increases fertility in women. It strengthens the heart, liver kidneys and spleen. It heals ailments such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, fatigue and anemia. 

 

#3 SALVIA  (Danshen)

 

 

 

 

This root herb serves as an important medicine to help heal and repair body tissues that have been damaged by various types of injuries. It also helps with infections and degenerative diseases. It reduces cholesterol, improves liver function and lowers blood pressure. It can be used to treat ulcers, headaches, anemia, rheumatism and all types of internal bleeding. 

 

 

 

#2 GINGER (Jiāng)

 

 

This fibrous aromatic herb is most popular for its flavour and taste and is mainly used as a spice. It helps remedy diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, the common cold, motion and morning sickness and improves blood circulation.

 

 

 #1 GINSENG (Cān)

 

 

This is by far the most famous of all the herbs and is often used worldwide. It has a variety of health benefits as well as healing properties. It aids in common ailments such as regulating blood sugar, high blood pressure, menopausal issues, menstrual cramps, erectile dysfunction, hepatitis and fatigue. It has also been known to help prevent certain diseases as well as calm the nerves. It is used mainly in capsule form or used to make tea.

 

 

I hope this was helpful to you. Just watch how much as a dosage you are taking. Go to a herbalist for advice when using any of them for your ailment.

 

Thank you again Gayle for your help.

 

 

 

 

 

Three ladies again… are we breaking up guys… ? :-(

 

Wow, all good things must come to an end, or so dey say… really, well just for now. These same three ladies from my last collab and I are doing our second and last for a while, discussing break-ups, no not ours but break-ups in general; what we could do to mitigate or lessen the hurt. Actually that's what Janiel's blog is about, relationships. As you will hear in the video, Lisa is describing foods that can help to that end, like chocolate, umm, is it healthy or not? Well it depends on what kind. No not the sweet one on the candy store or even grocery but the one made straight from the cocoa plant. Remember cocoa tea from the country or Tobago? Well if you don’t know it’s time to find out.

Veggies, yes the love hate relationship we have with our veggies. But as Lisa said there are fun ways to prepare them to taste and look good. The good fats omega 3 fats found in avocadoes, tuna, salmon, olive oil wheat germ and coconut in its many forms, liquid, jelly etc., no Janiel not ice-cream! I will scream! Well it’s up to you. But remember, in moderation, now and then I suppose. Yes, the all powerful GREEN TEA! Yes folk, all these foods can help ease the hurt.

I spoke about changing your regular routine, a holiday in a different environment for a while. Exercise will improve the mood by producing endorphins (feel good hormones). Or just do something fun, hiking, sports etc.

Check out our video.

 

 

So next time you experience some type of trauma, death of a friend or loved one, an accident or break-up, try these on for size.

Bye now… be back soon.

  

My collaboration with three lovely ladies... and ugly me!

Yes I’m back after a long break...sorry. This is my collaboration with Janiel, Lisa and Candice. We were able to successfully combine our ideas; Janiel has a blog dealing with relationships, Lisa with meal ideas that are fun and Candice with getting fit for Carnival (although I must say I’m not really a Carnival person). The ideas can be used to get fit for any upcoming physical ordeal.

In the video we chatted about what one can do o get fit for that season although I did not think it is enough time from now, November to February to be fit enough unless you are already exercising. They did not agree with me... Guys, be careful when disagreeing with the females! Do it calmly and agreeably, does that make sense? In other words agree to disagree.

 We also talked about certain foods you can combine for a quick boost of energy. Did I hear chocolate in there somewhere? Umm. Listen up - or view up ...

Check out our video.

 

 

 

 

 

My collaboration with 'childhood memories' - Sapodilla

Here is another collaboration, this time with Diana aka Sapodilla. Our discussion was along the lines of childhood memories of foods and meals we both would have eaten while growing up. Diana is fun and a pleasure to work with and I think we blended well since she dealt with memories and I, good health. And we know that the further back we think of in the past, most of us did not have as much junk food at our disposal as we do now and since I go back a little further than other in class I have great memories of this.

 She grew up having many fruit trees in her yard and off course if you have been reading my blogs I’m an advocate for having a variety of fruits and vegetables in our diet. She remembers crops like ginger, tipi-tamboo, yam, avocado, corn, pigeon peas, a nine month crop, sorrel, another 9 month-crop, shadow-benny, cucumber and tomatoes.

I also grew up with the experience of a back-yard garden with things like tomatoes, peas, cherries, mangoes, coconuts and lettuce. Some others I can’t remember. It was hard work but it paid off with good health. What we did not plant we got at the market, like ground provision and pumpkin. I also remember going to the country almost every school holiday and drinking ‘cocoa-tea’ (dark chocolate) one of my most favourite food memories. Don’t start salivating now! With all this food talk I just might.

 

What really is breakfast?

First breakfast…

Okay, now for some breakfast ideas. First let’s talk about what breakfast is and what it is for. It has been said that this is the most important meal of the day and that you could miss all the others and not this one, unless you are fasting of course and even then you MUST drink water.

Your breakfast is as the word says, to ‘break (your) fast’ that you had all night long. So it must be nutritious but not too heavy unless you are a labourer or someone who does heavy physical work. You may laugh when I say that I have what looks like lunch to most for breakfast. I would usually have a little brown rice and/or sweet potato or some other provision, not too much though with any kind of peas and some veggies, some cooked, steamed and raw. Yes, sometimes I would also have raw walnuts and/or pumpkin seeds and/or pecans and/or hazel nuts with the mix. Oats goes great with these. Sorry no juice or tea - maybe a little green tea. Check this out for breakfast. The image came from a royalty free site called 123rf.com.

Sounds crazy? You see as it comes to eating for good health, variety is the spice of life as they say, especially with your raw or steamed vegetables. I don’t follow the regular habit or suggestions most have of bread and cereal and milk and eggs and bacon and… no, no, no. That is tradition. If you study what proper nutrition entails you would stay far from these things. They will half, and over time (whole) kill you (my phrase). Most of us know what to eat but we do this out of habit and pay the consequences later; and when the doctor tells us to change our diet we give him 3 or $400 (that you could have given to me!) for almost nothing that you could have done yourself with a little research. I will address the detriments of all those and certain other foods later but one thing I will advise you of now is that anything with preservatives should be avoided like cereal. Oats are okay but make sure they are organic. Preservatives stay in the body unless they are removed but detoxification. Read the labels and see how many unpronounceable ingredients are in that package of… Those are what contribute to cancer or something else, so let’s keep it as natural as possible.

Second breakfast ?

Now I know last time I said that your fruits can be your breakfast but because they digest in an hour or so we tend to feel empty after that (actually feeling empty in your stomach is not the real and only reason why we should eat). I suggest you have what I described earlier as what I call a second breakfast, an hour after the first. I can do that since I work on evenings. Now since most of you who work from 7 or 8 am, I suggest you drink your water as you awake and have your fruits after you get ready which should average a half-an-hour or so, take your time. Get up a little earlier for your health. Please don’t rush off without it. You will see the dividends soon enough, I will tell your some personal stories soon. When you get to work, try to make it early enough so you can eat, sit in the lunch room or somewhere and have your (second) breakfast! And no snacks please at your break, your stomach still has food in it up to 3 or 4 hours. Drink a half glass or less of water, you’ll get used to it eventually.

Well that it for now. Next time God willing we will deal with lunch which would be very similar to your (second) breakfast…


references 

http://www.123rf.com