Chat #51~Chat #60

Chat #51

The Five Colors and Five Flavors Coordinate with Food

The Four Qi, Bearing Upward and Downward and Yin-Yang

In the last chapter, we discussed methods of dietary health according to dietary laws. Now we will talk about how to coordinate color and flavor.

              The method of coordinating color and flavor

The five colors are green, red, yellow, white and black. The five flavors are sour, bitter, sweet, acrid and salty. The concept of five colors and flavors has already been introduced in chapters seven through nine. To gain a complete understanding and to grasp the essence of Chinese medicine’s food therapy, I will first introduce some key concepts before talking about color and flavor coordination: the four qi of food, bearing upward and downward, and the question of yin and yang.

The four qi: coldness, coolness, heat and warmth. I regularly encounter many people who ask whether an apple has a hot or cool nature? People who have contracted a certain illness will ask if they can eat chicken. To solve these questions, we need to deepen our understanding of what foods belong to the categories of coldness, coolness, heat and warmth. Among them, coolness is within the scope of cold but there is a big discrepancy in the degree of coldness. For example, if we say that today is a bit chilly, this is very different from saying it is very cold. Following the same logic, warmth belongs to heat but the degree of heat is significantly different.

Bearing upward and downward: This is also called floating and sinking. Recently, a cancer patient asked me a very pertinent question: ‘During chemotherapy, my white blood cells will not increase. Could this be because I practice downbearing qigong exercises? After analyzing his exercise practice, I felt there was some logic to what he had said. Therefore, I encouraged him to on the one hand learn a type of martial arts exercise that is upbearing, and in addition I gave him food items and prepared a concoction of Chinese medicine ingredients with upward bearing characteristics.

       Yin and yang: We know that Chinese medicine draws from principles of ancient philosophy, taking all matter and dividing it into two, yin and yang. Food items are no exception. To summarize: red and yellow of the five colors, sweet and acrid of the five flavors, hot and warm of the four qi, including upward bearing and floating, all belong to the category of yang. Green, white and black of the five colors, sour, bitter and salty of the five flavors, cold and cool of the four qi, downward bearing and sinking all belong to the category of yin.

For the purpose of implementation, the most commonly used foods that will be explained below are divided into the following categories: vegetables, melons and fruits, grains and beans, meat and fish, beverages and seasonings. Keep in mind that variations will occur depending on food color, the degree of ripeness or differences in production methods. External observation is only one of several systems in evaluating food characteristics. Each type of food presented below will be arranged according to the key points including the four qi, the five flavors and their functions as well as an appropriate introduction to useful prescriptions.

                            Types of vegetables:

Varieties of products discussed include: tomato, cucumber, bitter melon, lotus root, winter melon, potato, sweet potato, radish, spinach, mushrooms, dried edible black fungus, silver ear fungus, seaweed, Gelidium amansii [ a gelatinous seaweed], Chinese chive, cabbage, celery, carrot, onion, cedar shoots, chrysanthemum.

[1] Tomato

Other names: Western red persimmon, foreign persimmon, Occidental persimmon

Four qi,: In equilibrium, slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet and sour

Function: Cleanse out heat and produce liquid, fortify the stomach and disperse food, nourish yin, boost the kidney.

Prescription: Prevention of high blood pressure, high blood lipids; fresh tomatoes,100 grams, washed and cleaned, ground into juice including skin. In addition, Gastrodia Rhizome,10 grams, cooked to extract a thick juice. The two juices evenly diluted, each time 100 ml, divided into two doses each day, continuing for one month as a course of therapy.

Health protection in hot weather: Fresh tomatoes, 100 grams, fresh watermelon, 300 grams, fresh lotus root, 50 grams, all ground into juice with the skin. One to two cups a day.

Caution: For those who have a body constitution of a cold nature and have a weakened gastro-intestinal system, use caution in dosage, taking a reduced quantity or taking it warmed up.

Additional Remarks: Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C, which should not be destroyed. For the prevention and cure of serious blood diseases, cancer and to raise immune power, it serves an important function. Especially those with prostate cancer should select this food as a first choice.

[2] Cucumber

Other names: Northern melon, prickly melon, king melon.

Four qi,: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Clear out heat and dispel poison, moisten intestines, help stool flow, harmonize the stomach in downbearing counterflow.

Prescription:

Health protection from high blood pressure: Cucumber 200 grams with skin and vine ground into juice. At sundown, take one glass. Alternatively, select 100 grams of cucumber vine cooked in water rendering a thick syrup. Take each day, morning and evening, in divided doses.

Edema: Cucumber, 200 grams, sliced down the middle, white vinegar 50ml., water 200ml. Boil the cucumber until soft as mush, take out the juice, morning and evening take in divided doses on an empty stomach.

 Cosmetic skincare: Cut cucumber into slices, rub onto the face each evening before bed, continue for one month. This has the function of pimple prevention and cure and also beautifies the skin’s whiteness. It can be used long-term.

Caution: Those who have a body constitution with cold characteristics and weakened spleen and stomach, take care by either reducing the quantity of the dose or by warming it up.

Additional Remarks: cucumbers contain vitamins C, B, cucurbitacin A, B, C, D, grape sugar, mannitol, caffeic acid and amino acid, etc.

Dear Reader, if you’d like to know more about the health protective functions of food, then please read on to the analysis in the next chapter.

Chat #52

Bitter Melon, Lotus Root and Winter Melon

Potato, Sweet Potato and White Radish

In the last chapter, we discussed the question of the four qi, bearing upward and downward, yin-yang, and began to introduce concrete food varieties.

[3] Bitter Melon

Other names: Cold melon, blotchy melon

Four qi: Cold

Five flavors: Bitter, balanced

Function: Boost the blood, enrich the liver, moisten the spleen, supplement the kidneys

Prescription:

Diabetes: In summer and autumn, eat fresh bitter melon in appropriate quantities. It can be lightly stir fried, lean meat can be stir fried with it, and it can be eaten for a long period of time.

Yang wilting [impotence]: Bitter melon seeds stir fried until cooked and then ground into powder. Each time 10 grams, accompanied by yellow wine, three times a day with a ten times course of therapy.

Health protection in hot weather: Fresh bitter melon 100 grams, [preferably including leaves], cantaloupe melon, 30 grams, cooked and decocted until almost dry as a warm soup, taken as one dose each evening.

Caution: Those who have a cold nature and weakened spleen and stomach, take care in dosage by either reducing quantity or by warming it up.

Additional Comments: Bitter melon contains bitter melon alkali, fruit gum, 5-hydroxytryptamine, glutamic acid, aminopropionic acid and proline, etc.

[4] Lotus root

Other names: Rhizome or rootstock of lotus, lotus vegetable

Four qi: Cool, cooked can be used as slightly warm

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Raw used to clear out heat and produce liquid, to cool the blood, stop bleeding, dissolve stasis. Cooked can be used to supplement the spleen and stomach, stop diarrhea, boost the blood.

Prescription:

Lung with vacuous qi, dry cough and no phlegm or very little phlegm: Fresh lotus root, 100 grams, lily 50 grams, or dried lily 100 grams, ground into juice, take morning and night after meals in divided doses. Alternatively, add roasted loquat leaves, 15 grams, cooked in water until well-done, drink the juice morning and evening in divided doses.

All kinds of acute cases with bleeding: Fresh lotus root 100 grams, taken in one dose at the time of crisis. Alternatively, add Radix Notoginseng, 3 grams as a dose.

Caution: Those who have a cold nature and have a weakened spleen and stomach, take the doses with caution by either reducing quantity or warming it up.

Additional comments: Lotus root contains starch, has a soft nature, vitamins B and C, etc. The lotus seed’s function is to boost the heart and calm the spirit, supplement the spleen and kidney. The center of the lotus seed, also called lotus seed heart, functions primarily to clear out the heart’s fire.

[5]. Winter melon:

Other names: Pillow melon, white melon

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, bland

Function: Clear out heat, transform phlegm, eliminate vexation, stop thirst, disinhibit water, disperse swelling.

Prescription:

Edema: Winter melon, 200 grams, corn silk, 100 grams, boiled in water. Each day morning and evening, take as divided doses before meals. Alternatively, one winter melon [ approximately 1000 grams], small red beans 200 grams, stewed in water until soft, drink as soup each day, morning and evening in divided doses before meals.

Lung-heat, coughing, thick, yellow phlegm: Fresh winter melon, 500 grams, one fresh lotus leaf, stewed into soup, it is appropriate to add additional ingredients. Eat the winter melon every evening along with a meal.

Burns, scalding: Winter melon skin in appropriate amounts, baked dry and ground fine, equal amount of sesame oil, mixed evenly and rubbed onto the injured area. Alternatively, fresh winter melon skin’s inner pulp can also be used, rubbed onto the injured area.

Caution: For those with a weak constitution, who ordinarily have cold stagnation in the gastro-intestinal system, it is not appropriate to eat winter melon.

Additional Comments: Winter melon contain a relative abundance of vitamin C, moreover a high amount of sylvite, contains a low amount of sodium, and is most appropriate for those who require low sodium due to ailments such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, edema. In addition, winter melon contains vitamins B, E, adenine, calebassinine, histidine, etc.

[6] Potato

Other names: Western taro, earth bean

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Fortify spleen and stomach

Prescription:

Weak gastro-intestinal system, indigestion: Potato, 60 grams, dried orange peel, 30 grams, add water and cook until soft, each day one dose, continually for 3 to 5 days.

Weak spleen and diarrhea: Potato, 300 grams, ground to juice, taken before meals, morning and evening, twice a day in divided doses.

Caution: Sprouted potatoes or green or purple color on the skin cannot be eaten, otherwise it can trigger black nightshade poison which is dangerous and life threatening.

Additional comments: Potato contains protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins B1, B2, C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc.

[7] Sweet Potato

Other names: Sweet yam, earth melon, red potato, mountain taro, red taro, red broom.

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Fortify the spleen, boost the stomach, boost qi and blood, loosen the bowel, promote bowel movement, produce liquid, quench thirst.

Prescription:

Weak blood, dry stool and constipation: Fresh sweet potato, 300 grams, ground into juice, can be added to mineral water, each evening, one hour before bed, a dose of approximately 200 ml.

Kidney with vacuous qi, emission of semen: Sweet potato, yam, etc. cut and bake dry, ground into powder, each time 30 grams, infuse with water, one dose morning and evening continuously for a ten day course of therapy.

Caution: Sweet potato should not be taken as medicine at the same time as persimmon. If the gastro-intestinal system has damp-heat, it will be manifested as a slimy tongue coating, indigestion. Food should not eaten in large quantities since this will exacerbate the indigestion. If the stomach has acid up flow, the dose should be significantly increased.

[8] White radish

Other names, radish, turnip, shepherd’s purse root

Four qi: Slightly cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, acrid

Function: Whet the appetite, digest food, clear out heat and transform phlegm, produce liquid

Prescription:

Those with weak spleen and stomach or indigestion: Appropriate amounts of radish, can be eaten as a stir fried vegetable or stewed with appropriate amounts of lean meat.

Food accumulation in children: Fresh radish, 250 grams, wash clean and cut into thin strips, sour plum, 2 fruits, 1500 ml of water boiled down to about 700 ml. Drink about 150 ml. before meals, three times a day. Alternatively, grind the raw radish into juice as medicine.

Additional Remarks: Chinese folklore has an expression: ‘When the radish comes, the doctor returns to the village.’ That means that the white radish helps whet the appetite and has a protective and fortifying function. In general, it can be eaten  raw or cooked. Raw is favored to whet the appetite and promote digestion, cooked is used specifically for fortification of the spleen and boosting qi. Radish seeds, also called Semen Raphani Sativi, are often used in Chinese medicine to aid digestion. Raw radish should not be taken as medicine in conjunction with Radix Ginseng, Radix Polygoni Multiflori, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Rehmannin, raw persimmon, etc. White radish contains a large quantity of sugar, many kinds of vitamins, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, coarse fiber and protein, etc. Moreover, the essential elements in white radish increases the vigor of macrophage cells by two or three times. White radish also contains a kind of interferon inducer, functioning to repress the development of tumors. White radish is the first choice in food products for preventing colon cancer.

Dear Reader, if you’d like to know information about more food products in the prevention of cancer and for good health, then please read on to the analysis in the next chapter.

Chat #53

Spinach, Mushroom,

Black Wood Ear [Auricularia auricula]

Silver Ear [white fungus], Seaweed,

Stone Flower Vegetable [Gelidium amansii]

In the last chapter, we discussed bitter melon, lotus root, winter melon, potato, sweet potato, and white radish as effective food therapies. In this chapter, we will continue to talk about the function of other foods.

[9] Spinach

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement blood, moisten intestines, neutralize the effects of alcohol, quicken the blood

Prescription:

Iron deficiency anemia: Fresh spinach in appropriate amounts, stir-fried, boiled, can be used often as medicine.

Vacuous blood, constipation: Fresh spinach, 150 grams, finely cut, an appropriate amount of sesame oil and honey. Blended as one dose, every evening for three to five days consecutively.

Caution: For those with vacuous spleen and who are prone to diarrhea, this is not appropriate medicine. Spinach contains a comparatively large amount of oxalic acid, so it should not be cooked with foods that are rich in calcium, otherwise it can turn into calcium oxalate which inhibits calcium absorption.

Additional Comments: Spinach contains carotene, vitamin C, protein, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, folic acid, oxalic acid, etc.

[10] Mushroom

Other names: Vast mushroom, Rou Tan, Chicken leg mushroom

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement spleen, boost qi: Moisten dryness, transform phlegm

Prescription:

Recovery from lung ailments: Fresh mushroom can be eaten often with vegetables and meat or fish.

Vacuous lung coughing: Mushroom in appropriate quantities can be eaten simmered in soup.

Cervical cancer, Granulocytopenia, Leukopenia: Fresh mushroom, 100 grams, stewed with water in appropriate amount, suitable for added seasoning to be mixed in, each day, one dose, taken for ten days then stop for 5 days, then again follow the same dose pattern. Can also be stewed with appropriate amounts of lean meat to drink as soup.

Caution: Excessive amounts of mushroom not only does not have the desired effect of boosting qi, but on the contrary can ‘stir qi’ , triggering the body’s mechanisms to make abnormal changes. In addition, be aware so as to prevent mistakenly eating poisonous mushrooms.

Additional Comments: Mushrooms contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, many kinds of amino acids, many kinds of vitamins; A, B1, B2, C, D, E, etc.

[11] Black Wood Ear

Other names: Cloud Ear, Bright Wood Ear, Black Vegetable

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Moisten the lungs nourish yin, supplement blood, stop bleeding

Prescription:

High blood pressure: Black Wood Ear, 50 grams, soaked in clear water overnight, add appropriate amounts of rock candy, take before bedtime, consecutively for 5 days, then can be suspended.

Uterine bleeding: Black Wood Ear, 250 grams, stir fried until smoke is seen, grind finely. Each dose 6 grams, Crinis carbonisatus, 6 grams, yellow wine warmed and mixed in, a slight perspiration will occur. Each day, one dose.

Insufficient nourishment, anemic blood: Black Wood Ear, 30 grams, 6 large red dates boiled until cooked through and used as medicine. Brown sugar can be added in appropriate quantity to taste. Each day, one dose, to be taken in the early morning before breakfast, take continually for 15 days, stop for 5 days, then continue for another 15 days. It can be taken over a long period of time with breaks in between.

Caution: Those with damp-heat in their gastro-intestinal system, or those with excess acid in the stomach, should reduce the quantity or frequency of dosage. Do not use to stop bleeding in times of emergency when the blood is hot or there is bleeding.

Additional Comments: Black Wood Ear contains sugar, protein, lecithin, cephalin, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins B1, B2, etc. It has an anti-cancer function.

[12] Silver Ear

Other names: White wood ear, Cloud ear, White ear

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet, bland

Function: Moisten lungs transform phlegm, nourish the stomach, produce liquid, supplement blood, stop bleeding.

Prescription:

Vacuous yin, dry lungs, blood in phlegm: White wood ear, 30 grams, radix adenophorae, 15 grams, ophiopogon tuber, 6 grams, lily, 15 grams, boiled in water to extract juice. Each day, morning and evening, a dose should be taken after eating.

Insufficient stomach yin, dry throat, thirsty mouth, dry stool: White wood ear, 30 grams, stewed until soft, add white sugar in appropriate amounts. Take each evening before or during dinner.

Caution: Do not take during an emergency with blood that is hot or bleeding.

Additional Comments: Silver ear contains protein, fat, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin B1. It fights tumors, has polysaccharides A, B, C, etc. Silver ear also has a cosmetic use for tender skin.

[13] Seaweed

Other names: Sea grass

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Salty

Function: Dissolve phlegm soften hardness, disinhibit water

Prescription:

Thyroid swelling up, lymph swelling up: Seaweed, 50 grams, decocted in water, drink as soup, seasoning can be added. Can also be decocted with kelp [Laminaria japonica], 30 grams, for even better efficacy. Can also be stir fried with lean meat.

Edema, beriberi: Seaweed, 30 grams, rhizome of woolly grass/imperata, 30 grams, polyporus sclerotium, sclerotium of tuckahoe/china-root, 15 grams, decocted in water and take as medicine every day, morning and evening before meals in divided doses.

Caution: For those whose spleen and stomach have vacuous cold, and those who are very thin, it is not appropriate to eat much of this. By no means should pregnant women eat this.

Additional Comments: Among food products, seaweed contains a wealth of iodine, as well as Alginic acid, sodium salts, Mannitol, etc. It is the most ideal food therapy product for iodine deficiency in adults and children.

[14] Stone flower vegetable/Gelidium amansii

Other names: Sea vegetable, agar-agar

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, salty

Function: Moisten dryness transform phlegm, clear out heat, facilitate bowel movement

Prescription:

Dry-heat in the intestines, constipation: Fresh stone flower vegetable, 30 grams, Chinese cabbage, 30 grams, decoct in water, adding appropriate amounts of white sugar. Every evening, one hour before bed, take as one dose.

Bleeding hemorrhoids: Fresh stone flower vegetable, 20 grams, burnet-bloodwort root, 9 grams, pagoda tree flower, 9 grams, callicarpa leaf, 9 grams. Decoct with water, everyday morning and evening, divide into two doses.

Caution: Those whose spleen and stomach have vacuous cold should be careful in dosage. It is not appropriate for pregnant women to eat large amounts.

Additional Comments: Stone flower vegetable contains phycoerythrobilin, cholesterol, galactose, polysaccharides, pyruvic acid, etc.

Chat # 54

Chinese Chive, Chinese Cabbage, Carrot

Leek, Cedar Shoot, Chrysanthemum Vegetable

In the last chapter, we discussed spinach, mushroom, black wood ear, silver ear, seaweed and stone flower vegetable among the ways to dietary health. Now we will continue to talk about other products.

[15] Chinese chive

Other names: Flat vegetable, Raise Yang vegetable

Four qi: Warm

Five Flavors: Sweet, acrid

Function: Boost kidney, assist yang, warm stomach, liven blood

Prescription:

Difficulty swallowing, upset stomach: Chinese chive with roots, washed clean and pounded into juice. Each time 15ml., add cow’s milk, 150ml. Decoct in boiling water, gradually swallow or take cold. Each morning, one dose.

 Vacuous kidney, impotence, seminal emission: Fresh Chinese chive, 150 grams, fresh shelled shrimp, 150 grams, stir-fried until cooked and taken as medicine. Each day, one dose. Continue for 15 days. Alternatively, Chinese chive seeds stir-fried until yellow, ground fine. Each time 10 grams, each morning and evening, one dose.

Sprains: Fresh Chinese chive in appropriate amount, washed cleanly, chopped short, add a small amount of table salt and pound until soft, then apply to injured area, each day, one application. Alternatively, Chinese chive leaves in an appropriate amount, pounded soft, add ginger juice and apply to the injured area, each day, one application. Another alternative is fresh Chinese chive, 15 grams, yellow wine, 15ml., add a small amount of water to decoct together, every day morning and evening, one dose.

Caution: Those with vacuous yin and presence of heat, or those suffering from hemorrhoids, eye disease, hangovers, heat ailments, should all avoid eating this as medicine.

Additional Comments: Chinese chive when eaten cooked is inclined to boost warmth, when eaten raw is inclined to dissipate stasis. It should not be eaten cooked over a long period of time because it adds heat. Chinese chive contains volatile oil, sulfide, glycoside, protein, fat, sugars, carotene, vitamins B, C, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc. It breaks up toxins in the intestines, and has the function of destroying bacteria.

[16] Chinese cabbage

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five flavors: Sweet

Function: Clear out heat, eliminate vexation, disinhibit urine, resolves the effect of alcohol.

Prescription:

Fever and cold: Chinese cabbage, 100 grams, white of scallion, 10 grams, fresh ginger, 10 grams, add water to decoct a soup. Sugar can be added while still hot, then taken as medicine. Keep under a comforter and sweat it out.

Throat inflamed, hoarse voice, lack of appetite after illness: Chinese cabbage, 250 grams, white rice, 60 grams, add appropriate amount of water to stew a porridge, drink the porridge soup, every day divided into three doses, take after meals.

Caution: People who fear cold, take care by reducing quantity of dosage. Chinese cabbage contains protein, fat, vitamins A, B, C, D, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc. It contains a large amount of fiber and can promote intestinal wall movement, aid digestion, prevent dry stool. Chinese cabbage can also prevent colon cancer, silicosis, breast cancer, etc.

[17] Celery

Other names: Chinese celery, dry celery, fragrant celery

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Acrid, sweet

Function: Clear out heat, calm the liver, fortify the stomach descend the qi, disinhibit urine

Prescription:

High blood pressure: Fresh celery, 100 grams, decoct in water, each day, morning and evening, one dose or grind into juice as medicine.

Excessive menses, functional bleeding of the uterus: Boil two eggs, remove the shell, place in a coarse pot, add celery, 50 grams, Selaginella involvens, 50 grams, add fresh water and boil until cooked, remove the herb sediment, drink the soup and eat the egg. Each day one dose, continually for 1-3 doses.

Caution: Those who have a fear of cold, exercise caution. Males should not take this medicine over a long period of time otherwise it can influence sexual function, restraining the growth rate of sperm.

Additional Comments: Celery contains versulin, volatile oils, has a fragrant aroma, can increase appetite. Contains protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, etc.

[18] Carrot

Other names: Red turnip

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement the liver, brighten the eyes, fortify the spleen, disperse food, lower qi, stop coughing

Prescription:

Night blindness: Carrots in appropriate amounts, steamed until cooked and eaten often as medicine. Alternatively, carrots, 600 grams, fresh fish, 400 grams, evenly sliced into very fine threads, add seasoning and stir-fry until cooked through. Each day, one dose. Six dosesconstitute  a course of therapeutic treatment.

Constipation: Carrots, 500 grams, ground into juice, add an appropriate amount of honey. Each morning and evening, one dose.

Caution: Those who with a vacuous, cold spleen and stomach cannot eat this raw.

Additional Comments: The sugar content in carrot is higher than most vegetables, moreover, it contains a plentiful amount of carotene. In the body, carotene can change into vitamin A. Vitamin A has a moisturizing and nourishing function to the epithelial cells, can prevent and cure night blindness, dry eye illness, dry skin, brittle dry hair that easily falls out, etc. Research shows that vitamin A is able to protect against cancer, especially respiratory tract cancer, skin, bladder and colon and other places with a malignant tumor.

[19] Leek

Four qi: Warm

Five Flavors: Acrid

Function: Resolve the exterior, dispel wind, quicken the blood, free yang, disinhibit urine, resolve toxins

Prescription:

For a cold: White of the leek, 15 grams, fresh ginger, 15 grams, decocted in water. Every day, one dose. Can be taken 2-6 times.

Inhibited urination, bulged and obstructed: White of leek, 500 grams, chopped finely, table salt, 500 grams, stir-fry until the leeks are cooked. Wrap in a cloth and while warm, press on the navel and bladder area. After it cools, stir-fry again and press, repeating 3 to 4 times.

Caution: Leek is acrid and warm, can easily help fire consume yin, therefore it is not appropriate for those with thermo-toxins, have vacuous yin and internal heat to use this as medicine. Ancient books record that this cannot be eaten by those with strong body odor. Additional Comments: Leek can cause perspiration to resolve the exterior, killing all toxins. Decocting with water and washing externally is a therapy for frostbite. Leek seeds can warm the kidney as therapy for impotence, supplementing vacuity and brightening the eye. Leek contains volatile oils, among the oils most important is allicin, which has a bacteria killing function. Moreover, as it goes from the respiratory tract to the sweat glands and is expelled out the urinary canal, it is able to gently stimulate the pipeline wall secretions, and start perspiration, expel phlegm, disinhibit urine. Moreover, it can stimulate the kidney gland secretions, promoting the breakup of fat cells and initiate the function of fat reduction. At the same time, it can stimulate digestive juice secretions, promoting appetite.

[20] Cedar shoots

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Bitter

Function: Fortify the stomach and clear out heat, detoxify and kill worms and insects

Vacuous spleen, stagnant food, indigestion: Fresh, tender, cedar shoot leaves, after scalding mix with soy sauce and eat. One dose a day.

Difficulty acclimating to a new environment: Cedar shoots, 10 grams, boil in water, steep and drink several times a day.

Caution: Cannot be decocted with water or stir-fried over a long period of time, otherwise the efficacy is completely gone.

Additional Comments: Cedar shoots contain carotene, vitamins B, C, etc.

[21] Chrysanthemum flower vegetable

Other names: Golden bell vegetable

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Clear out heat and cool the blood, disinhibit urine, brighten the eye

Prescription:

Nose bleed: Chrysanthemum flower vegetable, 60 grams, decoct in water as medicine, to be taken twice a day.

Mastitis, milk not descending: Fresh chrysanthemum flower vegetable root,60 grams, 2 pig feet, boil together and eat. Alternatively, dry chrysanthemum flower vegetable, 50 grams, stewed with lean meat and eaten one time a day.

Caution: Belongs to ‘effusion’ matter, not suitable for those with skin sores. Additionally, contains colchicine, after eating can cause abdominal pain, therefore in using fresh chrysanthemum flower vegetable as medicine, you should use boiling water to scald it.

Additional Comments: Contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, thiamine, ovoflavin, nicotinic acid, etc. Since it contains a relatively large amount of vitamin B1, it is able to promote gastro-intestinal movement, increase appetite, moreover have a calming effect on the spirit.

Dear Reader, if you’d like to obtain more information, please read on to the analysis in the next chapter.

Chat # 55

Watermelon, Apple, Chinese Pear

Tangerine, Kumquat, Orange and Mandarin Orange

In the last chapter, among dietary laws for health, we discussed kinds of vegetables including Chinese chive, Chinese cabbage, celery, carrot, leek, cedar shoot and chrysanthemum flower vegetable. Now we will begin to introduce the dietary laws of melons and fruits.

Melons and fruits: Discussion will include different kinds: Watermelon, apple, pear, tangerine, kumquat, orange, mandarin orange, lemon, strawberry, kiwi, grapes, bananas, fig, mango, pineapple, apricot, plum, peach, lichee, loquat and walnut.

1. Watermelon

Other names: Drought melon, cold melon

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Quench thirst, clear out heat, eliminate vexation and calm the spirit, disinhibit water, disperse swelling

Prescription:

Diabetes: Watermelon peel, 30 grams, winter melon peel, 30 grams, trichosanthes root, 15 grams. Decoct in water as medicine. Each evening, one dose of approximately 150 ml.

Edema: Watermelon peel, 100 grams, corn silk, 60 grams, small red bean, 30 grams, winter melon peel, 60 grams. Decoct in water taking divided doses every morning and evening. Each dose approximately 100 ml.

Caution: Those who suffer vulnerability from cold, take care in your dosage. At one time, eating an abundance of watermelon can injure the stomach and cause indigestion.

Additional Comments: Watermelon contains proteinase, glucose, malic acid, watermelon amino acid, vitamin C, etc. Watermelon seeds also contain a component which is able to lower blood pressure. In addition, dried watermelon peel can reduce cholesterol deposited in the arterial walls.

[2] Apple

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, slightly sour

Function: Produce fluid, quench thirst, clear out heat and eliminate vexation, boost spleen, stop diarrhea

Prescription:

Children with diarrhea: Fresh apple ground into juice, each day half a tablespoon, three times a day.

Dry formed stool: Each day morning and evening, eat one apple or an appropriate amount on an empty stomach.

Caution: Those with vacuous, cold spleen and stomach, or abdominal pain and diarrhea, should not eat too much of this. Those with habitual constipation, constipation after birth or after a major illness should exercise caution in dosage.

Additional Comments: Apple primarily contains sugar in the carbohydrate portion. It has the function of raising immunity. It also contains malic acid, citric acid, quininic acid, tartaric acid, tannic acid, carotene, all kinds of vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc.

[3] Pear

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, slightly sour

Function: Produce fluid, quench thirst, moisten lungs, stop coughing, clear heat, transform phlegm

Prescription:

Chronic cough, dry cough with little or no phlegm: One Chinese pear or snow pear washed cleanly, cut horizontally into two halves, remove the core, place 10 grams of fritillaria inside, then place the halves together, secured tightly with a toothpick, place in a bowl, add about 30 grams of rock candy, then add a small amount of water. Steam above the water for 40 minutes, eat the pear and drink the soup.

Hangover: Fresh snow pear, ground into juice, a dose of 150-300 ml.

Caution: Those who have a cough without heat, white phlegm and foam, cannot use this as medicine. Those who have a vacuous, cold spleen and stomach, sloppy stool or diarrhea are not candidates for taking this medicine. In addition, the popular eating method at the market of steamed pear-garlic cannot be used for those whose lungs have yin vacuity and a dry cough, otherwise it can trigger coughing blood.

[4] Tangerine

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Whet the appetite, regulate qi, quench thirst, stop coughing

Prescription:

Raw, cold fruit injures the stomach causing diarrhea: Take one tangerine, cut into thin slices, put in a bowl, infuse with boiling water, cover and steep out the juice, drink the soup and eat the tangerine.

Lung-heat coughing, abundant phlegm dense and yellow: A tangerine with skin decocted in water, with honey mixed in, take two to three times a day.

Caution: Those with a wind-cold cough, with clear and watery white phlegm, should not take this medicine.

Additional Comments: Tangerine leaves soothe the liver, regulates qi, disperses swelling, dissipates toxins. Sun dried tangerine peel, called chen tangerine peel, or chen peel, regulates qi , fortifies the spleen, transforms phlegm, is dry and astringent. The white cellulose inside the fresh tangerine peel, called tangerine network, when sundried, can open the network, quicken the blood, normalize qi , transform phlegm. The red pulp between the tangerine cellulose and skin is called the tangerine red, it has effective power in dispelling cold phlegm. The tangerine pit is very effective in regulating qi, dissipating a knot and stopping pain. It is often used for hernias, testicular swelling and pain, mastitis, etc. In addition, contained in the tangerine are many kinds of organic acids, vitamins, and is greatly beneficial in regulating the body’s metabolism and physiological functions.

[5] Kumquat

Four qi: Slightly warm

Five Flavors: Acrid, sweet, slightly sour

Function: Transform phlegm, stop coughing, regulate qi relieve depression, alleviate effect of alcohol, prevent bad odorPrescription:

Coughing, asthma: 6 kumquats, prick open with a knife, squeeze out the pit, add approximately 250 ml. of water, an appropriate amount of rock candy, bring to a boil and turn to a simmer for 15 minutes. Divide the juice into three doses to be taken after meals.

Liver depression, qi stagnation: 8 kumquats, 10 grams of finger citron fruit, boil for 5 minutes, can add an appropriate amount of white sugar to mix into the medicine. Take once or twice a day.

Caution: Eating excessive amounts can injure qi.

Additional Comments: Kumquats contain many kinds of vitamins and minerals, especially an abundant amount of kumquat glycoside. These two kinds of matter can strengthen capillaries, thereupon strengthening the body’s resistance against an invasion by severe cold. It also prevents blood vessels from becoming brittle and rupturing. Kumquat root also effectively moves qi and dissipates what is bound up.

[6] Orange

Other names: Fragrant orange

Four qi: Slightly cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Produce fluid, stop coughing, whet appetite, descend qi, resolve alcohol effect

Prescription:

Stomach with insufficient yin, thirsty, feeling of vexation: One orange, ground into juice or just eaten raw.

Scleroma of the breast: One orange, finger citron fruit, 10 grams, add approximately 200ml. of water, boil 5 minutes, drink morning and evening, divided into two doses.

Caution: Those with vacuous, cold spleen and stomach, diarrhea or abdominal pain, be careful of dosage.

Additional Comments: Orange contains hesperidan, citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, fruit sugar and a large quantity of vitamins C, P, etc. It can increase the body’s resistance, add elasticity to capillaries, lower blood cholesterol. Oranges contain cellulose and pectin and can promote intestinal movement and is beneficial in stool elimination.

[7] Mandarin orange

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Produce fluid, quench thirst, harmonize the stomach, disinhibit urine, alleviate alcohol effect

Prescription:

Intense heat in the stomach, agitation, thirst: Eat 1 or 2 mandarin oranges as is or grind into juice with honey in appropriate amounts and take as medicine.

Urine in short streams and small quantity, intense heat and yellow color: Eat 1-2 mandarin oranges as is, alternatively grind into juice, add green tea water in appropriate amounts and take one to two times every day.

Caution: Those vulnerable to cold, especially stomach cold, be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Mandarin oranges contain sugar, vitamin C, nicotinic acid, citric acid, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc.

Dear Reader, if you’d like even more information about the health protective properties of melons and fruits, then please read on to the analysis in the next chapter.

Chat #56

Lemon, Strawberry, Kiwi

Grape, Banana, Fig

In the last chapter, we discussed the dietary health laws related to some melons and fruits including: Watermelon, apple, pear, tangerine, kumquat, orange and mandarin orange. Now we will begin to discuss other kinds of melons and fruits.

[8] Lemon

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sour

Function: Clear out heat, relieve summer-heat, produce fluid, quench thirst, harmonize the stomach, quiet the fetus

Prescription:

Nausea, diminished eating, fetus with uneasy movement: Fresh lemon, about 150 grams, squeezed into juice, add fresh ginger juice, take 5 drops each evening as a medicinal drink.

Phlegm-heat cough: Lemon, 15 grams, platycodon grandiflorum, 6 grams, boat sterculia seed, 5, licorice, 6 grams, decoct in water and divide into morning and evening doses after meals.

Caution: Those who have an excessively acidic stomach and suffer from symptoms of being cold, be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Lemon contains sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins B1, B2, C, nicotinic acid, citric acid, malic acid, quininic acid, naringin, volatile oils, coumarin, etc.

[9] Strawberry

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Produce fluid, moisten lungs, alleviate summer-heat, disinhibit urine, fortify the spleen, harmonize the stomach.

Prescription:

Mouth and tongue erosion, larynx swollen and painful: Strawberry, 50 grams, eaten raw or ground into juice as medicine. Alternatively, ground into juice with watermelon, 250 grams and taken as medicine.

Wind-heat cough, yellow phlegm, or high blood pressure, vertigo, vexation and agitation: Strawberry, 50 grams, eaten raw. Alternatively, strawberry, 30 grams, and one snow pear ground into juice as medicine.

Caution: Those who suffer from symptoms of being cold, especially those with vacuous, cold spleen and stomach, or abdominal pain and diarrhea, as well as those who have lungs with cold, white phlegm which clear and thin, be careful with dosage.

Additional Comments: Strawberry is a kind of low calorie, low sugar fruit. The vitamin C it contains is nine times that of a pear, two and a half times that of an apple. Eating it can nourish the five organs, and those with gastro-intestinal ailments can eat it to regulate digestive function. It is appropriate for young and old and therefore has the lovely appellation: ‘Queen of the fruits.’

[10] Kiwi

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Harmonize the stomach, descend qi, clear out heat, disinhibit urine

Prescription:

Digestive tract cancer in the early stages: Kiwi root, 500 grams, soaked in white wine for a week. Each time take 15 ml., three times a day.

Stranguria with turbid urine, leukorrhea: Kiwi root, 60 grams, Xuanma root, 60 grams, decoct with water, every day, divided doses morning and evening.

Caution: Those with vacuous, cold spleen and stomach, be careful with dosage.

Additional Comments: Every 100 grams of fresh kiwi contains100-200 milligrams of vitamin C, five to eight times higher than mandarin orange and tangerine, 19-83 times higher than an apple, 32-130 times higher than pear. Research shows that fresh kiwi and its juice can prevent carcinogenic nitrites from forming. It can also lower blood cholesterol and levels of triglyceride.

[11] Grape

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Enrich yin, eliminate vexation

Prescription:

Recovery period from chronic illness: White grape, 200 grams, ground into juice, add in 6 ml. of fresh ginger juice, honey in an appropriate amount. In addition, pass 10 grams of black tea through boiling water, select out 10 ml. of juice to add in. Each evening, take 100 ml., continuously for a ten day course of therapy.

Dry throat, loss of voice: Grape juice, sugar cane juice, each 50 ml., after mixing, infuse with warm boiled water and take as medicine.

Caution: Those with dry mucous, raging toxins, fire-heat veering towards effulgence, be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Grape contains glucose, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins B, C, pectic acid, amino acids, etc.

[12] Banana

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Clear out heat, enrich yin, facilitate bowel elimination, alleviates alcohol effects.

Scalding and burn injury: Peeled banana, pounded soft and applied by smearing it onto injured area, two times a day.

 Intestinal-heat, constipation, or bleeding hemorrhoids: One or two bananas, each evening eaten before bedtime, continually for 10 days. Alternatively, banana with skin ground into juice as medicine.

Caution: Those with vacuous, cold spleen and stomach, take care in dosage.

Additional Comments: Banana contains starch, protein, fat, powdered sugar, vitamins A, B, C, E, etc.

[13] Fig

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement spleen, boost stomach, enrich lungs, disinhibit throat, facilitate bowel elimination. External application disinhibits dampness, resolves toxins.

Prescription:

Vacuous and weak spleen and stomach, indigestion: Fig, 15 grams, finely cut, stir-fried until half charred, add brown sugar water in an appropriate amount, and boiling water in an appropriate amount to soak as medicine.

Weakened body after birth, insufficient production of milk: Fig, 15 grams, 2 pig hooves. First stew the pig hooves until soft, then add the fig and stew 5 minutes. Take the soup as medicine, one cup every morning.   Caution: Those who have not yet recovered from a cold, should not eat a large quantity.   Additional Comments: Fig contains protein, fat, carbohydrate, ash, a large quantity of vitamins A, C, ventriculin, all kinds of types of acid matter, etc. Research shows that it has anti-cancer components.    Dear Reader, if you’d like to know even more about the protective health functions of foods, then please read on to the next chapter.

Chat #57

Mango, Pineapple, Apricot, Plum, Peach

Lichee, Loquat, and Walnut

In the last chapter we discussed lemon, strawberry, kiwi, grape, banana and fig among the dietary health laws. Now we will begin to discuss various other melons and fruits.

[14] Mango

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Boost the stomach, stop vomiting, free passage movement of qi, repel insects.

Prescription:

Amenia: One mango, eaten raw, or 1 mango, peach kernel, 10 grams, safflower flower, 10 grams, Chinese angelica root, 6 grams, red peony root, 10 grams, rehmannia, 15 grams. Decoct in water and take in divided doses morning and evening.

Counter flow qi, vomiting: One mango, eaten raw, or 1 mango, fresh ginger, 3 slices, decoct in water as medicine.

Caution: After becoming full from eating, it is not appropriate to have mango, nor should it be eaten at the same time as garlic and other pungent products. In addition, there are reports that eating excessive amounts of mango can trigger nephritis. For those with an allergic constitution, eating mango can possibly cause the occurrence of dermatitis. Mango leaves and seeds both contain hydrocyanic acid, if eaten by mistake can cause poisoning.

Additional Comments: Mango contains sugar, protein, fiber, carotene, vitamin C, etc.

[15] Pineapple

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, slightly sour

Function: Produce fluid, moisten the lungs, nourish the stomach, disinhibit water

Prescription:

Dry cough: Pineapple, 100 grams, honey, 10 grams, decoct in water and take every day morning and evening as divided doses.

Indigestion, diarrhea: One pineapple, ground into juice, each dose of 30 ml., three times a day.

Caution: Some people can be allergic to pineapple. Therefore, those who are allergic, be careful in dosage. If it is used as medicine, consider removing the pineapple skin and cube the fruit, then cut it open and use salt water to rinse it, allowing part of the organic salt to disperse in the water, so as to avoid or reduce the severity of a toxic phenomenon. Moreover, after rinsing with salt water, the pineapple will be even sweeter.

Additional Comments: Pineapple has an abundance of sugars, fat, protein, vitamin C, and has organic acids; malic acid and citric acid, etc.

[16] Apricot

Four qi: In equilibrium, has toxicity

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Produce fluid, quench thirst, moisten lungs, stabilize panting, facilitate bowel elimination

Prescription:

Asthma: Apricot kernel, 10 grams, roasted ephedrae, 6 grams, doufu, 100 grams, stew one hour and take each evening as one dose. Eat the doufu and drink the soup.

Contracting a cold and coughing: Apricot kernel, 10 grams, fresh ginger, 3 slices, white radish, 100 grams, decoct in water and select out the juice, divide into three doses, morning, noon and evening, to be taken after meals.

Caution: A folk adage from China’s health preserving tradition says: ‘It is better to eat one bite of a fresh peach, than a basket of overripe apricots.’ This is a warning not to eat too many apricots to prevent toxicosis. Chinese medicine clinically selected apricot kernels as an herbal medicine, making a distinction between bitter ones and sweet ones. The bitter ones have a relatively greater toxicity but has strength in transforming phlegm, stopping coughing and stabilizing panting. The toxicity of the sweet one is relatively small and can be used to moisten lungs and stop coughing as its specialty.

Additional Comments: Experimental research shows that bitter apricot kernel glycoside passing through water disperses and can produce a kind of toxic substance called hydrocyanic acid. Small doses of hydrocyanic acid can be used in the breathing center, causing breathing to move towards quiet stabilization and reach the point of settling a cough and calming panting. However, hydrocyanic acid is an acute toxic substance, 0.05 grams can cause paralysis of a person’s breathing and lead to death.

[17] Plum

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Clear vacuous heat, nourish stomach yin, resolve scorpion poison

Prescription:

Hand, feet, heart-heat, night sweat, hard to quench thirst: 6 fresh plum, with skin ground into juice. Select out 30 ml. and each evening take in one dose.

Scorpion bite: 2-3 fresh plums eaten raw, at the same time use plum pulp to rub on the place of the insect bite.

Caution: Eating many plums can injure the spleen and stomach, as well as damage teeth. A Chinese folk adage says: ‘Peach nourishes you, apricot injures you, plum buries you under a tree.’ This is a warning to not eat too many plums.

Additional Comments: Plum has sugar, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, vitamins B, C, citric acid and malic acid, etc.

[18] Peach

Four qi: Warm

Five Flavors: Sweet, sour

Function: Produce fluid, moisten intestines. Peach kernel can also quicken the blood and dissolve sludge.

Prescription:

Amenia: Peach kernels, 10 grams, Chinese angelica root, 6 grams, safflower flower, 10 grams, decoct in water and take divided doses morning before meals.

Accumulation of white hair, constipation: 2 fresh peaches, ground into juice. If therapy is for white hair, then take one cup every morning upon rising on an empty stomach. If the therapy is for constipation, then take one cup every evening before going to bed.

Caution: If menses is excessive, blood color is bright red, or if pregnant, in all these cases peach kernels cannot be used but fresh peach pulp can be used in small quantities.

Additional Comments: Peach kernel contains fatty oil, vitamin B1, amygdalin. Peach kernel pulp contains protein, fat, sugar, vitamins B1, B2, C, iron, phosphorus, calcium, etc. In addition, peach leaves can be diaphoretic and kill insects, peach flowers can dispel phlegm and dissolve sludge. The peach fruit dried before ripening is called Tao Nu, with the best ones being those still hanging on the tree through the frosty winter and not falling down. They can be used as therapy for children’s vacuous perspiration, and roasted and smoked as therapy for hemorrhoids.

[19] Lichee

Four qi: Slightly warm

Five Flavors: Sweet, slightly sour

Function: Produce fluid, fortify the spleen, quicken the blood, supplement the blood

Prescription:

Hiccup: 6 lichee, with shell roasted until ash remains, grind into fine powder, use boiling water to mix as medicine and take one to three times every day.

Anemia: 10 dried lichee, 10 jujube, decoct in water, take one cup every morning upon rising on an empty stomach.

Caution: Eating large amounts of lichee can cause effusion of heat, ascension of fire, can also cause the occurrence of lichee sickness [low blood sugar disease]

in a light case; nausea, no strength in limbs, in a serious case; dizziness, fainting. Because of this, they cannot be continuously eaten in a large quantity and most important is that children cannot eat a large quantity.

Additional Comments: Lichee is abundant in fruit sugar, protein, vitamin C, fat, citric acid, pectin, etc. In addition, lichee is extremely effective in moving qi, dissipating cold, stopping pain. It is often used as therapy for hernia, testicular swelling pain, stomach qi pain. Lichee shell can regulate qi with outthrust effusion. It is therapy for children’s small pox, non-plasmatic, and youth acne in its early stage.

[20] Loquat

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, slightly sour

Function: Moisten lungs, stop coughing, produce fluid, harmonize the stomach.

Prescription:

Long term cough with little phlegm: 20 Fresh loquat, ground into juice, one cup each evening as medicine. Equal amount of bamboo leaf can be added to enhance the effect.

During lactifuge, breasts are swollen and painful: Loquat leaves, 15 grams, achyranthes root, 15 grams, decoct in water, taking one or two doses every day.

Caution: Those who have vacuous spleen or diarrhea, be careful in dosage. Loquat fruit stone contains hypertoxic hydrocyanic acid and its use should be avoided.

Additional Comments: Loquat contains sugar, protein, fat, fiber, pectin, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1, C, malic acid, citric acid, etc.

[21] Walnut

Four qi: Warm

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement the kidney, assist yang, warm lungs, stabilize panting, moisten intestines, facilitate bowel movement

Prescription:

Nerve weakness and habitual constipation: Walnut kernel, 100 grams, black sesame seed, 100 grams, ground into powder. Each dose, 6 grams, taken morning and evening on an empty stomach.

Asthma: 3 walnut kernels, fresh ginger, one slice, chewed very carefully, Each day, morning and evening, one time.

Caution: Those with vacuous yin, effulgent fire, phlegm-heat cough, sloppy stool, should all be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Walnut kernels contain fat, protein, sugar, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, etc.

Dear Reader, if you’d like to know even more information about health protective foods, then please read on to the next chapter.

Chat #58

Soybean, Green and Black beans, Fava bean

Corn, millet, Wheat and Rice

In the last chapter, we discussed melons and fruits among the dietary laws, now we will begin to look at grain and bean varieties.

[1] Soybean

Other names: Big bean

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Fortify the spleen, supplement the blood

Prescription:

Anemia: soybean, 30 grams, spinach, 50 grams. After thorough washing, place in soup which is already half cooked with pig liver. Continue boiling and after it is fully cooked, drink the soup one time each day.

Insufficient milk: Soybean, 60 grams, chrysanthemum vegetable, 30 grams, one pig hoof, stew in purified water until cooked through, add appropriate seasonings, drink the soup one time each day.

Caution: Those with blood-heat or skin abscess should not eat this. Molded soybeans have toxins and cannot be eaten.

Additional Comments: Soybeans are full of protein, as high as 40%. It also contains chlorogenic acid which has anti-cancer function.

[2] Green bean

Other name: Small green bean

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Clears out summer heat, quenches thirst, moistens lungs, resolves toxins.

Prescription:

Prevent summer heat, lower warmth: Green bean in appropriate amount, boiled at a simmer, eat the bean and drink the soup, with no restriction on time of dosage. White sugar can be added.

Anemia: Green bean, 100 grams, red date, 15, boiled until beans open up, expand to a round circle, add brown sugar in an appropriate amount. Eat the date and drink the soup one time a day.

Caution: Those who have a constitution with abundant cold, especially spleen with vacuous yang, be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Green bean contains plentiful protein, fat, sugar and many kinds of vitamins. Chinese medicine often uses green bean to resolve toxic reactions to food or medicines. It is said that ‘green bean is the antidote to a hundred toxins.’

[3] Black bean

Other names: Crow bean, black soybean

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Boost kidney, disinhibit water

Prescription:

White hair: Black bean, 30 grams, black sesame seed, 30 grams, stir fry until fragrant and chew carefully to eat. Each day one dose, or divide into several doses.

Undernourishment, water swelling: Black beans, 100 grams, boil until the beans burst open; add winter melon skin, 100 grams, corn silk, 100 grams. Boil until the winter melon skin is cooked through, drink the soup and every day, take in divided doses, morning and evening.

Caution: Black bean cannot be eaten at the same time as pork.

Additional Comments: Black bean contains protein, fat, calcium, iron, phosphorus and many kinds of vitamins.

[4] Fava Bean

Other names: Northern barbarian bean

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet, acrid

Function: Fortify the spleen and supplement the blood

Prescription:

Vacuous blood, constipation: Fresh, tender fava beans, 30 grams, hemp seeds, 15 grams, pound into pieces and boil as porridge. Each evening, eat a bowl along with dinner.

Vacuous blood, dizziness: Fava bean blossom, 15 grams, infuse in boiling water, drink as tea, one cup every day.

Caution: Some individuals have an occurrence of hemolytic jaundice after eating fava beans, commonly known as ‘fava bean disease’.

[5] Corn

Other names: Wrapped grain

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Boost lungs, whet appetite, quiet the heart, increase milk

Prescription:

Insomnia: Corn in an appropriate amount boil into porridge, each evening take one small bowl along with dinner.

Insufficient milk: Corn silk, 100 grams, boiled as soup to drink.

Caution: Corn can be changed by hygromycin and easily become contaminated with aflatoxin bacterium, and can produce a carcinogenic substance, aflatoxin, and cannot be eaten.

Additional Comments: Corn is full of unsaturated fatty acid, lecithin, vitamins A and K, glucose and organic acid, etc.

[6] Millet

Other Names: Small grain, Millet rice

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, salty

Function: Fortify the spleen, boost the stomach, enrich yin, eliminate vexations.

Prescription:

Children’s vacuous spleen, indigestion: Millet, 30 grams, Chinese yam, 10 grams, grind together finely, boil into paste, add white sugar to taste.

Insomnia: Millet, 60 grams, sour date, 30 grams, add water and cook porridge, take one cupful before bed.

Caution: Those with a large amount of stomach acid, be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Chemotherapy patients, when eating millet porridge, can reduce and lessen nausea, vomiting as well as correct anemia. For patients of chronic illness who are in early recovery, it provides excellent assistance to recovery of the body’s constitution.

[ 7] Wheat

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement the spleen and blood

Prescription:

Insomnia from heart blood insufficiency: Wheat, 100 grams, jujube, 15, licorice root tip, 6 grams, boil into porridge. Each evening one small bowl along with dinner.

Vacuous spleen, diarrhea: Wheat in an appropriate amount, stir fried until yellow. Before eating, infuse with warm boiled water, and take 15 grams as medicine, three times every day.

Caution: Wheat cannot be eaten with millet or loquats.

Additional Comments: Wheat contains an abundance of starch, up to 50% to 70%, and contains protein, sugar, fat, fiber, glutamic acid and lecithin, etc.

[8] Rice

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement qi, strengthen the body

Prescription:

To supplement vacuity, fight cancer: Pearl rice in an appropriate amount, boiled into porridge and eaten often.

Vacuous, weak liver and kidney, weakened body after childbirth: Brown rice in appropriate amount, stewed together with chicken meat, eaten one time a day.

Caution: Those with excessive stomach acid, do not eat too much rice. In addition, among rice types, glutinous rice has a sticky, stagnating nature and is not good for digestion.

Additional Comments: Rice is one of the major food grains of mankind. There are many different kinds including non-glutinous, glutinous and brown rice, etc. Chinese medicine’s pharmacology classic, The Compendium of Materia Medica, records that northern non-glutinous rice is cool, southern non-glutinous rice is warm, red non-glutinous rice is hot, white non-glutinous rice is cold, new non-glutinous rice is hot, old non-glutinous rice is cold. These will serve as a reference. Rice contains an abundance of starch, amino acid, fat, protein, fiber, calcium, etc.

Dear Reader, we have already discussed vegetables, melons and fruit, grains and beans, among the dietary laws. We will proceed to analyze matters related to meat and fish, beverages and condiments. If you’d like to further deepen your understanding, then please read on to the analysis in the next chapter.

Chat #59

Turtle, Carp, Pomfret, Eel, Chicken and Duck

Beef, Lamb, Rabbit and Pork

In the last chapter, we discussed grains and beans among the dietary laws. This chapter will analyze types of meat and fish.

D. Meat and Fish types: Among the kinds to be discussed will be: Turtle, carp, pomfret, eel, chicken, duck, beef, lamb, rabbit and pork.

[1] Green Turtle

Other names: Soft shell turtle, Shui Yu, Yuan Yu

Four qi: Cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, salty

Function: Moisten yin, cool the blood, boost the liver, supplement the kidney, soften hardness, dissipate a knot.

Prescription:

High blood pressure, diabetes, dizziness, soreness and pain in the waist and knees: Steam turtle meat, eat alone in appropriate amount or stew one turtle, removing entrails, until cooked through together with Chinese wolfberry fruit, 6 grams, Chinese yam, 10 grams, privet fruit, 10 grams, Chinese foxglove, 10 grams. Remove the herbs and take the fish and soup as medicine.

Protect health and strengthen the body: Steam a turtle, add appropriate seasonings, eat the meat and drink the soup. This is appropriate for male, female, young and old.

Caution: Those who have vacuous yang in the spleen and stomach, or indigestion, be careful in dosage as this can easily lead to diarrhea.

Additional comments: Turtle meat contains an abundance of animal gum, protein, iodine, vitamin D, etc. It restrains the proliferation of connective tissue, and serves the function of raising plasma protein. The turtle shell, after processing, becomes a kind of famous Chinese herbal medicine, called Biejia, which is used to enrich yin, boost the blood, enrich and boost kidney yin, abate vacuous heat, disperse lumps, etc.

[2] Carp

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement kidney, disperse swelling, moisten lungs, harmonize the stomach, boost qi, nourish the blood.

Prescription:

Vacuous kidney, water swelling: Fresh carp, 300 grams, remove scales, tail, entrails, and wash until clean. Black tea, 60 grams, rice vinegar, 30 ml., add water to boil and eat as medicine on an empty stomach. Alternatively, accompany with winter melon, 300 grams, the white part of green onion, 15 grams, using the same method above.

Female qi and blood both vacuous, insufficient milk: Fresh carp, 300 grams, Chinese angelica root, 15 grams, [disperse toxins by placing it in a gauze cloth bag], small red bean, 60 grams, stew until meat is cooked through and beans are soft, remove the Chinese angelica root, and eat warm.

Caution: Those who have thermo-toxins in their body, for example those with throat swelling and pain, dermatitis, running sores, ulcer, cancer, all should take precautions with dosage to avoid exacerbating illness. Chinese folklore calls this “ Effusive Matter.”

Additional Comments: Carp contains protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus, etc.

[3] Pomfret

Other names: Ping yu, silver fish, Yibian yu, mirror fish.

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement kidney, harmonize the stomach

Prescription:

Vacuous Kidney qi, weak legs: One pomfret, chestnuts, 8, boil together and eat.

Impotence: One pomfret, silkworm shell, 10, boil together and eat.

Caution: Pomfret eggs cause diarrhea and should be discarded.

Additional Comments: Pomfret contains protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, etc. In addition, it contains a large amount of cholesterol so those with hyperlipemia and coronary heart disease, should exercise caution in dosage.

[4] Yellow Eel

Other names: Eel, Long fish

Four qi: Warm

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement and boost qi and blood, strengthen and fortify tendons and bones.

Prescription:

Insufficient qi and blood: Several Yellow Eel, remove inner entrails, add Chinese Wolfberry fruit, 10 grams, Jujube, 10 pieces, and appropriate seasoning. Stew until cooked and then eat.

Prolapsed uterus, Proctoptosis: Several Yellow Eel, Milk Vetch, 6 grams, stewed until cooked. Use a large lotus leaf to steam until cooked through then eat the eel.

Caution: Dead Yellow Eel meat contains a toxic substance and cannot be eaten. In addition, Chinese folklore considers the Yellow Eel to be ‘Effusive Matter’, and in general, it is inappropriate for those with swelling and pain in the throat or thermo-toxic ulcers to eat this as medicine.

[5] Chicken

Four qi: Warm, slightly hot

Five Flavors: Sweet, salty

Function: Supplement and boost qi and blood, fortify the spleen and boost the kidneys.

Prescription:

Weakened body after an illness: One old hen, milk vetch, 30 grams, codonopsis root, 15 grams, Chinese yam, 15 grams, orange peel, 15 grams, stew into soup or steam; alternatively add yellow wine, 100 grams, together with the medicine, separating it from the steam water. Take twice a day.

Children bedwetting, incontinence of elders: Rooster liver 60 grams, baked dry, cinnamon, 30 grams, ground finely together. Each dose, 3-6 grams to be taken morning and evening every day.

Caution: Chicken tail sack contains a cancer inducing substance and cannot be eaten. Those with heat conditions, be careful of dosage.

Additional Comments: Chicken meat chiefly contains protein, phosphorus, nicotinic acid, etc.

[4] Duck

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, salty

Function: Enrich yin, clear-out heat, boost the stomach, produce liquid.

Prescription:

Insufficient heart yin, insomnia, amnesia: One white duck, sea cucumber, 4, lily bulb, 30 grams, appropriate seasoning, stew until cooked through and eat as medicine one time each morning and evening.

Coughing up blood: One white duck, fresh joints of a rhizome of a lotus, 150 grams, appropriate seasoning, stewed into soup and eaten.

Caution: Those with cold conditions, have a common cold that has not cleared up, stomach swelling, diarrhea, or beriberi, should all exercise caution in dosage.

Additional Comments: Duck meat chiefly contains protein and nicotinic acid, etc.

[7] Beef

Four qi: Warm, slightly hot

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement and boost qi and blood, strengthen and fortify body constitution.

Prescription:

Body constitution vacuous and weak: Fresh beef in appropriate amount, white radish in appropriate amount, stew until meat is soft and cooked through, then eat and drink the soup.

Chronic common cold: Fresh beef in appropriate amount, milk vetch root, 15 grams, stew until soft and cooked through, then add atractylodes [white] rhizome, 10 grams, cinnamon twig, 10 grams and stew again for 30 minutes with appropriate seasoning. Remove the herbs, eat the meat and drink the soup.

Caution: Those with heat conditions be careful of dosage.

Additional Comments: Beef contains protein, fat and nicotinic acid, etc.

[8] Lamb

Four qi: Hot

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Warms the spleen and stomach, supplements the center, boosts qi.

Prescription:

Gastro-intestinal system vacuous and cold: Fresh, very lean lamb meat, 50 grams, cut into small slices and stewed soft, then add non-glutinous rice and boil together into congee. Every morning one small bowl, continuing for a ten day course of therapy.

Vacuous kidney, impotence: Fresh, very fine lamb meat, 250 grams, cut into small pieces and stewed soft. Add Chinese wolfberry fruit, 6 grams, flesh of longan fruit, 6 grams, jujube, 5 pieces, appropriate seasoning, stew again until soft, remove the meat and herbs, drink one small bowl of soup every morning. Each week, take a dose for five days, and continue for one month.

Caution: Those with a hot body constitution or with a heat condition, be careful eating this. Those who are in the initial stages of a common cold should not eat this.

Additional Comments: Lamb meat contains protein, fat, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, etc. Lamb liver especially supplements the liver and brightens the eye.

[9] Rabbit

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Acrid

Function: Fortify the spleen, supplement the liver.

Prescription:

Anemia: Rabbit meat, 100 grams, milk vetch root, codonopsis root, Chinese yam, 10 grams each, jujube, 10 fruits, stew until soft, eat the meat and drink the broth. Take one small bowl each morning, then skip a day and continue ten times for one course of treatment.

Diabetes, alleviate thirst: Rabbit meat, 250 grams, tricosanthes root, Chinese yam, each 15 grams, add appropriate seasonings, stew until soft. Eat the meat and drink the soup. Every morning take one small bowl.

Caution: Those with a cold constitution and suffering from a cold condition, be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Rabbit meat contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, etc. Rabbit liver is used to strengthen the brightening of the eyes and reduce haziness of vision.

[10] Pork

Four qi: Slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet, salty

Function: Nourish the stomach, moisten dryness, moisten intestines, promote bowel movement, moisten the skin, nourish the liver.

Prescription:

Insufficient Stomach yin, indigestion: Pork back thigh meat, 100 grams cut into slices and stew soft, add green barley sprout, 30 grams, lily bulb, 30 grams, hawthorn, 10, boil 15 minutes, add appropriate seasoning and eat.

Light degree of scalded burn injury: Fatty pork meat, 150 grams. After boiling the fat for a long time, cool off and use the lard to rub onto the injured surface.

Wind cold, long term cough: One pig lung, ephedra stem, 6 grams, stewed into soup and take as medicine.

Caution: Pork meat is fatty and stagnating. Those who have an overabundance of internal dampness and damp-heat, should not each much of this. Those with high blood lipids, be careful in dosage.

Additional Comments: Pork is a food item high in calories, and chiefly contains fat, protein and phosphorus, etc.

Dear Reader, if you’d like to obtain even more information, then please read on to the analysis in the next chapter.

Chat #60

Coffee, Cocoa, Cow and Goat milk

Types of Alcohol, Mineral water, Black and Green Tea

      In the last chapter, we discussed questions about meat and fish types among the dietary laws of health. This chapter will examine beverage types.

[1] Coffee

Four qi: Warm

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Stimulate qi and blood, strengthen the heart, disinhibit urine.

Prescription:

Lack of strength, fatigue: Coffee, 10 grams, stir-fry, then decoct concentrated amount as medicine, milk and sugar can be added in an appropriate amount. Alternatively, instant dissolving coffee beverages can be taken directly as medicine.

Alcoholic hangover: Drink concentrated coffee frequently as medicine.

Caution: Those with insomnia should not take this as medicine. Those with gastro-intestinal illnesses, be careful of dosage.

Additional Comments: Coffee was originally produced in Africa, and is now cultivated in many places throughout the world. Coffee chiefly contains caffeine, etc.

[2] Cocoa

Four qi: In equilibrium

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Raise the spirit, resolve fatigue, produce fluid and strengthen the heart.

Prescription:

Exhaustion and lack of strength: Some cocoa powder, an appropriate amount of water and white sugar, etc. Drink an appropriate amount as medicine.

Lethargy: Some cocoa powder, appropriate amount of water and white sugar, etc. Drink an appropriate amount as medicine.

Caution: Those with insomnia should not use this as medicine. Those with frequent urination, be careful of dosage.

Additional Comments: Cocoa was originally produced in Africa and now is cultivated in many places throughout the world. Cocoa seed extract and cocoa bean oil ground finely into powder makes cocoa powder which can be mixed as a beverage. It is also the raw material in the manufacture of chocolate candy.

[3] Cow milk

Four qi: In equilibrium, slightly cold

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Fortify the spleen, boost the lungs, regulate and supplement qi and blood, moisten the intestines and promote bowel movement, moisten the skin and resolve toxins.

Prescription:

Insufficient qi and blood: Cow’s milk in an appropriate amount, pearl rice, 50 grams, jujube, 15 pieces, boil into congee. Can be taken often as medicine.

Vacuous blood and constipation: Cow’s milk, 150 ml., honey, 30 grams, sprinkling of scallion juice, boiled. Take in the evening, about one hour before bedtime.

Vacuous spleen, stomach pain: Fresh cow’s milk, 150 ml., honey, 6 grams, bletilla rhizome powder, 10 grams. Take one dose each morning.

Caution: Those who have an allergy to milk, will not be able to tolerate it. It also should not be used as medicine by those who have cholecystitis, fatty liver, and hyperlipemia, etc.

Additional Comments: Cow’s milk contains a large quantity of protein and fat. Within it there is cholesterol which is important for the growth and development of children. In milk fat, there is an abundance of vitamins A and D, which clearly functions as a preventive for calcium deficiency and rickets.

[4] Goat milk

Four qi: Warm

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Supplement and boost the lungs and kidney.

Prescription:

Vacuous kidney: Fresh goat milk in appropriate amount, Chinese wolfberry fruit, 6 grams, flesh of longan fruit, 6 grams, boiled and eaten as medicine at breakfast.

Children’s asthma: Fresh goat milk in appropriate amount, fresh lily bulb, 15 grams, fresh loquat, 6, boiled and the juice taken as medicine at breakfast.

Sumac sores: Fresh goat milk rubbed onto injured area.

Caution: Those with damp-heat and in the initial stage of a common cold should take caution in dosage.

Additional Comments: Goat milk belongs to the group of foods which are complete proteins. Mountain goat milk is itself a kind of natural antibiotic, and is effective in preventing and treating respiratory tract illnesses. It contains all kinds of vitamins and has an active anti-cancer component.

[5] Types of Alcohol

Four qi: Warm-hot

Five Flavors: Sweet, acrid

Function: Warmth unblocks blood vessels, vitalizes and invigorates yang qi

Prescription:

Coronary heart disease: White alcoholic spirits, 500 ml., safflower flower, 50 grams, Szechuan lovage root, 50 grams, salvia root, 30 grams, notoginseng root, 15 grams. Use the alcohol to soak the herbs for over ten days. Every morning take a dose of 30 ml.

Insomnia: Grape wine, 30 ml., drink before bedtime.

Caution: Alcohol should be avoided for those who have cirrhosis, for those who are allergic or are not accustomed to it, those who have heat conditions, skin conditions, ulcers, drive cars or work at high altitudes, etc.

Additional Comments: Alcohol is divided into two major types because of different processing methods: Distilled and non-distilled. An example of distilled alcohol is white alcohol spirits; and an example of non-distilled grape wine and yellow alcohol types. Distilled types, for the most part, contain high amount of alcohol, and is comparatively strong. From clinical experience in Chinese medicine, in general the use of alcohol to process medicine is done by soaking herbs with alcoholic spirits. Yellow alcohol is extremely good at quickening the blood and unblocking the vessels. For the most part it is decocted together with herbs and can increase the therapeutic efficacy of herbs that resist wind-dampness and quicken the blood. Those who ordinarily do not drink alcohol can also use it. Yellow alcohol, adding an appropriate amount of good quality plum, heat up and drink as an effective way to whet the appetite and lift the spirit. Grape wine, in general, is not used with herbs, but it is also very effective in whetting the appetite and can be used during a meal. In addition, white alcohol and grape wine should not be consumed at the same time, since it can add irritation to the gastro-intestinal system.

[6] Beer

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet, bitter

Function: Produce fluid, quench thirst, clear out heat, resolve toxins, whet appetite.

Prescription:

Lack of appetite: Beer in an appropriate amount, taken before eating a meal.

     Dislike of oily and greasy foods: Beer, 100 ml., taken with every breakfast.

Caution: Drinking too much beer or drinking too frequently can lead to over stimulation of the appetite and increase of food consumption. Over a long period of time, this can result in obesity, especially of the abdomen, thus the name, ‘beer belly.’ In addition, beer, in general should not be consumed at the same time as white alcoholic spirits because it can accelerate irritation to the gastro-intestinal system.

Additional Comments: Beer’s main ingredient is from wheat, passing through a process of wheat sprouts, glycosylation, fermentation, adding hops, and other fermentation processes to complete it. It contains an abundance of nutritional components, for example, eight kinds of amino acids necessary for the body, vitamins and minerals, etc.

[7] Mineral water

Four qi: Cool

Five Flavors: Sweet

Function: Quench thirst, whet appetite

Prescription:

Eating too much meat, indigestion: Mineral water in an appropriate amount, accompany with slices of hawthorn fruit in an appropriate amount.

Health protection, expelling toxins: Alkali mineral water, 200 ml., drink each evening about 2 hours before bed.

Caution: Those with a cold natured body constitution, especially those with a cold stomach, be careful of dosage.

Additional Comments: Mineral water is natural spring water which gushes out onto the surface from a stratum of earth. It contains an abundance of minerals including sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium salts, magnesium salts, and many kinds of trace elements. Among them, after sodium bicarbonate enters the body, it disperses a large quantity of carbon dioxide, which stimulates gastro-intestinal movement and the secretion of digestive juices, which promotes digestion. Eating too much meat can cause the body’s secretions to sour, and using alkaline mineral water helps to bring acid and alkali into balance. In addition, the body contains many minerals and needs to maintain a certain level of concentration, with excessively low or high levels producing a negative effect on the health of the body. Mineral water can be selected as a drink which contains different ions which help maintain the balance of minerals.

[8] Tea Leaves

Other names: Ming

Four qi: Cold: [green tea varieties], hot: [red tea varieties]

Five Flavors: Sweet, bitter

Function: Quench thirst, produce fluid, digest food, get rid of grease, disinhibit urine, brighten the eye, stimulate thought, eliminate vexation, expel fatigue, resolve toxins, stop coughing, transform phlegm, resolve alcohol and resolve toxins.

Prescription:

Flower scented tea: For example, chrysanthemum flower tea leaves, 6 grams, dried chrysanthemum flower, 6 grams, infuse in boiling water and drink every day after eating. This can clear out heat and resolve toxins, clear the liver and brighten the eye, lower fat and fight against old age, nourish the blood, moisten the skin, fortify the spleen and calm the spirit. Other teas such as honeysuckle flower tea and white jasmine tea have similar efficacy. Sweet osmanthus also can cure mouth odor.

Ginger tea: Tea leaves, 6 grams, fresh ginger, 3 slices, boil together and drink after meals. This can effuse perspiration and resolve the exterior, warm the lungs and stop coughing. It is used for wind-cold and the common cold.

Honey tea: Tea leaves, 6 grams, infused in boiling water, add honey, approximately 10 ml., mix and take as medicine. This can produce fluid, moisten the lungs, disinhibit the throat and stop pain. It is used for a dry cough and throat pain.

Sugar tea: Tea leaves, 6 grams, brown sugar, 10 grams, infuse in boiling water and take one cup after meals. This can calm the stomach, promote bowel movement, supplement the center and boost qi. It is used for constipation, abdominal pain as well as painful menstruation. In addition, tea leaves, 6 grams, rock candy in an appropriate amount, boat sterculia seed, 5 grams, steep in boiling water for 10 minutes and drink often in small amounts to clear out heat, stop coughing, moisten dryness, promote bowel movement. Use this for dry cough, loss of voice, dry throat and dry stool, etc.

Milk tea: Tea leaves, 5 grams, cow milk, 150 ml. which has been pre-boiled, white sugar in an appropriate amount. Take one cup every morning after breakfast to reduce weight, fortify the spleen, raise the spirit and brighten the eyes.

Salty tea: Tea leaves, 6 grams, table salt, 2 grams, infuse with boiling water and drink 4-6 times a day. This can treat a cough from a common cold, pink eye and toothache.

Vinegar tea: Tea leaves, 6 grams, infuse with boiling water and after 3 minutes strain out liquid, add aged vinegar, 1ml. Infuse and drink three times every day. This can treat dysentery, and abdominal pain from diarrhea.

Caution: Those with insomnia should avoid drinking tea before going to bed. Those with a cold body constitution, especially stomach-cold, be careful drinking green tea; those with a hot body constitution, especially those with stomach-heat, be careful drinking black tea.

Additional Comments: Tea has been heralded as one of three great beverages of the world. Its primary origins are in China. Tea leaf varieties are many, and they are always divided into the two main categories of green tea and black tea. After fresh tea leaves are gathered, they pass through preparation, kneading and twisting, and other processes to become green tea. Fresh tea leaves which pass through cutting, kneading and twisting, fermentation and other processes become black tea. In addition, there is also a system of compressing them into a cube or bowl shape. This is called brick tea or mound tea. Tea leaves contain over four hundred kinds of components, among them are tea’s abundant phenol types, theocin, theobromine, xanthine, kaemferol, epigallocatechin, ethereal oil compound, carbohydrate, protein, many kinds of amino acids, carotene, many kinds of trace elements and vitamins, B, C, E, P, etc.

Dear Reader, if you’d like to move a step further in obtaining information about heath protection, please read on to the analysis in the next chapte