It seems everyone is taking "Liong cha" chinese herbs tea to prevent this current outbreak of the deadly swine flu H1N1 virus. Taking more cooling herbs like "5 flowers Tea" or "Jin Yin Hua Tea" is very common to most Chinese. To take or not to take...anyway, prevention better than it happens will be too late.
And we really concerned about how not to get infected. As far as I know when the cooling tea is in demand, one of the herbs "Jin Yin Hua" or "Gold Silver Flower/Honey suckle flower " price has been increased tremendously.
In Asia, commonly we taking Chinese medicine in fact is to balance instead of cure or kill the disease. In other way TCM is more into self healing system to balance the immunity system and fight against the virus.
But the virus keeps changing and out breaks, and what we know about western medicine Tamiflu, new vaccine and the scientist keep on research for new medicines to cure this virus. "Think East and Think West" and I rather choose Eastern, so I prefer to use Chinese medicine than Western Medicine to protect with natural method.
My own self prevention herbal tea is just to give myself a boost and re-balancing, I found that this natural remedies herb tea is good for sore throat, cough, bad breath,Tonsils, and swelling inflammation of the lungs and mouth ulcer, plus it improves constipation and detoxify toxin.
I named it as "Pang Da Hai Lo Han Minty Tea". It's real refreshing and soothing with its aroma oil and mint taste. As usual, simple, simply easy to prepare is my recipe for busy people.
Ingredients:
2 - 3 leaves of Zuo Shou Xiang
3 Pang Dai Hai
1 Lo Han guo
Preparation:
1. Wash and clean Zou Shou Xiang (french thyme), by lightly crushing 2 - 3 leaves into the glass.
2. Soak Pang Dai Hai in a glass of hot water for 10 minutes.
After it became fluffy and spongy in size, removes its skin and the seed. Just take the flesh and ready to use.
3. Crush Lo Han Gou into half or smaller size, put in the Jar with hot water, simmer it for 1/2 hour.
4. Now place Zou Shou Xiang (thyme) and Pang Dai Hai into the glass, pour in the Lo Han guo tea into the glass and leave to infuse for five minutes; Serve warm.
What is Zou Shou Xiang
In chinese name: Zou Shou Xiang, Dao Shou Xiang
Common names in English: French-Thyme, Broadleaf Thyme, Country Borage, Country-Borage, Cuban Oregano.
It is a "great" herb found with the effectiveness of its essential oils on flu symptoms, the scientist also found that oregano, Oreganum vulgare, essential oil a potent remedy against flu viruses, its powerful oil can be misused and do not overdosed with it. Zhou Shou Xiang (french Thyme) which have antiseptic, anti-fungal characteristics.
This is Pang Dai Hai (Boat Sterculia Seed in common name.)
All the while whenever I am having cough or sore throat, I would take this traditional chinese herb "Pang Da Hai" with "Lo Han Guo" as it is very cooling and help in improving the inflammation of the mucous of throat and nose, especially good for constipation and clears the Intestines to promote bowel movement and plus detoxifying purposes.
What I do just simmer it in the hot water, removes the skin and seed, left over the spongy-like flesh of Pan Dai Hai, simmer it with hot water for 15 minutes or 1/2 hour. Then taking the water extract of "pang da hai" water, to mix manuka honey. That's simply easy and nice taste natural "cough Syrup" to me.
"Pang Dai Hai" its channel meridian entered to Lungs and intestine. This herb actions and indication for acute conjunctivitis, good for chronic throat inflammation and dry coughs, pain in the throat, coarse voice, dry and hard stool, hemorrhoids, heat type of tooth ache. But do not overdose or must use with caution in those with loose stools or diarrhea. Due to its laxative effect and the effect of the seed is the strongest.
This is Lo Han Guo in chinese.
It has sweet taste and sugar substances and common used in chinese medicinal herb to treat cough and sore throat, it moistens the lungs, eliminates phlegm, stops cough, and promotes bowel movements of the intestine which can induce a mild laxative effect.
It has claimed to be good in treating Diabetes. With an appropriate measure of the Lo Han Guo and crush it break apart, cover with water, and simmer. Or add to food being prepared, using it as a substitute for sugar. Lo Han Guo's sweetening component in related to diabetes and obesity, to substitute for caloric sugars consumed in the diet.
Zhou Shou Xiang Cucumber Pineapple Juice
To Improves rheumatic arthritis, degeneration arthritis, this juice recipe is quite good to release the painful gout and arthritis problem.
5 - 6 Zhou Shou Xiang (French Thyme)
1/2 cucumber (remove skin)
1 slice of Pineapple
cold water 100cc
Preparation:
1. Removes cucumber and pineapple skin. Cut into small cube.
2. Wash French thyme and cut it to smaller pieces.
3. Add in all the ingredients together with 100cc of cold water and blend it. Serve.
