Rabbit Milkweed Xiao Jin Ying ~ Anti-cancer Herb

Rabbit Milkweed is the best feed food for rabbits. That is how its name from I guess. It looks quite similar to Dandelion, but this is not dandelion, don't make a mistake, there is a lot of its efficacy and detoxification quite similarly as Dandelion, but it is a different species of Asteraceae plants. 

Chinese name: Xia Jin Yin “小金英” or Tu Er Cai “兔耳菜”

English name: Rabbit milkweed

Scientific name: Ixeris chinensis 

Anti-depressant & Anti-cancer Peanut Root Herbal Soup

Foods as nutritional therapeutic diet, actually in Traditional Chinese Medicine has realizes that food not only the nutrition, also used for ailments in curing illness. Helps and affect various aspects organism to obtain health and prevention of disease vigorously.

In fact, many illnesses are encumbered and its disease root lies in lacking of nutrients and insufficiency of staple food intakes. The insufficiency of foods and nutrients intakes, unhealthy eating habits can cause malfunctioning to human body vitality, immune and oxidation balance, as a result link to many viral and illnesses. Therefore, in therapeutic foods or diets approach, the main source is to alleviate with the sufficient and eat right method to supply the proper nutrients to the body needs as to achieving the benefit of alternative healing in acute conditions.

First thing first, the immune system is the body self-defenses. To protect pathogens from entering our body, stronger immunity system of human body has the abilities to protect and as a safeguard to self-defenses from illnesses. The main purpose of immunology system is to increase and improving self immunity body defense, self-healing system and autoimmune system to free radical and against harmful cancerous cells in formation.

“Sufficiency of Alkalinity Based foods and drinks as Acidic Eliminator to body pH adjustment”

I found sources from the therapeutic foods are concerning about daily intake of healthy, nutrients foods in alkalinity base, which is able to balancing and improves the body alkalinity condition, help in eliminate and to get rid of acidic body that causes illness to prevent high risk to illnesses, such as cancer, tumors and carcinoma formation. Several factors can also due to foods and drinks intake, environmental and emotional factors that caused.

Some of the specific foods or diets in my nutritional studies, I had learned about natural food sources and it’s valued in therapeutic effect. Whereby using foods as natural medicine will help in boosting an individual health, to protect and maintaining good health and proceed to healing as well. As when I used foods as natural medicine, as an alternative remedies, I used of medicinal foods or herbs for treating illnesses. It depends on what type of foods and herbs are right for an individual body’s and health condition in application as the basic approach. 

Anti-depressant Anti-cancer Herbal Peanut root Soup

In the researches found out the Peanut Root contain high valued of “Reveratrol” contents, the natural compound and the most powerful phenolic antioxidant found in peanut root, Reveratrol content can also be found in mulberry, grape and found in red wine for health benefit, it is natural plant polyphenol, which is easy to absorb and has a better curative effect when consume.

It has antibacterial, anti platelet activities, oxidation resistance, and anticancer active properties which can be used as in anticancer, anti-SARS, anti-allergy and anti-carcinogenic properties. Therefore, Reveratrol found in peanut root is useful cancer preventive and alternative medicinal plant to breast cancer treatment, and post-chemotherapeutic as an alternative healing soup. Do not forget, in beauty aspect, this soup has anti-depressant and anti aging properties.

I bought a small bundle of Peanut Root cook it with red dates and wolfberry (Goji) and combination with Traditional Chinese herbs like Bei Qi and Licorice root. 

This soup provides resveratrol to inhibit the cancer and tumor growth, stimulate carcinogen detoxification, to induce apoptosis cell death in tumor cells, to delayed cancer cell in progression. Especially it is good to take it after chemotherapy to improve the body immunity to fight against fatigue and sluggishness. For women with hot flashes, menopausal, anxiety and depression, mood swings during menopause.

Ingredients:

• 1 bundle of Peanut Root
• 20 Red Dates
• 5 Bei Qi 北芪
• 3 - 4 pieces licorice root or gan cao 甘草 *Optional
• 100gm of Goji or Wolfberry.
• 1200 liters of water

Method:

1. Rinse and wash Peanut root thoroughly, after few rinsing with running water. Soak peanut root for few hours to make it free of debris and mud.
2. Wash Red Dates, Goji, Bei Qi, Licorice Root thoroughly. Ready to use.
3. Boil water. Add in peanut root, and all ingredients.
4. Boil for an hour. Remove the peanut root and herbals, drink the soup only.

Bei qi 北芪also know as huang qi 黄芪

English name: Astragalus, milk vetch

Function: Boost and prevent heart disease, immune system

Bei qi 北芪, Astragalus, or huang qi 黄芪 is used in traditional Chinese medicine, as general tonic for the benefits mainly for heart, liver and immune system. It provides harmonious energy (Qi) and blood flow to the liver. It is especially good for boosting vital energy, promote blood circulation, treat fatigue and weak, help to support and enhance the immune system, to improve appetite and invigorates energy. Also used for treating chronic hepatitis and as adjunctive therapy in anticancer.

I used with combination of other herb like Licorice root; it adds sweet flavor to the soup. Licorice root or gan cao, it has anti-depressant compounds, treat stomach ulcers and stomach problems. It contains of anti-inflammatory effect, to soothe respiratory, sore throat and inflammation, especially after chemotherapy, and help to prevent of dry throat and burning sensation in the bodily after chemotherapy treatment.

Licorice Root

Licorice root 甘草 has hydro-cortisone, quite similar to corticosteroid hormones, also known as natural source of mild estrogen properties. And therefore it is proven useful for the women with menopause syndrome. It stimulates the adrenal glands, help in reducing stress. Also help for internal cleanse and rejuvenate body to stay younger and healthier as an anti-aging soup. Those with uncomfortable symptoms of menstruation, and menopause, this soup help in soothing and have anti-depressant for insomnia during menopause.

Caution to use: 

For those with adrenal glands cancer patients, try not to use or add in Licorice Root to cook with this anti-cancer recipe. 

Alternative Herbal Soup for Postpartum Abnormal Bleeding

After child birth some women may face the lochia problem. Lochia discharge is postpartum virginal discharge commonly continues for 4 to 6 week after childbirth.

What is Lochia

Mugwort Lemon Grass Red Dates Wine

Herbs in culinary can be medicine and it also add tastes to our cooking. Other than that used of herbal to make herbal wine, enzymes or vinegar, making mugwort wine is quite an easy job. Again, herbal wine in holistic healing, more and more women are now become awaken on using herbal wine, tonic and herbal vinegar in rejuvenating, and give warming effect to promote the energy flow, and boost blood circulation to improve their beauty care ~ “the inner health and outer beauty”, to maintaining and strengthen our body immunity in keeping good health. 

Mugwort is one of the famous women’s herbs. Do it yourself a herbal wine with mugwort is the best feminine food. Mugwort is commonly use as herbal infusion, in cooking for confinement food, making into herbal and fruit enzymes, or air dried the mugwort leaves, it can be air-dried as tea leaves or making into powder form as healthy drinks for convenient in keeping.

Mugwort benefits and nutrients:

Mugwort besides content of chlorophyll, it also rich in fiber, simultaneously have the massive vitamins and mineral substance, like vitamin A, B1, B2, C and the mineral substance iron, calcium, Phosphorus and other micro nutritive elements which enable the chlorophyll or other ingredient multiplication effect, therefore mugwort is most ideal food for natural healing, as a sedative herbs traditional to nervous system, medicinal usage to balance hormones to improve the woman’s menstrual pain and menstruation cycle health problem, as well as in treating infertility. It is a digestive stimulant herb, even good for treating malaria. 

Mugwort ~ Women health

Since mugwort is the best remedy for women health, adding red dates and lemongrass to immerse with rice wine gives the warming effect especially good for cold feet and hands, the mugwort is famous Chinese medicinal plant which has the close relationship to women health. Especially to confinement women help to get rid of blood stasis in the womb, help to improves of blood circulation, reduces menstrual pain, also to regulate the menstruation cycles for those having irregular menstrual problem. After giving birth, taking this healthy mild tonic will strengthen the nervous system and boost potent energy.

Lemongrass

By adding few stalks of Lemongrass to release its mild taste of lemony fragrance and citrus flavor, this therapeutic and versatile herb gives the stimulant effect to treat cold, anti-depressant, and expels excessive body wind, it works wonderfully to skin and nail, get rid of water retention during confinement, alleviates indigestion, reduces stomach fat after birth.

The ingredients, Red Dates, rich in Magnesium and Iron, its boost energy metabolism, as blood tonic ingredient adds medicinal effect to mugwort, and lemongrass, using the rice wine starter which allow the ingredients or herbal properties to draw out by the alcohol solution. Rice wine starter are mixed up and the immersion process to certain period, it becomes a healthy herbal wine which can be taking it solely as wine to drink. It is a slightly sweet bitter tonic, after 3 weeks or a month of immersion in the rice wine; it turns into sweet bitter herbal wine.

I reckon its therapeutic benefits are imparted from the herbs, or to those confinement women. Something for a change; mixing some of this aromatic taste of herbal rice wine to cook with chicken or chicken feet, or use the concentrated herbal wine to steam with chicken. Other than the taste is refreshing and makes the confinement food much more nutritious, for which strengthen the immunity system and help to regulate the menstrual cycle back to normal after birth.

Now ready to make your homemade herbal wine.

Ingredients you need:

• Mugwort dried herb 30g
• 10 dried Red dates
• Lemongrass 5 to 6 stalks
• Rice wine starter 1000ml
• Brown rock sugar 100g

Preparation:

Wash and air dry the mugwort, red dates and lemongrass, let it totally air dried first before use.

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients into a glass jar
2. Pour in the rice wine over it
3. Cover lid.
4. Let it immerse for at least 10 to 15 days. 

Sip a glass of herbal wine before bed time, in additional, this Mugwort Lemongrass Red Dates wine may help to eliminate halitosis or unpleasant odor exhaled in breathing caused by digestive system problem. Have a good try.

Enjoy this herbal wine.

Flora Sea Bird Nest Jelly

Making a cup of flora tea just come easily to me.  The dried strawberry kiwi fruity infusion with a handy glass tea pot or tea infuser. That's it. 

Brews a cup of flora tea seems a bit boring. Try out this Flora Tea with Sea Bird Nest how's it? Not yukky at all.

I have got some good flora tea of Strawberry and Kiwi, hibiscus blossom flavor which is given by one of my dearest friend from New Zealand. I really feel grateful and thanks to my friend's generosity and kindness for supplying this flora tea to me from far. 

Now it is about time for me to give a refreshing dessert to unwind myself to fuel my day.

Make it a bit unique, cups of flora tea can be created into a healthy soup or drink with Euchuema Cottonii Seaweed or sea bird nest. As usual, brews the flora tea of your choice, like adding this Strawberries Kiwi Flora tea to flavoring and covers the fishy taste of Sea Bird Nest, it really gives a great blend of fruity undertones and refreshing tea dessert. Plus a real soothing benefits of its flora scented flavor to this Sea Bird Nest flora tea Jelly.

A few of the flora scented flora tea like chamomile, chrysanthemum tea and goji berries also great choice of mixtures into the Sea Bird Nest for making dessert Jelly or Soup.

There are many health benefits of taking flora tea, as well as sea bird nest, it relieves digestion problems, improve proper bowel function, anti-stress activities to  refine stressed skin, and natural healing to pimple skin, for maintaining a youthful skin, healthy glowing skin complexion may try this recipe. 

In additional, try more variety of options like using Dried longan and Rosebuds, it helps to boost and improving of blood circulation, dried longan is the best blood tonic. Rosebuds and dried longan is great for ladies to regulate the monthly menstruation cycles and boosting energy level. 

There are a couple of good blend for dried longan, try to add rosebuds or rose petals, red jujubes and dried longan flora fruity tea with Sea Bird Nest which is really good for ladies. That does make you feel more energetic and boost your immunity system.

How to make Flora Tea Sea Bird Nest Jelly

Ingredients:

(Steeping flora tea for 15 - 20 minutes)

• Strawberry and Kiwi Flora Tea – 2 tbsp.
• Rock sugar – 2 tbsp.
• Hot water - 1 tea pot 

Ingredients B: 

• Eucheuma Cottonii Seaweed (Sea Bird Nest) - 100g
• Water - 2 glasses of water

Preparation:

1. Add in 2 glasses of water to boil.
2. Add in Sea Bird Nest and boil it till dissolve. 
3. Done, let it cool down for about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the flora tea and stir well. Pour it to the jelly mold or small container with cover. Keep in refrigerator to chill and serve.

Healthy Tips:

Adds to your favorite fruit of choice - green apple, red beet juice or mango and honey into fruit blender, blend them together for healthy drinkable juice with raw Eucheuma Cottonii Seaweed (Sea Bird Nest). It is a great 'Energy boost drink' is especially good for teenager and menopause woman. 


caution: if you are pregnant, nursing women, or taking medication. It is important to prevent any complication or reverse side effect when trying any alternative natural healing. Always consult your healthcare practitioner before use. 


If you are interested to know more about Sea Bird Nest/Eucheuma Seaweed, please contact me for more information:

We supply unwashed / Washed Sea Bird Nest (see photo)

Contact: 

Person in charge: Senz

email: senzfates@gmail.com

A Stimulating Blend ~ Raisin Rosebuds Jasmine Herbal Infusion

Earlier in my blog I wrote about apple cider vinegar soaked with raisin. Raisin is wonderful home remedies and alternative healthy snack and dessert. It has many benefits and with rich amount of iron and calcium, especially it is good source of health and blood tonic to bone health and anemia.


It is brilliance to take raisin regularly. For those who suffer from cold always, and women always in cold hands and feet condition, plus the potassium and magnesium 2 popular constituents of antacids which is very effective in neutralize and reducing body acidity. Raisin is considered as warming food in traditional Chinese medicine.


The great combination of pink rosebuds, dried jasmine flowers, dried stevia leaves and raisin tea gives the beneficial of the effect to ease ingestion and relief constipation too. This natural sweet scented flora herbal infusion is very good alternative natural anti biotic to fight against bacterial infections when you have fever, it helps to bring down the fever and treating flu, sore throat as well running nose.


When feeling fatigue and stressful, The wonderful part of making this infusions comes easily for working people, it restoring nervous system and soothe irritability. Good home remedy for women especially to the menstrual problems.


Ingredients:

• 12 Rosebuds 
• Jasmine Flower1 tbs.
• Dried Stevia leaves 1 tbsp
• 2 tbsp. of Raisin
• 3 bowls of Water 

Serve 4 cups


Rosebuds or petal is common flora herbs for vital energy circulation, ease abdominal pain, chest stifling, not only for beauty to smoothen skin complexion, it dispels blood stagnation and relief menstrual pain, also common use in home remedy to stimulate and regulate irregular menstrual. It has slimming and alleviates anxiety relieves tension effect. 


Infusions of dried rosebuds have cooling effect and vitamin C content with mild laxative and diuretic effect, relief ingestion and bloating stomach also for weight lost. Drinking rosebuds tea may help to reduce headaches and induce sleep, also blood purifier to clear toxins and heat from the human body. Rose tea is great in decongestant action help to induce menstruation cycle when the cycle is irregular, heavy flows and menstrual pain, and liver remedy for cleansing and stimulating the gallbladder flow in Chinese herb practice.




Dried Jasmine Flower is a sweet highly scented flower; in home remedy it is good for treating inflammation, treat chronic stomach upset to prevent infection, good for gastrointestinal health to promote and increase the probiotic bacteria in the stomach and intestines, relieve anxiety and headache, it cool the blood and calming in Chinese medicinal herb. For women it solves the women menstrual disorder, it helps to stimulate and regular the menstrual disorder, relax the uterus menstruation cramps and pains, jasmine flower can help to relieve the pain and it is uterine tonic herbs.


Dried Stevia leaves are natural sweetener in alternative herbs. It has natural sweetness, calories-free sweetener to taste instead of using sugar, it is a herb plant that use for diabetes and high blood pressure. 
Please refer to this link: Natural sweetener Stevia Rebaudianna Sweet leaves in my previous blog.




Method:

1. Cut raisin into small pieces, cook in hot water for 3 minutes.






















2. Add in dried rosebuds, dried jasmine flowers, and dried stevia leaves to the pot, continue cooking for 3 minutes.

3. Remove and place in infuser to keep warm and simmer for 3-5 minutes, strain and serve warm.

Optional: 
If you prefer to add smooth taste to it, mixture of fresh milk will give you the milky taste also to boost vital energy, very soothing in taste and can relieve insomnia, dispel fatigue. 


This can be a very nourishing tea for beauty skin indeed. If you have milk lactose intolerance tries not to add fresh milk to it.
















A real healing magic to relieve stress and nourishing to beauty herbal infusion. Try it yourself.


Note:
It should be taken with caution for breast feeding woman, and during pregnancy, due to the jasmine flower reduces milk production while weaning, it has stimulant effect to uterus.

Healthy Beets Figs Homemade Jam

I discovered taking organic fresh and nature best food like black olives from a friend's organic fruit farm is really excitement to me. 

Not only that, this wonderful friend of mine having many types of fruit trees in his fruit farm. 

I started making pickles and simple cooking of fresh olive with all sorts of fresh Olive recipes and try to do it in different methods.
Again more variety of fruits like Figs, Longan and Durians. With the EM Microbes enzymes organic fertilizer this year really a fruitful harvest year to him. 

Last week I brought some fresh figs to start writing something new recipes for my blog. I rarely see fresh figs selling in the grocery store. Last time we can only buy and used dried figs to cook soup, making salad and fruit wine, pickle or dried it as snack, it is ideal for making dessert and fruit jam.

I know the figs having great value of therapeutic benefits for our human body. I like Figs sweet flavor and its great color. But this figs do not taste good. 

At first I do not know what to do with this small quantities of fig. It looks beautiful in dark red color. So I just keep it in refrigerator for 2 days, I know it can't keep for long there. Out of sudden I got my hands on of making my own homemade fruit jam with it. Beetroot combined with Figs the red dramatically in color combination really makes me feeling yummy.

Beets fig Jam

• 2 beets
• 10 figs
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp of Maltose or malt sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• 1 cup of water

Method:
1. Peels beets skin, wash figs and remove stems and bottom of the fig, and cut into small pieces.

2. Squeeze Lime and Orange Juice and set aside ready for use. Keep the orange peel and cut into thin slices.












3. Add water, sugar and malt sugar to fig, and bring to boil for 20 minutes, stirring until sugar dissolves.










4. Heat slowly to boil. Remove from heat. Set aside and let it cool then blend it with blender.








5. After blended into puree, pour it back to pot adds in Lime juice, Orange juice and orange peel slices and cook for a further 20 minutes until consistency of the fig and beets mixtures turn thicken.










6. Let it cool then fill into sterilized jars.


Why used orange peel slices for beets and figs jam

I choose beets, figs and orange that really makes wonder flavors and color for all in one tasty fruit jam. It’s just brilliant and delicious taste. Beetroot is wonderful cleansing and blood tonic. Figs also claims to be one of the blood building diet and purifier for energy and vital. This jam serve with toast really increased my appetite.



The taste of beets and figs both are slighly sweetened stuff, adding in orange juice and orange peel slices creates a little bit of sweet sour in taste, also balance the sweetness of the jam (sugar added). You may need to adjust the sugar depends on individual sweetness in taste.
This beets and figs jam without adding pectin, so I used malt sugar to bind its thickness plus let it boil until the desired thickness. I found that added malt sugar and lime juice used as a preserving agent without adding pectin still can make homemade jam last much longer. 

Usually making homemade jam with last stage of steam the filled jar in boil water bath, is just for keeping this jam to store in longer period of consumption, but if you do not intend to keeping it for very long. Consuming it as fast as possible.
The nutrients and therapeutic healing in figs

Figs is sweet in taste, high in natural sugar of "dextrose".it is highly recommended in Chinese traditional as alternative medicine herbs. 

In cooking or making dishes in soup. Other than this Fig is great dietary foods and taking it as snack, it is rich in high fiber may help in losing weight. It contains of potassium, Vitamin A, D and calcium, Mineral substance and phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, essential of 17 kind of amino acid content is very rich for human body. And rich in trace mineral helps to control blood pressure. Which aids in digestive system to ease constipation, treating heart-related disease, natural healing for dry cough with phlegm and soothing sore throat inflammation, Also includes of hyperoxide mutase, it improves and activate in immune system cell.

The figs in traditional Chinese medicine

In TCM used the fig leaves for treating diabetes, as it shown great result of anti-diabetic properties to those needed regular insulin injections, using fig leaves to make tea help to maintain insulin level, as well as fig leaves inhibited the growth of certain types of cancer cells.
Figs has iron which enriches and help in blood production that benefits women and to those lacking of blood (anemia). Thus, it improves blood circulation. In Chinese alternative medicine usage, figs have the wonderful healing benefits for decreases and reduce of blood stagnation, they believed blood stagnation causes diseases, irregular menstruation and pain in menstruation, tumors and edema.

Alternative healing by using Figs in cooking

Mix fresh or dried figs into cooked cereal, oatmeal, or cooked with porridge. This recipe is good for the spleen the profit to raise the blood to pass effect of the breast. As in TCM this is one healthy food good for pregnant, post natal maternity and confinement women help to produce more milk. It is natural and excellent laxative for children too. Be careful do not take too much of figs it may cause diarrhea.

Taking fresh figs may also help in healing Hemorrhoids hemorrhage, the fig includes one kind of special enzyme namely ficin, which has stimulation and promoting digestive disorder. which can dissolve toxin in blood, also includes Serotonin, it high sugar content stimulates brain may strengthen the mental ability and the physical strength.

For coughing, sore throat and improve digestive system by taking fresh figs that cooked with rock sugar, cooked it into syrup based to replace a natural cough syrup. 

I like making natural herbs syrup partly due to my asthma and sore throat. With the knowledge and alternative healing methods in making all sorts of herbs syrup like this, it relieves my asthma problems. Therefore, my herbs syrup and "granny ways of healing background" kept me thinking of other uses of it, by "learning through my illness" inexperiments and needs passing on for sharing.

How to make Figs Cough Syrup

Ingredients:

• 12 Fresh figs
• 250g of brown rock sugar.
• 2 cups of water

The preparation is quite simple:

1. Melting rock sugar with 2 cups of hot water. Set aside and let it cool.

2. Wash figs and with the bucket each fruit compressing, mix compressed fresh figs and soaks the fig with melted rock sugar water for overnight.

3. Puts in the pot, after treating the fruit to percolation syrup.

4. Bring to boil to the juice concentration in thickness form like syrup.

5. Let it cool, and keep in sterilized jar and store in refrigerator for several day then edible.

This figs fruit syrup helps in digestion trace for those with a poor appetite, effect on soothing the swollen and painful pharynx and larynx. Mainly treats the weakness of spleen and stomach, the stagnation of flow of vital energy chest to be stuffy and improve circulation.


The beetroot

Beetroot is claims a blood-building herb that detoxify the liver and renews it with minerals and natural sugars. The beets juice contains betalains (pigment of beets) may exhibit anti-cancer activity which also stimulate the function of liver cells, bile ducts and spleen. It supporting role as blood purifier for detoxifies.
Beetroot is high carbohydrates and low in fat. It contains phosphorus, fiber, vitamins A and C, niacin, folic acid, biotin, .sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium. It has highest folic acid and in curing poor blood circulation, Anemia, constipation, piles and digestive trace system disorders.

I remember when young I got a lot of pimples on my face, irregular menstruation and pale looking complexion. My granny taught me how to cook a bloody red in color soup (beets soup with herbs) with the fresh or dried beetroot (Shu ti) to nourish the blood that cooked with Mugwort (Ai Cao) and brown sugar. Strain the soup and taking it 7 days before menstruation is due and as soon as menstruation period is over. She claimed that can help in detoxifying “blood” and purifying my pimples on face. The funny sweet taste combined with little bitterness works great as blood cleansing soup. Plus having good improvement in blood circulation with a very remarkable result at last.

But be careful do not over consumption big amount of beetroot as it will make your stools and urine turns red. It maybe harmless but make sure it is not mistaken as blood.

Beauty Herbs for women ~ Mugwort

The Woman’s Herb "Mugwort"

Why mugwort (Ai Cao) is woman's herb?

~ Mugwort's generic name is from that of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, a patron of women.

It acts as an emmenagogue, an agent that increases blood circulation to the pelvic area and uterus and stimulates menstruation. Mugwort is ingested to stop excessive or inappropriate menstrual bleeding.

It is an useful remedy for painful and irregular menstruation. Therefore mugwort is great natural healing herbs for women’s reproductive system.


Mugwort in chinese known as "Ai Cao".

What I know mugwort is widely used in Malalysia for making soup for regulates menstruation, used for stomach troubles, vomiting, and intestinal problems, cure worms, promoting and calming nervousness. Also it purifies blood and prevents getting cancer diseases.

The Benefits of Mugwort:

• This herb also help in speed up curing and healing for cancer and hepatitis C.
• It also widely used for the treatment of diabetes and depression.
• For most organic eaters used Mugwort mashed into liquid form and mixed into their home made bread, cake and noodle for healthy food.
• Used with Mugwort in tea as a remedy for liver problems, depression, jaundice, and stimulate menstruation.
• Good anti-aging and natural skin alternative treatment for skin rashes and pimples. It increase skin's radiance and decrease inflammation.

Mugwort has great anti fungal, expectorant, uterine stimulant, haemostatic and anti-asthmatic properties. You will be amazed for its wonderful and hidden power.

Mugwort leaf and stem are used medicinally. The volatile oil includes "thujone, linalool, borneol, pinene, and other constituents". It contains rich enzyme, chlorophyll and minerals.

Note: Taking mugwort with caution and it should not be taken internally for extended periods of time due to its toxin levels call "Thujone".

What is Thujone?

Thujone is a natural chemical compound found in many different plants and flowers. It is especially known in many spices, herbs and essential oils. It has good aroma in smell and slightly bitter in taste.

Mugwort contain thujone (toxin) level too. Though thujone reportedly stimulates the immune system, too much of Thujone caution of its doses use can easily be abused and may cause addiction. it also cause nausea, liver damage if overdosed.

Do not over doses and Precaution when taking Mugwort

Over doses may interfere with the brain and nervous system functions. As it is good stimulant and regulates for woman’s menstrual, for pregnant women should avoid taking too much mugwort due to its affect on menstruation maintenance and other reproductive system functions. It used to help promote labor and assist with expulsion of the afterbirth. Do not take during pregnancy and lactation.


My favorite Mugwort Recipe

Rice wine Mugwort Egg soup

Ingredients:

• Mugwort leaves
• 2 - 3 tbs. Sesame oil
• 3 eggs (beaten and ready for use)
  
• 2 ginger
  
• 1 cup of rice wine and 1/2 cup of water
• salt

Method:

1. Remove Mugwort stem and keep the young leaves.



















Chop and mashed mugwort leaves (excluding the stem) and chop ginger into tiny pieces.
















2. Heat the wok at medium high, drizzle in the sesame oil.











3. Add and stir-fry chopped ginger. Stir-fry until it is almost brown.




4. Stir in the mashed mugwort leaves until it is nearly half cooked. Do not overcooked to maintain its enzyme contains.









5. Add the beaten eggs. Combined well with the mugwort and then stir-fry the mixed eggs and mugwort slightly browned.
















6. Add in Water or rice wine and a bit of salt.














7. Serve the Rice wine mugwort soup. Enjoy!


It's ideal for confinement mummy after birth with mugwort







Rice wine is a rich-flavored liquid that is made from fermented glutinous rice, there are a few Chinese dishes, such as Drunken Chicken, we use either quality sesame oil and Chinese wine or Rice wine. This mugwort cooking with rice wind is quite similar to Drunken Chicken Chinese confinement dishes for the confinement period is the “Pui Yuet” for Chinese confinement mummy after birth, taking of this dish is to nurture the mother's health back to its pre-natal state.

There are many taboos to most of us Chinese women, but recipes and taboos vary from region to region. Even though educated, we may feel obliged to toe the line. There is a minority of women who do not regard the confinement tradition seriously. But to believe it better than none, since it is good for women. Choosing mugwort instead of chicken for Chinese traditional culture cooking in confinement period for new mom. It is great food for vegetarian eaters. So I believe it is good to take it before or after menstruation, also good for women in pre-menopause stage.


Usually, after cooking the Mugwort rice wine dish, I used the leftover Mugwort stem or fresh Mugwort leaves in making ~ Senz's Mugwort PMS Herbs Tea.


Senz's Mugwort PMS Herbs Tea (Mugwort combined with Motherwort)


Ingredients:

• Mugwort stem or fresh Mugwort - 1 plate (shown in picture)
• Yi Mu Cao ~ Dried Motherwort
• Black sugar 3 tbs. spoons (depends on individual taste)
• 15 slices Ginger (without peeling skin)
• 12 Red dates (cut into small pieces)

Why add ginger

It works as stimulant and aids in the circulation of blood throughout the body, treating wounds, aid in digestion to expel wind, provides stimulation, and creates hormone. Very good for Women suffering from painful menstruation, they can take ginger to ease the symptoms. Its also an antiseptic, which means it is effective in killing the bacteria that causes acne. I like the aromatic, pungent and spicy and medicinal properties of ginger, and prefer to cook it without removes the skin as it will deliver a more pungent taste.

What is Yi Mu Cao ~ Motherwort



Its taste slightly bitter, cold and pungent herbs like Mugwort. As in Chinese Medicine it is used for premenstrual abdominal pain, infertility, post partum abdominal pain with lochioschesis (discharge in post delivery), cardiac symptoms of neurosis, cardiac insufficiency, fast heart rate or other arrhythmias, and hyperthyroidism.

Meridian: Heart, bladder and Liver

Alternative healing usage: it is being used to cool the liver., aid as invigorate blood flows, regulate menstruation, induce urination and reduce swelling.

Note: Not to use in case of blood deficient and in cases of without blood stasis or during pregnancy (Do not use for pregnancy woman).



This is dried Motherwort (Yi Mu Cao)





This herb tea is very good for Pre-menopause women, abdominal pain after childbirth and retention of afterbirth to regulating menstruation and promoting blood circulation.





Take caution in taking Motherwort for long term usage as it can be toxic to the kidneys.

Preparation:

1. Cut Mugwort in pieces, put in the leftover mugwort stems.

2. Wash and clean dried Motherwort (Yi Mu Cao) and ready for use.

3. Bring one pot of water to boil. Add in the Red dates and ginger slices and mugwort leaves and stems, Motherwort and to cook for 30 minutes or more.

4. Add in black sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes, removes the mugwort, ginger and red dates residues. Pour out the tea and serve warm.






Mugwort has slightly bitter in taste it makes a great appetizer too. This tea may relieve flatulence and bloating. It helps clean toxins from the blood and restores menstruation cycle delays caused by stress.

Note: Remember when drinking any herbs tea you should not be taken it more than 3 glasses a day or more than 3 days.






External usage for skin

For skin disease mash mugwort leaves and place it to the wound, best is to boiling a big pot of mugwort and take the water, soak your body in the bathtub for at least 1/2 hour. This is great home spa for skin problem.



Preparation for Mugwort and Epsom salt bath

1. Bring a big pot of water and mugworts to boil.

2. Boil it for at least half an hour. Turn off using a strainer to pour the mugwort liquid into a bath tub.

3. Add 5 tbs. of Epsom salt with lukewarm water in bathtub.

4. Bath your body and soak in tub at least 15 to 20 minutes. Then dried off, the result is good for detoxify reducing the skin rashes

The beauty and healing with Mugwort moxibustion

In traditional and beauty treatments, Mugwort then it is shaped into a cigar-like roll placed into a special instrument like a roller to roll on the affected areas for healing therapy, this method of heating specific acupuncture points on the body to treat physical conditions. We called it “Moxibustion” or “Moxi”.

This "moxa" stick is then burned and inserted into specific roller and burned close to the skin to heat the specific pressure points. To alleviate rheumatic pains aggravated by cold and damp circumstances. The traditional ways of using mugwort stick for moxibused to relief of gout. It is good to do this step prior to meridian massage for better flow of "qi" and lymphatic drainage circulation.