I enjoy blending herbs to create a refreshing tea that I would want to drink any time without thinking of it as a health food or “medicinal”. Somehow we tend to equate healthy drinks to bitter, awful tasting drink but in this instance, it tastes great and not medicinal. I wanted to create a tea with lots of preventive properties as well as curative properties while maintaining the taste.
The criteria for the tea was that the source of the leaves had to be able to be grown on the farm (read: local and organic) as well as easy to care and maintain. And of course, had to result in a good tasting tea that can easily be stored and transported (read: either a concentrate or dried tea leaves blend).
I started out with the first leaf selected: the durian belanda or soursop (graviola) mature, dark green leaves. Many studies have been conducted including by Purdue University, Catholic University of South Korea, Virginia Tech to name a few, have found the the phytochemicals in the leaves and fruits are effective as a cancer prevention (since they kill off cancer cells and we all have them, just whether they are active or not) and also as a curative for cancer with its cancer cell killing properties. In traditional or herbal medicine, it is also use for hypertension, kidney stones, gall bladder stones, diabetes and other major illnesses. From my research, 5-7 leaves per day are used. It should be noted, that to date, there has been no known adverse effect from the leaves.
Misai kucing or cat’s whiskers has long been used as an aid to control the blood sugar, treatment of gout, high blood pressure and as a blood cleanser in traditional or herbal medicine. The flowers are also used in the blend for a subtle floral undertone flavour. The care and maintenance of this shrub is easy and it is easily propagated from stem cuttings. From my research a range of 1-2 gm per day is used.
Kemangi or lemon basil is often used in cooking as it emits a citrus herbal flavour. In traditional or herbal therapy, it is often used for diabetes, high blood pressure , cholesterol, blood cleanser as well as to strengthen the heart. This plant is easy to care for and propagated by seeds. From my research about 5-7 leaves per day is used.
Serai or lemongrass has only recently surfaced as being used in cancer therapy. At the Ben Gurion University, a study conducted found that citral, a phytochemical in lemongrass “causes cancer cells to commit suicide”. A local favourite herb for many of our local dishes, it is also used to create refreshing drinks. Easily propagated from stem bulbs, it grows with hardly any care required apart from periodic cleaning of old and dried stalks to maintain plant health. From my research, 1 gm of fresh leaves are use.
Belalai gajah or snake grass is also known for its usage in cancer therapy and high blood pressure in alternative, traditional and herbal treatments. It is easily propagated from stem cuttings and grows well in sunny to semi-shady areas. An average of 7-10 leaves per day is used but sometimes more, depending on the purpose of the tea.
Ultimately, I wanted a tea blend that would allow me to eliminate toxins as well as having illness preventive characteristics but yet be palatable. Amongst the major illnesses that I hope to address in myself are cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, stroke, hypertension, kidney and gall bladder stones to name a few. To my knowledge, we all have cancer cells and it is just a matter of whether they are active or not. Thus, as a preventive measure, I hope to kill off as many of these cancer cells. Our modern day diet also introduces a lot sugar, uric acid and fats to our food consumption as we enjoy crustaceans, desserts, steaks, and many other wonderful tasting food. My aim is by consuming the tea, it will help my body eliminate all the unhealthy by-products from my body such as excess sugar, bad cholesterol, uric acid and the like. I wanted my blood system to be cleansed of all the undesirables regularly or keep them in check so as not to make me fall victim to these illnesses.
I do not advocate dismissing physician’s visit and advise but merely share what has been used for years over the generations. I periodically go for a medical check-up as a form of motoring my health. Unfortunately, not much is documented as the traditional practitioners do not carry out documented studies. I am constantly on the lookout for studies conducted by research centres and universities to further add my knowledge so if anyone else has information, please share.
I belief that a healthy blood is one of the keys to a healthy body so the blood cleansing properties is also high on the list of the characteristics of the tea blend. In preparing the tea, I will chop up the leaves to facilitate the release of the nutrients from the leaves. I tend to prepare a concentrate which I store in my fridge and I have tested storing it for 3 weeks in the fridge. When I want to drink it, I will add either hot or cold water, depending on my preference at that time. Personally, I drink it twice a week, mainly for preventive and maintenance purposes as I have other blends that I drink. So, why not create an organic “tea” garden where you can enjoy the beauty of the plants as well as the health benefits 🙂
Updated: Aug. 20, 2015
Updates: Aug. 21, 2015
