Healthy Options – Page 3 – Suria Helang Lui

31 Dec 2016

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Fish story – Part 1: The pond

I have a fish pond at the farm which doesn’t quite look like a pond. It flows with fresh water from the source through a 3 inch polypipe that I had installed and the water flows out into Sg. Lai at the other end. When I first bought the land, I noticed that there was a dried stream bed the winds through the land so I used that as the guide and created the fish pond by deepening and widening resulting in a river-like fish pond. Over the years, I have made modifications and I love how it is turning out. I am blessed because the farm is located in an area where there is a fresh water source and still uncontaminated – something which I strive to encourage the neighbour to maintain and hopefully no developers will come and destroy it.

I rear red tilapia, lampam and catfish. Along with the inflow of the river water, I further get river fish and shrimp bounty like bujuk, seluang, eels and haruan. With the addition of the other fishes, it is a blessing and a challenge as the larger river fish tends to also eat the fish that I put in the pond. So, it is a balancing act. The small river fish becomes food for the larger fishes. I further add greens by planting kangkong and throwing in tapioca leaves which also becomes their food. From my recycling of organic wastes, I get some black fly larvae which also serves as a protein supplement. I do supplement with fish pellets but it serves as an addition but it is something that I hope in the near future I can totally remove. Periodically, we will put banana pseudo stems from our own banana harvesting activity and this serves multiple functions: additional food, water cleanser and places for the fish to lay eggs and rear their babies. It is a continuos balancing act but it is all aimed at producing tasty, fresh water fish without the muddy or weird smells nor lots of slime. The water is uncontaminated water and we do not feed it garbage like animal carcasses or chicken innards. The water is nice and clear and you can easily see the more bright color fish and although ton see the silvery-tone fish takes a bit of work. As the farm is totally organic, we do not have any chemical elements contaminating the water and the fish.

With the two main elements of food and water in place, the other main element is maintenance and operations. The fish pond is segmented into 3 areas: the largest is non-cemented base as I try to mimic as natural environment as possible, the second is a temporary holding area when we do our fish sorting and the third is a cemented base processing pond which otherwise is used for rearing our catfish. Every two months, we will drain the ponds and sort and harvest the fish. As the larger fish tends to eat the smaller fishes, sorting and harvesting will minimise the cannibalisation. By draining the ponds, we get to clean and change the water although it is not necessary since water is flowing in and out continuously. Our latest improvement was to build “retainer” walls along one section that is closest to the farmhouse. Over the years, erosion has occurred so it became necessary to build one to protect that area. The plan is to further beautify it with flowering edibles like roselle so it can become another nice spot to rest and relax and where I can fish with a fishing rod when I feel like it.

Besides it being an opportunity for a produce and ensuing products for the farm, it also serves as a
flood mitigation element. This are has been known to flood especially during rainy season as the level of the river can rise very fast after prolonged rain. Sg. Lai is fed by 5 other small rivers and streams so the water volume can increase dramatically and it comes with strong currents known to have floated 1m in diameter cement drain pipes like it was a cork. It also adds aesthetic value and serves as a lounging area hence the addition of the patio where I can sit in the late afternoon and enjoy a drink and fresh air as I watch the fish – utterly relaxing. The fountain that was created requires no pumps but uses the pressure of the water flow.

I expect in the ensuing years I will probably do more modifications but always balancing between maintaining the environment, natural elements and aesthetics with the underlying aim of producing quality fresh water produce and products as an integrated farm.

23 Oct 2016

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Papayas, our local delight with options

Papaya is one of the highest nutrition local fruits, rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber and enzymes including protein-digesting enzyme. We are blessed to be living in a climate where papayas can be grown easily with minimal care. There are many varieties of papayas and the shape and size differs. Not all papaya trees produce fruits, there are some that just produces flowers. To produce healthy papayas, it is important to ensure that it is free from chemical pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers. For me, I avoid GMO papayas as well as the usage of hormones to modify size, taste and texture. t would be silly to eat something to care for our health when it also contains toxic chemicals. There is no need to put herbicides to kill off the weeds around the plant and have it be introduced into the fruits that we eat. Just clear the weeds manually and you can just leave it to dry off or place it in your compost pile. I also practice salting the ground with coarse salts on a quarterly basis for several reasons. The type of papayas we grow are less fibrous is texture giving a creamier taste.

It is a great fruit to start the day, having middle of the day and also in the evening supplying us with loads of antioxidants and helping our digestive system. The fiber in papaya binds with the cancer-causing toxins in our digestive system, keeping them away from our healthy colon cells hence it is a good preventive against colon cancer. The other nutrients in papaya such as the vitamin C, vitamin E, folate and beta-carotene have been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer. A healthy digestive system further promotes our overall health.

For adults, this fruit is a great fruit to eat as protection against rheumatoid arthritis based on a study that was reported in the Annals of the Rheumatic Disease. So great for women who tend to suffer this as we age. For men, in a cancer study reported in the Asian Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that this lycopene-rich fruit helps to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The nutrients in the papaya also helps to inhibit the oxidisation of the cholesterol, protecting our heart.

So, with one fruit, you get to cover your digestive system, bones, heart as well as immune system, it is definitely sitting high in my list of fruits to eat. I get easily bored or tend to “forget” to eat it if there is only one way of eating them. There are many ways of eating papaya and still get the necessary nutrition so it makes it easier to incorporate into my daily diet.

We are most familiar with eating the ripe papaya raw but we can also eat the unripe papaya in many ways. It can be fermented to make it into a probiotic-rich food. The fermented green papaya can be eaten similar to sauerkraut or turned into a salad or our local kerabu. The free papaya can also be skinned and cut into pieces and turned into nutrition soups or used in cooking savoury dishes like curry. A simple soup is to brown shallots and garlic, add water and the cut pieces of green papaya and bring to boil and allow it to simmer until the pieces are soft. You can add salt and other condiments to taste. This soup can be dressed up with other ingredients such as chicken, beef, seafood or other vegetables.

The ripe papaya can also be turned into nutritious drinks like milk shakes or added with other fruits and vegetables to create a healthy drink. It can also be turned into a healthy, nutritious and delicious snack by dehydrating them. The dehydration process removes the moisture and it is best to dehydrate it to contain less than 15% moisture as this will inhibit the growth of bacteria that will result in the dried papaya to spoil. When dehydrating papaya pieces, it is best to use the ripe papaya of good quality and not spoilt or mushy papayas that has already started to spoil. The end result is a great snack that has minimal loss of its nutrients and ready to be enjoyed at any time. It is also easy to store them and does not require refrigeration and lasts for months (although you will find that you consume it much faster). What I do is to pack them in serving sizes as this means that I do not expose the dried papayas to the environment unnecessarily. The thickness of the papaya pieces will determine whether you end up with crispy pieces or slightly chewy papaya chips.

With its nutrition and health benefits along with its versatility, why not go local and consume our papayas 🙂

12 Sep 2016

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More than just a flower, Roselle

Living in Malaysia, it is easy to grow Roselle (scientific name: Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Malay name: Asam Belanda) plants which are from the Hibiscus family. Given the right care, it produces flowers lavishly. The beautiful flowers have delicate petals of light pink incisor with a dark red centre. As part of your flowering edible landscape, it is a great choice. It can grow tall, reaching over 2m in height. The growth can be controlled by regular pruning which not only shapes the plant but at the same time encourage new growth which leads to more flowers.

Roselle is interesting in that it is what I call a flower fruit or the correct term is calyx (plural form: calyces). It is unique in shape and texture with a dark red color which turns almost black-red when dry. However, when you turn it into a juice, it become a blood red color. As part of a daily diet designed to promote good health, the juice is rich in vitamin C and other nutrients including anti-oxidants. For me, it is the drink of choice as opposed to processed fruit juices that contains all kinds of additives and artificial colouring.

Based on a study by Purdue University, it is high in calcium, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin C and iron. It is also caffeine-free hence it can be made as an after-dinner tea for those who cannot consume caffeine after late afternoon or they have a hard time sleeping.

It is easy to make the drink. Just peel-off the petals from the seed pod, chop it into small pieces, place it in a claypot and bring it to boil. A dark red liquid can be produced. The resulting liquid is very sour. Do not discard the chopped petals as it can be consumed either by adding it to the drink or turned into a jam. When it is drank warm, it is often referred to as Roselle tea but when it is drank cold, it is referred to as Roselle juice. The drink can be sweetened with honey, raw sugar or brown sugar. I do not recommend white sugar as it adds unhealthy benefits to the drink.

You can also use it in your cooking to add the sour flavour as well as red color to your dish.

I am not a proponent of artificially and chemically produced supplements or supplements that undergo chemical process and later have all kinds of additives and preservatives hence the drink is one of my choice of drinks for vitamin C.

It also has anti-hypertensive properties and studies have been done and found that it produces a positive effect in lowering blood pressure – another plus for me as being from a family of history of high blood pressure, I see this drink as a preventive as well as a curative measure. With our hot climate, it is a cooling drink to help quench thirst.

I am recovering from a cold so this is my daily drink now with its high natural ascorbic acid content (vitamin C) as well as the anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to aid in natural healing.

The Roselle can also be made into a probiotic drink by undergoing a fermentation process. The benefit of doing this is apart from the probiotics, you can store the fermented concentrate for a long period without the need for refrigeration.

All in all, why I love it as a daily drink or regular drink : I get my vitamins and minerals which help me boost my immune system, reduces hypertension (my blood pressure will rise after a hot day working outdoors), quench my thirst, increase my metabolism and reduce the hydrolysation of starch to sugar), cancer prevention, decreases bronchoconstriction so I can breathe better and helps keep my bones and teeth healthy. What more can I ask from a drink? All these goodness also makes it the juice I choose for my 3 year-old – to me it is much better than a lot of the processed fruit juices out there – and he loves it.

As with many natural ways, it takes regular consumption to get the best benefits – it is not a miracle cure nor does it give immediate effects like pharmaceutical drugs. However, it is a way of enjoying healthy food for long term benefits without the many negative side effects. So, let us maximise one of nature’s bounty.

04 Aug 2016

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SHL: Tasty healthy drinks

I prefer to have drinks that provide me health benefits but it must taste good and not make me feel that I am drinking medicine. It needs to be enjoyable and I like to have a selection of hot or cold drinks, all as natural as possible. I prefer to avoid refined or white sugar.

After working on my recipes and combinations, I have now come up with the SHL line of drinks and concentrates, with some being served hot, some cold and some either way. Some of the drinks and concentrates can be combined to produce a different drink. All the drinks and concentrate contains no preservatives, colouring, artificial flavouring, food additives or stabilisers hence it needs to be stored refrigerated and the recommended shelf-life of 3 months.

The purpose of this article is to share briefly the information on the drinks.

The Bentong Ginger and Turmeric Range
The Bentong Ginger and Turmeric Concentrate (RM 20.00) is made from organically grown Bentong ginger and turmeric to produce a concentrate that can be diluted with water or added to other beverages and served either hot or cold. A serving size is around 40-50ml a day although some have consumed larger servings. It depends on
the person. In some people, when they consume higher servings, they find that they get a stomachache or diarrhoea so it is best to start slow and observe how you body reacts to it. It makes a drink that is rich with antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It can also be used to flavour dishes such as soups, as a marinate for chicken, beef or seafood and for flavouring when cooking rice.

The Bentong Ginger and Turmeric Drink (RM 3.00) produced by SHL is sweetened with either pure cane sugar or pure palm sugar. It too can be consumed either hot or cold.

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, some of my customers take it for their joint pains as well as for gout. This is my go-to drink when I have had a workout or lots of physical activity. It also has the properties for helping in digestion and bloating. Often, the fastest effect is to “pass gas” as well as better bowel movement.

The Soursop Leaves Range

The source leaves are organically grown and processed to produce a tea concentrate. The Soursop Leaves Concentrate (RM 20.00) can be diluted with water or added as a flavouring to other drinks like tea or fruit juices. It is best to avoid white sugar and when sweetened, it is often done with honey or pure cane sugar or organic sugars. Based on various research, no known adverse reactions have been found.

The SHL Soursop Tea drink (RM 3.00) is sweetened with pure cane sugar.
Soursop leave tea is often used as a complementary or alternative therapy for cancer. The soursop leave is rich in iron, calcium, potassium and vitamins A, B and C. Thus it has been taken for overall health, improving skin conditions, anaemia amongst others.

The leaves also contain nutrients that help to strengthen the immune system hence the tea is often drank as a preventive measure. With its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it can be used for skin treatments as well as for cough and colds.

In some traditional therapies, it is used to treat diseases related to the gall bladder and liver.

The Cat’s Whiskers (Misai Kuching) Range
The Misai Kuching Concentrate (RM 18.00) is made from organically grown leaves and flowers. No woody parts of the plant are used. The concentrate is diluted with water and generally drank unsweetened, similar to Chinese tea and with floral undertones. It can be consumed hot or cold.

This tea is often taken as an alternative treatment or complementary therapy for diabetes and high blood pressure. In traditional Chinese Medicine, it is used to cleanse the kidney and the gall bladder as well as treating kidney stones. It has antibacterial , antioxidant as well as anti0fungal properties. In traditional medicine and alternative therapies, it is used to flush out metabolic wastes as well as a diuretic flush in helping cleanse the urinary tract and kidneys. Amongst its other uses in traditional or alternative therapy is for reducing high blood pressure, for reducing cholesterol, improving blood circulation and cleansing of toxins from the body.

This is my favourite drink when I eat durians or rich, sweet desserts. It helps to re-balance my blood sugars and seem to reduce the “heaty-ness” or the durians.

The Mangosteen Range
This Mangosteen Tea Concentrate (RM 20.00) is made from the various part of the fruit, excluding the seeds. It can be diluted with water or added to other drinks like tea and fruit juices. It is best to avoid white sugar and when sweetened, it is often done with honey or pure cane sugar or organic sugars. It can be served hot or cold.

The SHL Mangosteen Tea (RM 3.00) drink is lightly sweetened with pure cane sugar. It is also available unsweetened.

It is rich in vitamin C as well as has a good amount of vitamin B-complex along with various other minerals. It is also rich with Xanthines, which has antioxidant properties which heals damage by free radicals, slow down raging and ward off degenerative diseases and physical and mental deterioration.

Apart from being an antioxidant, it also has anti-inflammatory properties and in alternative therapies is used to treat people with sciatic pain.

The Mangosteen Nectar (RM 5.00) is a seasonally produced drink that comprises of the fruit without the seeds. It is lightly sweetened with pure cane sugar and contains fruit pulp. It is most often consumed cold.
The mangosteen nectar has similar benefits to the mangosteen tea with the added benefits of fiber from the fruit pulp thus making it a delicious fiber source that will help in the digestive process and bowel movements.

I like to enjoy it as a breakfast drink, providing me with vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.

09 Jul 2016

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SHL Recipe: Bentong ginger and Turmeric Marinated Chicken Pops

Our Bentong ginger and turmeric concentrate is not only consumed as a drink but makes a great marinate for chicken. The chicken can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated ready-for-use. It is also child-friendly which is important for me as I like to prepare good food for my 3-year old and one that he will enjoy eating without me having to coax him.

Ingredients:
2 slices of chicken breast
50 ml of Bentong ginger and turmeric concentrate
Pinch of sea salt (regular salt is also ok)
1 tablespoon of corn starch
2 tablespoons of organic coconut oil ( can use any oil. you like)

Method:
Mix ginger-turmeric, salt and chicken and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
Cut chicken breast into pieces toss it in the corn starch.
Fry until brown.

Thought behind the ingredients:
Chicken breast for the lean meat and quick to cook. It is cut into smaller pieces so children can eat by themselves.
The ginger-turmeric for its digestion, antioxidant, acid neutralising properties. By incorporating this, I hope to provide some benefits as well as preventive measures in the dish.
Sea salt as opposed to regular salt for all the additional minerals.
Organic coconut oil for the benefits from this oil which is also trans-fat free. It also adds a degree of richness to the chicken pops. With its medium chain fatty acids (MFCAs), the fats are easily converted into energy and not stored as fats – something important for my high-energy toddler.

10 Jun 2016

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SHL Product: Pure Calamansi Juice (Limau Kasturi)

OK, I admit it. I love to have a glass of cool calamansi drink but am lazy to squeeze the juices out of the fruits each time. I want it to be available as and when I want to make a drink; This product was born out of my desire to have it ready-to-make whenever I want to have a calamansi drink or to add to my tea or to any other drink mix. This juice is versatile can be used to make drinks as well as other culinary uses. It is also less expensive than lemon.

The source of these fruits are from the farm so it is organically grown without any chemical pesticide or herbicide use. The fruits are picked at its prime, when it is loaded with juice and squeezed, straining the seeds. What is left is pure juice without any dilution hence it is concentrated. It is a great source for vitamin A and C. The main acids in this fruit is citric acid and ascorbic acid.

Calories	12	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	37 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	3 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	1 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	12%	Calcium	1%
Vitamin C	10%	Iron	0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Suggestions for consumption:

Calamansi drink made by diluting with water and sweetened with honey, raw sugar or molasses. served either warm or cold
Added to your regular tea drink to make a citrus-flapored tea
Used in marinating fish
Used to flavour “soupy” dishes such as laksa and soups
Used to make salad dressings
As a natural preservative to cut fresh vegetables and fruits

To help maintain the freshness of cut fruits and vegetables (such as for salads when you are serving them without the dressing at parties), you can toss the cut fruits or vegetables with a 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of the calamansi juice to prevent discolouration of the fruits as well as to retain the freshness.

The pure juice when stored in the refrigerator lasts for 3 months. You can also turn them into “ice cubes” and store in freezer bags for longer storage. When you want to use them, just add as many calamansi ice cubes as you like.

In alternative therapy, it is also used to treat coughs and colds, similar to how lemon is used.

All in all, this is a handy juice to have at hand as it can be used in many ways for consumption and provides nutrients to our daily food consumption without pain or undesirable taste 🙂

05 May 2016

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Balancing Act: Cool trio for health

Part of the joy of gardening is being able to harvest produce for my table. I always like to looks for easy-to-grow and low-cost but with high health benefits plants. Amongst my mission is to go local, find combinations that we Malaysians can have without spending a fistful of ringgit. On top of that, it must also taste good otherwise how will I enjoy eating it? I suggest that you avoid those that grow in chemical loaded environments like the roadside and drains but stick to those grown organically or in clean environments.

This trio: Peperomia pellucid (Ketumpang Air or Sireh Cina), Wild Purslane (couldn’t find the Malay name for it) and Centella Asiatica (Pegaga) are all local and easy to grow. They can be grown in containers and all love water and grow well in moist soil conditions. By taking a look at their stems, you can get the idea that they require lots of water as the stems are all succulent-like. They grow well in full sun or semi-shade.

Ketumpang Air has a slight peppery taste with a crunchy texture. You can eat the leaves, stems and roots. Amongst its properties are analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer. The one thing I love about this plant is the uric acid cleansing properties so when I eat beef or prawns (both items that I love), I like to make sure that I also eat this that day. It is is more for my preventive action from getting gout and joint pains – all related to high uric acid in the body. This is what I eat for my kidneys, joints, muscles and vitamins.

Wild Purslane taste like lettuce with a crunchy texture. I tend to only eat the leaves and stems. Amongst its properties are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and diuretic. The interesting thing about these leaves is it is high in omega-3-fatty acids so it is a good choice for vegetarians as well. This plant can serve as a much cheaper option for source of these good fatty acids, at a fraction of the cost of fish with its sky-rocketing price. This is what I eat for my heart as well as preventing high blood pressure and vitamins.

Pegaga has a mild spicy taste with crunchy leaves. I eat the leaves, stems and roots. Amongst its properties are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant and cognitive-enhancing. An interesting aspect of the leave is it contains elements that help increase the rate of collagen production as well as slow down the breakdown of collagen. What this means to me is it will help in keeping my skin “tight”. What a blessing – something natural and low-cost for my skin care something that almost all my female friends would appreciate and also men who care about their skin and looking “younger”. This is my skin care as well as all the vitamins.

Eaten it its raw form is what I like best and it gives me the added benefit of fiber. So at the end, is there any reason why not to eat these leaves? Eat in moderation and may we all enjoy the plentiful benefits without having to spend big “bucks” in supplements and can avoid drugs to treat a condition. I have not covered all the benefits but just the ones that are of interest to me 🙂

27 Mar 2016

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Nature’s health treasure trove – Ketumpang Air

The Ketumpang Air or Sireh Cina (Botanical Name : Peperomia pellucida) is easy to find as well as

easy to grow especially in damp and shady areas. They only need a bit of sunlight (after all they need to manufacture their food through photosynthesis). As such, it is quite often found by the roadsides, along drains and streets as well as in shady corners of a garden. It can be planted in a container or in the ground – whatever the manner, it is good to ensure that the soil is able to retain moisture and is moist and not water-clogged.

At a glance, they look like miniature betel (sireh) leaves, heart-shaped leaves which are light green when young and turn to darker green. The stems which are easy to break are succulent-like and light green in color. The plants require a moist soil to flourish as being almost succulent in nature, the plant itself contains a lot of water, within the stem as well as the leaves. The stem and leaves are crunchy due to this. On the other hand, due to the amount of water it retains, it is important to ensure that the plants are grown in good soil, free of contaminants and it is watered with clean water. Otherwise you will end up with all the contaminants being part of the plant and affecting the taste of the leaves and stems – the parts that you consume.

The leaves and stems have many therapeutic benefits as documented in the herbal world. It is alkaloid in nature. Amongst its therapeutic benefits are as :

Analgesic
Antiinflammatory
Anticancer
Antiarthritic
Antidiarrheal
Antioxidant
Antirheumatic
Antifungal
Antibacterial

With all these therapeutic benefits, it is popular with herbalists in various types of therapy. Amongst the therapy it is used in is for gout, high blood pressure, sore throat and cough, and a whole list of other health issues.

It is because of all these benefits, that I consume this although as with any herbs, one should not consume it excessively. I consume it raw as I want to get maximum benefits. Due to its high water content, it is also often juiced. It can also be cooked as a “soupy” vegetable dish or boiled and drank as a tea. It has a subtle peppery taste and absorbs other flavours. A note to remember, if the plant is planted in contaminated soil or in mouldy areas, the taste will be affected and no amount of washing or rinsing will remove it as it will be present at the “cellular” level.

With its fresh, subtle peppery taste and crunchiness, this is nature’s pharmacy at its best 🙂

25 Mar 2016

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The Joy of Eating whilst taking care of your health

I feel blessed that I have my farm as I can grow and produce all kinds of tasty, fresh produce organically and know that it has not been contaminated by toxic chemicals. I love eating well and I hate eating pills or supplements so I try to balance what I ear. After my previous experience of having to undergo hormone treatment, I have an aversion to anything that has been given hormones and this includes meat, vegetables and fruits. Some may argue that hormone doesn’t disqualify the produce from being classified as organic because it is not a toxic chemical but for me, I avoid it.
So, what do I consume from the farm ( these are some, there are lots more):
Fresh coconut drink
This drink is great for many things and tastes especially wonderful on hot days, especially these last many days with the El Nino phenomenon as well as Equinox. It doesn’t require any refrigeration and tastes cool straight from the fruit. It is a natural cleanser so whilst I am enjoying the drink, I am detoxing. A good fruit produces sweet coconut water so there is no need to sweeten it. The coconut water is a natural isotonic so you can give a pass to all those man-made isotonic drink to replace the electrolytes you lose as you perspire – natural electrolytes: how much better can you ask for? So, with the current heat wave in Malaysia, this is a great way to rehydrate.

Fresh tumeric and Bentong Ginger Tea

I enjoy this drink as one of my end-of-day chill out drinks. I drink it warm, often as an after dinner drink. The benefits are numerous but what I of for here is for the “repairing” capabilities so that while I am sleeping and my body tries to repair itself from the numerous damage I do to it during the day, this tea boosts up my body’s repair works. Since what is used is the “roots” part of it, to me, it is important that the soil is not contaminated or else I will be getting some “unwanted” items in my tea. It is easy to do – just bring water to boil and add slices of fresh numeric and bettong ginger and allow it to simmer for at least 10 minutes to draw out the good stuff from the roots into the water. Sometimes I sweeten it but I avoid using refined sugar.

SHL Salad
At least this is what I call it. It comprises of various types of fresh leave and flowers such as holy basil, lemon basil, Ketumpang Cina, Ulam Raja, Tujuh Bilah, Tenggek Burung, Cabbage – to name a
few. I mix it up and use different combinations. They all provide all kinds of benefits so I will tailor my salad mix depending on what I want to get out of it from a therapeutic benefit. Sometimes I go for strengthening my respiratory system or when I have a cold, sometimes for an anti-oxidant boost , sometimes for vitamins and sometimes for cleansing. I do not like eating supplements although some may argue that by taking supplements is the only way you can get enough vitamins daily easily, I prefer to do it through my meals and “desserts”.

Natural desserts
We have several types of fruits, some seasonal and some that is throughout the year. Top on my list is the papaya – full of wonderful enzymes and rich in vitamins as well as fiber. To me, this beats Metamucil hands down. Not only can you eat it as an after-meal dessert, it is also a great breakfast item. Sometimes I will go for bananas and since we have over 20 varieties of it at the farm, I can enjoy different types of bananas throughout the year. The bananas can be eaten raw or turned into another dish such as grilled bananas, banana fritters, as well as different types of banana desserts with a sauce. For seasonal fruits, there is the jackfruit, cempedak, mangosteens, abiu, durian, jambu madu, longan, rambutan and breadfruit. I am hoping my passion fruit will produce fruits in less than 1 year. The two things I can be sure of is that they are grown organically and free from hormone treatment.

Farm fresh anti-biotic free, hormone free free range chicken eggs
These eggs are simply beautiful and delicious. The yolk is golden yellow – almost orange and the size of the egg is small but it packs lots of goodness. One thing I find is that it doesn’t have that smell that is so common in the commercial eggs – the Malays say “hanger”. Eggs used to get a bad name but I think it has more to do with the way the eggs are produce and the feed given to the hens as well as all those “medications”.

Herbal teas
I make different types of teas and they all have therapeutic value. My teas are mainly for prevention and maintenance purposes and so far, Alhamdulillah, it seems to be good for me. Some of the teas that I consume are Misai Kuching, Soursop Leaves, Soursop with Lemon Grass, Lemon Basil, Holy Basil, and Indian Borage. When I am at the farm, I tend to make them with fresh leaves but I do some in dried form so that I can take it with me anywhere or to have it at home whenever I want.

Summary
I guess being someone who hates taking supplements and popping pills as well as having to think whether it should be taken 30 minutes before a meal, before a meal, after a meal, on empty stomach – there are so many “rules”, how I eat makes a difference and I get to enjoy it.

12 Aug 2015

0 Comments By admin Armchair journal, Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Healthy Options, Well-being Landscape

Just drink it :)

After a conversation that I had with a very good friend, I was inspired to share this. Oftimes we feel lazy to eat fresh “ulam” or find it difficult to find. I remember my late great grandmother, late grandmother and even my mother have “ulam” at almost every lunch and dinner. For us nowadays, in the age of technology and processed foods, we have lost this tradition until we get sick and then we scour all over the place for them. At the farm, part of the aim is to keep the species alive and continue to propagate them.
The beauty of these herbs is that they can be consumed as a drink and done in such a way so that it becomes a regular drink and no longer thought of a medicinal or health drink. Many can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge, ready to drink or as a concentrate which can later be mixed with hot or cold water to drink.
The can also be easily planted and cared for, and can be planted in containers for those with limited ground space. As long as the plants can receive about 6 hours of sunlight a day, the soil not left to dry out and planted in a good soil mix, they can produce the necessary leaves and flowers for consumption. Since we live in a tropical climate, we do not have to worry about planting times as we can plant throughout the year.
Since the purpose is to produce quality for our consumption, I strongly suggest that it be planted organically, using organic fertiliser and pest control and totally avoiding chemical and toxic pesticides. Basically, we should feel comfortable to pluck the leaf and eat it directly from the plant.
So, here is my top 10 list:

Lemon grass or serai
Lemon basil or kemangi (produces small white flowers)
Cosmos caudantus or ulam raja (produces 5-petal pink with yellow centre flower)
Cat’s whiskers or misai kucing (produces white or lilac flowers)
Holy basil or ruku (produces tiny purple flowers)
Pereskia sacarosa or tujuh bilah (produces vibrant pink or red flowers)
Asiatica pennywort or pegaga
Chinese betel or sireh cina
Snakegrass or belalai gajah
White basil or selasih putih (produces tiny white flowers)

Tujuh bilah

Misai Kucing

Ulam Raja

Ruku

Selasih Putih

The above plants either on its own or in combination is purported to address may different diseases or illnesses including cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, and gout as well as detoxifying your body. It also includes antioxidants as well as containing many different vitamins and minerals.
It is important to remember that it is the fresh, green leaves that are used and not the old brown, dried leaf. So, when planning you garden, whether it is in a patio, cemented space or ground soil, why not include these plants 🙂

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Category: Healthy Options