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Category: Herbal Therapy

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28 Aug 2023
3 Comments By admin Armchair journal, Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy

The wonders of Turmeric and Bentong Ginger

Turmeric is well-know for its many theraoeutic benefits with its many health properties including as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Many studies have been conducted on the benefits of curcumin in turmeric.  Curcumin is not easily “absorbed” by the body and the way to improveits bioavailabilty to our body iby combining turmeric with black papper where the piperine enhances the absorption of the curcumin.  It is widely-used in ayurvedic and traditionak medicine,  Based on studies and research, some of the benefits are:

  • As a potent antioxidant, it can neutralize free radicals which tend to impact important organic substance such as fatty acids, proteins and DNA.  Free radicals causes oxidative damages to our body which negatively impacts our body aging and causes other diseases.
  • Some studies show that curcumin can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which plays a part in memory and learning.  More studies are being done to determine its potential in treating Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative brain diseases.
  • The main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the function of the endothelium, the lining of your blood vessels.  One of the major causes of heart disease is when there is a dysfunction in the endothelium making it unable to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting, and various other factors.
  • In various studies, curcumin has been found to affect cancer growth and development by contributing to the death of cancerous cell, reducing angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors) and reducing metastasis (spread of cancer).  Further studies continue to be done.
  • Helps the body to recovery from muscle injury.  In a study amongst athletes, it was found that athletes who consumed it recovered faster than those who didn’t.

There are many types of gingers but my favorite is Bentong ginger.  The main component that provides the most therapeutic benefit is the gingerol.  Ginger has been fond in many studies to be an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and other health benefits.  As more research is done on ginger, some of the benefits include:

  • Being an anti-inflammatory, it helps to reduce swelling or inflammations of joints and muscles can can be helpful for those with arthritis and osteoarthritis and  swelling of joints or muscles.
  • Some studies show it can curb growth of cancer cells like colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, and prostate cancer and more studies are being carried out.
  • Ease menstrual cramps
  • Lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol
  • Ginger is loaded with antioxidants, compounds that prevent stress and damage to your body’s DNA. They may help your body fight off chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diseases of the lungs, plus promote healthy aging.
  • Helps with digestion and relieves indigestion.
  • Helps counter nausea.

It is with these benefits in mind that I decided to produce our Bentong Ginger and Turmeric with Black Pepper with the aim of making it easier for me to add to my daily diet and using whole foods as a medicine or health therapeutic supplement.  Using chemical-pesticide and herbicide free fresh ginger and turmeric that are dehydrated and turned into a powder form, ground black peppers are then added into this mixture to produce our Dehydrated Bentong Ginger and Turmeric with Pepper.  No additives, preservatives or fillers are added to it, leaving it in its pure forms.

When I decided to produce this mixture, I wanted to make it easy to consume it and as a painless way of adding it to my daily diet.  Another key consideration is how to dry it.  I dehydrated it as it ensures maximum nutrients preservation compared with other ways of drying and at the same time is more hygienic, not exposed to contaminants and consistent drying without dependence to weather.  There are many ways to use this powder mixture for consumption:

  1. Using 1/4 teaspoon per cup, I add hot water and sweeten it with honey as my first drink for the days.  I drink it warm and it is a delicious warm drink to start my day, loading my body with the therapeutic benefits.  I drink this as my first hot drink of the day and last hot drink at night on days when I plan or was physcially-active.
  2. Adding it when cooking rice and making a flavourful rice.  For additional flavour, you can add virgin coconut oil too making it a quick way to make nasi lemak kuning.
  3. Using it as a seasoning for various proteins such as beef, chicken, fish which can then be cooked in various ways.
  4. Adding it to stir-fry vegetables.
  5. Adding it to coconut milk-based gravy such as in masak lemak kuning, curries and lontong.
  6. Create a salad dressing by adding the mixture to olive oil or other salad oils and adding lemon or lime.  You can also add other seasonings like honey, mustard and salt – sea or mountain salt is my preference.
  7. Alternatively, you can put it in a capsule is you prefer to pop pills.  I don’t do this because I prefer to enjoy my food then taking it as a medicine.

On a personal note, I have been drinking the ginger and turmeric mixture over the past 4 years.  Having the mixture makes it easy for me to

consume it as well as take it along with me when I travel, whether domestically or internationally.  When I travel abroad, my first drink in the room is the ginger and turmeric drink.  It is a nice warm drink to have especially during the colder months.  It has also helped me to recover from painful, muscle injury due to wearing the wrong shoes and walking long distances over uneven, cobblestone roads and paths for several days although it took longer to heal than it would have if I had gone for steroid treatment but it was my choice to avoid steroids and strong painkillers. It was an exercise in helping my body heal it self naturally supported by “whole food”s.

Bottomline: I love this mixture and the simplicity of incorporating it into my daily life.

27 Oct 2020
0 Comments By admin Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy, SHL Products

Indonesian Bay (Serai Kayu): Nature’s gift

English Name: Indonesian Bay

Malay Name: Serai Kayu

Scientific Name : Syzygium polyanthum

This tree is well suited to be grown in Malaysian with our tropical weather.  It can group over 5m tall but you can manage the height by pruning it throughout its life span.  Once establish, it doesn’t need to be watered  as with our climate, it can survive with just our normal rainfalls.  It is a relatively fast grower and its branches spreads out making it a nice tree for providing some shade once it grows tall.  However, as I use a good amount of the leaves, I keep the height growth controlled as I prune it about every 3 months or so.  With good soil, it doesn’t require any fertilizers though as a normal practice at the farm, we fertilize them twice a year

The main purpose of these tree is for the leaves.  The leaves can be either eaten fresh or most often, the older leaves are dried.  The dried leaves are often used as a flavoring or taste enhancer in many dishes all over the world.  It can be used in soups and sauces as well as a herb for roasting various proteins like chicken and beef.  You can also turn the dried leaves into a tea – I tend to crush the leaves first before making my tea.

Many studies have been performed on the therapeutical benefits of the leaves.  It is well known that high blood pressure is considered the “silent killer”.  One study done headed by our local researcher at Dr. Wan Amir Nizam of the Health Science Medical Laboratory, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Kelantan, found that there was a lower rate of high blood pressure amongst a group of Kelantanese who consumed it daily as ulam.  He also found that for people who had high blood pressure, they only had to take low doses of high blood pressure medication.  The lab studies done on 2 types of rats, one with normally high blood pressure and one species that had normal high blood pressure, found that the blood pressure went down for the rats with high blood pressure but there was no effect on the normal blood pressure rats.  They concluded that these leaves are safe to be eaten by people of normal blood pressure.  They also found that this leaf is a popular ulam for many Kelantanese and he proposed that this is why there is a lower rate of people with high blood pressure in Kelantan as compared with other states at 13.9% in 2014.

Apart from high blood pressure, the leaves have traditionally be used in therapy for diarrhea, diabetes and ulcer.  The stems, flowers and fruits also have other uses in traditional therapy.

Many may wonder what it tastes like?  It has a citrusy taste with a slight “kelat” taste.  I haven’t found an English word that gives the meaning of “kelat” but it is the taste that is present in unripen bananas.  However, when you use it in cooked dishes, this taste is not present.  I guess it is the citrus taste that led it to be name serai as Malaysian knows the lemony taste from the lemongrass or serai in Bahasa Malaysia.

To make it available for my consumption when I don’t have any fresh leaves handy, I have dehydrated crushed leaves.  I will select the older leaves for this but not ones that have turned yellow or brown.   In this form, I can use it as a herbal condiment or make a tea drink – either hot or cold.  To make the tea, I find it best to use either just boiled water or my preference is to brew the tea in a claypot.  I use a dehydrator as this ensures the maximum nutrients remain while the water evaporates and prevents contaminants.  It also results in dried still-green leaves instead of turning brown as when it is air-fried or dried in the sun.

As for me, I take this gift from nature and consume it regularly in many ways.

 

 

08 Sep 2018
1 Comments By admin Armchair journal, Articles, Herbal Therapy, Well-being Landscape

In the Greenhouse: Part 1

I love my whole farm but the one place that I spend a lot of time at is in my greenhouse.  My

greenhouse is designed to serve as my seeding area, fertiliser production mix area, my lab to test out elements in growing plants such as water, pest control and fertilisers, an area to plant the plants that require substantial TLC, a place to propagate plants as well as acclimatisation of plants before being planted outdoors or indoors.

The roof is almost totally plastic roofing sheets (similar to the zinc roofing sheets) to allow sunlight in  but keep the rain out hence it is where I can work rain or shine.  The walls are half brick and specially-crafted lattice wood with netting to reduce the amount of pests that can enter the greenhouse.  It is impossible to keep everything out as some are so tiny – almost like a speck of dirt size such as the whiteflies.  It is half bricks because on some area along the sides, I have built a cement rack that serves as seed germination and seedling area as well as newly propagated plants area.  Over the years, it has evolved from the simple design of 30 feet by 20 feet size to 60 feet by 20 feet and current setup.  By starting from a simple design, it allowed me time to test and figure out how I wanted my greenhouse to be to suit with the activities as well as my style of working.  It is a personal design space that I also enjoy relaxing in and getting oxygen therapy.
  As all the plants at the farm either are edible or therapeutic or both, the same types are planted in the greenhouse.  Working with my hands sometimes causes me to get cuts and nicks so I have my first aid plants in the greenhouse too.  The Indian Borage, Variegated Borage and Aloe Vera are my basics.  The borage with its antiseptic properties are great for cuts.  I just wash the affected area and mash the leaves and apply to the cut.  In a few minutes, it is taken care of and I can resume what I was doing.  If I get an inflammation on my skin, I just get the above vera leaf and get the gel and apply.  I also use the borage leaves to create an instant pest repellant by crushing the leaves in water and using the resulting liquid to spray on the plants.  It also has anti-viral and anti-fungus properties to care for the health of my plants.  Being non-toxic, I don’t have to worry about using protective gear.  As I am creating the liquid, at the same time, I am also cleansing my hands from unwanted bacteria.  
Both plants are easy to propagate.  For the borage, I propagate from stem cuttings.  The aloe vera produces its own platelets which I will transplant to a separate container.  As I use them regularly, I propagate them often.
One of my favourite vegetable fruit is tomatoes.  They require a lot of care both from a pest control, fertilisation and water when grown organically and free from hormones as well.  It requires routine pest control activity as many pest love it like the whiteflies, aphids, black mold and ants to name a few.  The pests encourage each other.  With whiteflies, comes the aphids.  Then come the black mold and the ants.  Hence, it is imperative to control it from the beginning of the whiteflies.  I mix my own fertiliser from base ingredients like chicken manure, goat manure, compost, eco enzyme (a.k.a. garbage enzyme) and EM-1.  I tend to mix them depending on the growth and condition of the plant as having the fertiliser production mix are in the greenhouse, it makes it easier for me to get it done.  
Currently I have 3 varieties in various stages growing: Hybrid tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes and Heirloom tomatoes.  Although I have grown the hybrid and cherry tomatoes side by side, I planted the heirloom tomatoes separately in their own bed, separated by another planting bed as well as walkway.  I intend to save the seeds from the heirloom tomatoes in my seed bank.  These plants need to have their soil topped-up to cover their roots every so often so having my planting soil mixture area in the greenhouse also makes it convenient.  I will not plant them outside as then they will be exposed to many more pests including birds and my free-range chickens.  I have tried planting them outdoors but have always lost to the birds, chickens and other pests.
I also do companion planting in the greenhouse hence I also have various types of chilli plants in the greenhouse.  Although I do not eat much chillies, there are many around me who do.  I have a few varieties planted including habaneros, thai chilli and cili api.  I have the habaneros in a row but have the others planted in polybags in different sections of the greenhouse.  These plants also are a favourite of the whiteflies so whenever I do my pest control spray, I spray them at the same time too.  They also need to be fertilised rather frequently – once a week – so having them in the greenhouse also reduces time for fertilisation as I also custom fertilise them depending on the stage and any problems that I see with them.
I tend to spend hours at a time in the greenhouse so I also plant some ulam for me to munch on as

snacks.  One of my favourite plants – not only for taste but also because I think it is beautiful – is the Sambung Nyawa Batik.  I plant them in containers in a few locations.  Whenever I feel like munching on something, I just get a few leaves, rinse them and munch.  They are easy to propagate and with proper care, are vigorous growers.

The story of the plants in the greenhouse continues in Part 2.
10 Dec 2017
0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy

Go Local >> Part 1: Cancer Commonality Factor – Constipation

A few weeks I listened to Dr. Lou Coutinho speak on treating cancer patients and the research that they have done with these patients in finding the commonality factors.  They found 4 factors and I find them interesting as as he puts it, you do not need to spend a lot of money to prevent cancer but make changes in your daily diet and lifestyle.  This I truly belief.  As he puts it, there are all types of cancer patients irrespective of ethnic backgrounds, body size, occupation or financial status and they collected data on patients from many different countries.
One of the factors is constipation.  This makes sense to me as with constipation, your body retains the wastes and toxins longer in your body as well as prevents regular disposal of your body wastes as well as toxins.

If you are constipated regularly, heading for the medicine cabinet is not the answer as it addresses a symptom but does not solve the underlying issue.  It is crucial that the body can get rid of the wastes and toxins efficiently and that it does nor cause issues with your gastro-intestinal system or lead to the toxins and wastes re-entering the blood system as it would mean that these toxins and wastes would then cause problems to other organs of your body.  This would create a conducive environment for the cancer cells in your body to mutate and become active.

Thus caring for the gastrointestinal (GI) system is of the upmost importance and this includes the stomach, pancreas, intestines and colon.  Water is one of the essential elements in maintaining a healthy GI system.  Hence be sure to drink sufficient clean water daily and the amount varies depending on the activity from at least 1 liter.  Coffee, tea, carbonated drinks are not considered to fall into the water category.

Our GI system contains friendly-bacteria that helps in the process of digestion.  Certain things that we do can cause these friendly bacteria to die or reduce in quantity.  Amongst the most often cause is prescribed antibiotics.  Many take costly probiotics and probiotics but there are so many kinds and each person varies in the type and quantity of bacteria present.  After all, each person has a different kind of diet, etc. After thinking about it, I decided to write this article on what we have locally that is low in cost and effective.

We are blessed because we have natural herbals locally grown which contribute towards a healthy GI system.  The top on my list is turmeric and ginger.  They are easily available and easy to grow in our gardens, whether in pots or in the ground.  As long as they get sunshine, water and some fertiliser, they will grow just fine.  As many already know, black pepper is essential in increasing the bioavailability of curcumin (the main phytonutrient we want in turmeric) and we have these grown locally.  I favour Sarawak black pepper or any organically grown black pepper.  We can easily incorporate this into our daily diet.

Many of our normal daily dishes can easily have these ingredients added to it.  When we make soups, just add some turmeric, black pepper and ginger.  When we do stir-fry dishes, again these three

ingredients can be added.  Most of us have rice as the main staple and we can elevate this staple by adding these three ingredients.  We can also add these ingredients to our teas or milk drinks.  Be sure not to use refined sugar as this will help create an acidic environment favourable for cancer cells mutation and growth.

What else can we eat to further improve our GI system.  Try adding tapioca, another easily available, locally-frown ingredient,  to your diet as with its high fiber content, it will help the disposal of toxins in our GI system.  It also has a low glycemic index hence replacing your rice with this as the staple carbohydrate will further add benefits to your diet.  It also helps in the growth of the beneficial bacteria in our GI system.

It is hard to overdose on this when you eat it naturally and I haven’t been able to find any adverse reactions or contraindications when taken as normal food.  Simple changes that can make a difference.

09 Oct 2017
0 Comments By admin Armchair journal, Articles, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy

Busybody about my body: Dealing with Flu Naturally

I do not know of anyone who has never gotten a flu and it is a common disease that I think people look at it less seriously.  However, not taken care of, it can lead to other complications such as pneumonia, sepsis, inflammation of the heart (myocarditis) as well as aggravating some other conditions like asthma.  So whilst it is common, I do not take it lightly.  The symptoms include :

  1. sore throat
  2. runny or stuffed nose
  3. fever
  4. muscle aches and pains
  5. headache
  6. fatigue.

It is cause by a virus and nowadays there are so many variants.  Often, when you visit a doctor, you can expect to get three types of medication: one for fever, one for sore throat and congestion and of course antibiotics.  Most literature strenuously point out that it is important to complete the entire course of the antibiotics for it to be effective.

Last week I caught the flu.  I knew I was going to get it because my son came down with it in a bad way and there is no way I can avoid contact with him.  He was literally stuck to my side and with his high fever, I was monitoring him very closely.  Being only 4 years old, he has a higher risk of complications.  When his fever rose to close to 40 degrees Celsius, we headed to the hospital.  I wasn’t taking any risks.  We managed to bring his fever down about 2 hours later but he was still feverish.  As for me, the minute I saw he caught the flu, I began my regime of 1 tablespoon of EVCO every 4 hours and 1 tablespoon of honey twice a day.  At the same time, I also gave my son EVCO every 2 hours along with his fever medication every 4 hours until his fever was all gone, which was a day later.  He also was on antibiotics for 3 days which caused diarrhoea so now he is also taking probiotics daily to re-balance his digestive system.  My son is still on daily 1 teaspoon of EVCO and 1 teaspoon honey, twice a day until he fully recovers.  He is not taking any other medication.  Then it was my turn.

I was flat on the bed for about 16 hours and during this period, I continued with hourly tablespoon of EVCO and every fours 1 tablespoon of honey. Then it was the morning on the next day and my fever was gone but I felt the muscle aches.  It was time to start taking my Bentong ginger and turmeric concentrate – 2 tablespoon diluted with warm water with 1 teaspoon of honey every 4 hours.  By evening, I was left with a slight cough and slight congestion.  So, I continue with my three times a day of 1 tablespoon of EVCO and 1 teaspoon of honey.  I have also added drinking Roselle juice twice a day to boost my immune system and to prevent any more fever.

There is pharmacological and studies backing the treatment that I chose for myself.

  1. Flu is cause by virus (and there are many strains) and can be complicated with bacteria.  To address this, the EVCO has strong anti-viral and anti-bacteria properties.  Honey too has strong anti-bacteria and anti-viral properties.  This composition gives me a wider range of defence.  It also helps in strengthening my immune system.  This also became a source of food for me.
  2. Muscle aches and pains makes movement painful so the Bentong ginger and turmeric helps to ease these aches and pains as well as reduce any internal inflammations.  It has strong anti-inflammatory properties as well as digestive system protection properties.  At the same time, since my appetite was non-existent, I barely ate so this combination help reduce any stomach problems.
  3. Roselle has good immune boosting capabilities so is a good option to take during the recovery period.

I prefer going the natural route as I do not like drugs and antibiotics because of all the side effects including destroying the good bacteria necessary for a healthy digestive system (one of the reasons why people also tend to get diarrhoea when they get flu).  With no appetite, I didn’t have to try and stuff something in me before I took the EVCO, honey, Benton ginger & turmeric or Roselle as they are all food.  They were also my food.  It is also hard to overdose on these because as we age, all types of body parts need maintenance and repair as well as some rebuild.  Throughout this whole flu experience, my brain remain active, alert and lucid even when I had my eyes closed.  Being down for only a day was good as the next day, my son was ready to play.

As always, we have choices.  What is important is that we are aware of what we are doing, monitor our condition and be sure that what we are taking is pure, natural items which are organic and processed in a way to ensure maximum properties and nutrients are preserved.  Be knowledgeable in taking care of your health.

02 Sep 2017
0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy

Natural Preventive and curative: My Basics

The main purpose of the farm is to produce chemical-free and hormone-free edibles and through the years, I have selected some staples for a reason.  I still continue to plant and nurture many different plants as I am ever the optimist in believing that I will have time to study them further for their benefits so until them, I will care for them.  The staples that I have narrowed down to is based on what I feel is the basics for my health from a preventive and curative view.  So what are my basics: ginger, turmeric, coconut, and roselle.  Why you may ask?  Simple, I need to keep my immune system and my central nervous system (including the brain) healthy.   I am not a doctor so I do not do diagnosis or pharmacological advise.   I practice natural food therapy in my daily life so I share what I experience and know.

The largest organ in my body for the immune system is the gut which includes the stomach, intestine and bowel.   It performs the key function of removing toxins and wastes from our body as well as allowing absortion of nutrients by our body.  If our gut cannot function properly, the food is not digested properly, our body doesn’t get the proper nutrients, and our body doesn’t eliminate the toxins and wastes properly.  If the gut is not healthy, it can also cause toxins and harmful bacteria to enter our blood system which can result in other organs being damaged and allergies.  For me, the easiest way to care for them is to incorporate ginger, turmeric, tapioca and roselle into my normal food intake, either as solids or liquids.

To care for my central nervous system, especially my brain, I look to coconuts which I either consume as a drink or using extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO).  Studies have proven that the ketones in coconut oil can help rebuild or repair our brain cells.  An illness that many of us are aware of that affects the brain is Alzheimer’s.  It has been shown that consumption of EVCO can improve and even cure this condition and best of all, no negative side effects – this is something that almost all the drugs cannot claim.  I choose EVCO because it is the purest form of coconut oil and when produced from organic coconuts does not contain contaminants.  It is produced using cold-pressed method from fresh coconuts.  It doesn’t undergo any chemical process or drying that can contaminate the coconut.

Of course, ginger, turmeric, coconut, tapioca and roselle also have other benefits so by incorporating them in my diet, I get to enjoy them too.  These 5 provides antibacterial, antiviral, improve the immune system, helps to lower cholesterol, improves blood circulation, helps to improve high blood pressure condition, improve digestion, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer – to name a few.  One of my key focus is to share what can be planted by everyone or if not, what can be obtained locally with the cost also being a factor.  Ginger, turmeric and roselle can be planted in containers for those who do not have much planting space.  If you have a small space, you can plant tapioca and dwarf coconuts but if you can’t, they are easily purchased.  None of these need to be imported as they can be obtained locally so this can make it affordable to many.  Try incorporating them into your normal daily diet and I hope you can reap the benefits of a better health.

17 Aug 2017
0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy

Eat for Life: Naturally maintaining my gut

We often are more reactive than proactive and we tend to want miracle cures.  I decided to change my diet from being reactive to proactive and one of the major changes is the diligent inclusion of turmeric and ginger, roselle probiotics and virgin coconut oil in my diet.  This combination provides a wealth of health benefits but in a proactive measure, one of the main ones that I want is the care and maintenance for my gut.  I have done a lot of research on this and will continue to follow developments from both the medical world as well as the alternative holistic therapies.
Our gut is the biggest immune organ in our body with the main function of processing our food and removing toxins.  It is basically our digestive tract.  Over the last few years, more and more information has been disseminated regarding a condition called leaky gut.  A leaky gut causes allergens and toxins as well as bacteria and viruses to enter out bloodstream leading to many illnesses including infections to other organs like the brain, heart, kidney and others, allergies and autoimmune.  The symptoms are many and is often misdiagnosed resulting in our medical treatment addressing the symptoms but not the condition.   Some of the symptoms are:

  1.  allergies
  2. infections to various organs and within the body
  3. body aches and pains
  4. bloating
  5. cramps

The symptoms and manifestation of the problem is common enough that the treatment is often for the symptom and not addressing the underlying issue.

Some of the causes are:

  1. age
  2. gluten
  3. antibiotics
  4. food additives
  5. carcinogens

How to avoid a leaky gut?  Easy but can be difficult to do for some: take care of your gut and prevent the lining from breaking down or having holes.  Basically, one needs to take care of what one consumes.  A healthy gut has good digestive tract walls and good bacteria.  As we age, our body will breakdown and need repairing so similar to having a car, one needs to do maintenance.  Some repairs here and there, replacing what is worn down, etc.

In my proactive mode, I have added 3 items which not only is good for my gut health but also contains other health benefits:

  1. Bentong ginger and turmeric with black pepper
  2. Roselle probiotics
  3. Extra virgin coconut oil

These 3 items promotes the repair work, addressing the symptoms with its anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti inflammation properties and then continues to promote the health of my gut with the probiotics and “cleaning” activities.  They are simple to add to my daily diet and doesn’t require major changes to my routine and readily available.  I am a firm believer that if we cannot make something a normal thing to do, it will be hard to remain diligent and sustain it as a normal course in our life.  Whilst some of this are available in pill forms, a few factors make it less desirable:

  • I do not know what is added during the process to convert it from natural state to pill or capsule
  • The cost is higher than the natural state
  • While it may be convenient, over a period of time, I will become bored and lazy to pop the pills and ultimately, just stop doing it
  • There is no fun in pill popping – there is no enjoyment in consuming it and it becomes a to-do task as opposed to something I do normally

My focus has always been on organic and local so that it is easily available and affordable.  After all, if it is expensive that it is out of reach to the masses.  As with everything you consume, do find out about the source of what you consume and that it is natural, organically grown without hormones as well as additives-free and this includes preservatives, sugar, colouring.

05 Aug 2017
0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy

The bountiful God’s Crown (Mahkota Dewa) Fruit

With such a grand name, Mahkota Dewa (God’s Crown) is traditionally used in many ways.  It’s botanical name is Phaleria Macrocarpa.  At the farm, our 4 years old tree stands about 2 meters.  I haven’t trimmed it since I propagated it from

seed and it is now fruiting in abundance so I will wait a little while before I prune it a bit.  Watching its growth, I would say it is a slow grower in height but that doesn’t mean the same for the fruiting.  It starts fruiting in about 1 year.  The fruit is a dark red color when it ripens and it is at this stage that I harvest.
The outer skin of the fruit is slightly waxy and the flesh is fibrous and white in color.  For the first 3 years, I only fertilised it about once every six months so there wasn’t much fruits produced.  However in the last year, I fertilised it quarterly and I see a marked difference in the quantity of the fruit.  I use organic, farm-produced fertiliser since I wanted to ensure as best as I can that it is free from toxins and chemicals as ultimately, I plan to use it as a health “supplement”.
I use the fruit to produce my tea.  It contains alkaloid, flavonoid, polyphenol and antioxidants making it rich in benefits in traditional preventive and curative therapy.  I drink the tea at least once a week as part of my detoxification regime with its alkaloid content.  It helps to cleanse the liver, kidneys and digestive system.  It is also antiviral and antibacterial which helps strengthen my immune system.  Sometime I drink more times depending on how I feel.
Amongst its other uses in traditional therapy are:

  1. To help lower the blood sugar for diabetics due to its saponin content
  2. To cleanse the blood due to its flavonoid content
  3. To improve the body’s metabolism due to its flavonoid content
  4. To reduce cholesterol due to its flavonoid content
  5. As an alternative tutor and cancer therapy from its antioxidants and alkaloids
  6. To reduce the fats in the blood due to its flavonoid content

A noted point is pregnant women and post-natal women shouldn’t consume this.

I checked around for dried Mahkota Dewa fruit and the price ranges from RM 50-60 per 100 gm.  As I cannot verify that it is organically produced nor using the method that least introduces contaminants, I decided to make my own.  I produce the tea by first harvesting mature fruits, slicing and dehydrating them.  Traditionally, it is sun-dried but I prefer to dehydrate so as not to introduce contaminants.  Once dried, it can be stored
for many months – at least 3 months – though I tend to prepare mine at regular intervals.
I use a claypot to are my tea, about 10gm per litre of water.  I bring it to a boil and allow it to cool in the claypot before drinking it.  It looks like regular tea and the taste is slightly bitter (like when you are too strong tea) with fruity undertones.  To make it more bland, you can always add more water to dilute it but I find that it is not necessary.
With all the benefits and the taste, I find it easy to add it to my regular drinks list.  In case you wonder what is on my regular drinks list, they are misai  kucing tea, soursop leaves tea, Bentong ginger and turmeric drink, Roselle (tea and drink) as well as variations of calamansi drinks (with lemongrass or bunga telling).  With this variety, I am never bored but I feel that it makes going organic and natural brings lots of benefits to my health maintenance.

10 Mar 2017
0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Herbal Therapy

My plant choices – herb staples

Although I have quite a big space to plant at the farm, it seems like the space gets eaten up so fast so I do have to be selective in order to produce sustainable quantities for my purposes.  I select them based on the following:

  1. High value multi-purpose which translates to they can be used for various reasons and have therapeutic benefits
  2. Suitability to the land as depending on the plant, the soil has to be suitable
  3. Ease of propagating so that I can continue to have new seedlings
  4. Ease of maintenance and care as with many plants and my hectic schedule, I need to ensure that I can care for them properly.

It is hard to narrow down choices as they are all fantastic plants but I have managed to narrow them down and grouped them into what I grow a lot of and what falls in my herbal collection.  I enjoy being able to harvest them for my use and know that it is clean – free from chemical pesticides and herbicides – and that it is available when I want them.

The staples that I consider every garden should have is and is my 5 basics :
Lemongrass

It has a high value due to their therapeutic values as well as can be used is in many ways.  It can be used in making drinks as well as in cooking.  They are easy to care although they are “voracious eaters” so ensuing plantings will have to be moved to a different area.  They can be planted in almost any soil type except for heavy clay.  Propagating them is by using the whole stalk.  They can be planted in pots or in the ground so if you have a small space, just plant them in pots. and requires minimal fertilisation.  Although you can harvest them on as needed basis, it is best to replant them every 6 months to maintain the quality in either a different soil or area.

Turmeric

The benefits of turmeric are well known and is also one of the condiments often used in cooking.
The whole plant has uses, from the leaves to the rhizome and the flower.  They require minimal care and if planted in good soil, doesn’t need fertilisation or minimal fertilisation.  It can be planted in pots or in the ground.  Propagation is via the rhizome.   It can be harvested on an as-needed-basis so it works well in creating a long-term edible garden.

Sand ginger (Cekur or Kencur)

Similar to turmeric, the whole plant can be used.  The leaves and rhizomes have therapeutic values and used as condiments in cooking.  They can be planted in containers or in the ground and does best in rich, organic soil with some sand content.  Propagation is via the rhizome.  You can harvest the leaves on as-needed-basis but to harvest the rhizome, it is best to harvest the whole plant.

Ginger – Bentong (Halia Bentong)

This is one of my favourites with its therapeutic values and multi-uses.  It can be turned into a drink, used as a condiment, made into a pickle and used in combination with other herbs to create an organic pest control.  It also produces a flower, similar in shape to the turmeric, but in red color.  It does best in soil with a good content of sand and doesn’t tolerate water-logged soil.  Propagation is via its rhizome.  I choose this over the regular ginger due to its therapeutic values and beautiful flower.  You can harvest them on a as-needed-basis but it is best to replant after 1 year to continue to have quality ginger.

Small Galangal (Lengkuas kecil)

Amongst the various herbs, I consider this plant to produce the prettiest flower.  It has therapeutic values which makes it a plus when used in cooking.  It does best planted in the ground although it can also be planted in pots. It loves a rich, organic soil.  Propagation is via its rhizome.  I choose this over the regular galangal due to its more “potent” flavour and beautiful flower.  I tend to replant these every 2 years to maintain continuity and quality.

These basic 5 can add beauty to your garden and you can arrange them in such a way that it becomes a floral arrangement in your landscape.  If you have limited space, all you need is five pots and a few more pots a few months later for continuity of supply. 🙂

21 Jan 2017
0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy, SHL Products

Possibilities in dehydrating Part 1

This is part 1 of my new series on dehydrated foods.  All the produce that we dehydrate are produced at the farm hence it is natural and grown in an organic manner.  I remember growing up, my grandmother, grand-aunts and aunts often things were dried to preserve them especially in the villages where there was no electricity supply which means no refrigerators, chillers or freezers.  They did it to various fruits and also fish.  They didn’t use low quality items but fresh, good quality items to create these foods that can be preserved for later consumption.  With our weather and tropical fruits, once ripe they do not store for long periods well so dehydrating them is a good option.

We only do market once a week and the fruits ripen when they “feel” like it.  To me, they will not be in its prime for market so I had to come up with a way to not waste them.  I also had to come up with an alternative on the occasion that we are left with some produce after market.  After all the hard work in growing and caring for them, it would be a shame to just have it rot away although at the farm, it becomes food for the animals.  After evaluating various options, I decided to invest in a dehydrator as to me, the fresh produce can then be dried in a clean manner free from flies and the like, preserving as much as the nutrients and allowing for storage without the need for chillers or refrigerators.

Two of the fruits that we dehydrate and convert to an on-the-go snack which is healthy and tasty are papayas and bananas.  By dehydrating it, there is a minimal loss of the nutrients and the flavour is intensified.  It is packed in a suggested fruit serving size so it is easy to take it with you.  It can also serve as your breakfast fruit if you are on the run – you can munch it on your way to work.  The idea is to have your fruit servings easily accessible as a snack without any additives, sugar, colouring or preservatives.  Seasonally, we will also have dehydrated jackfruit.

One of the often used plant as a condiment that we dehydrate is lemongrass.  It comes in a crushed form and can be used in multiple ways.  By steeping in hot water, it can be turned into lemongrass tea.  This drink can be served either warm or cold, either sweetened or unsweetened or added to another drink as flavouring.  In the crushed form, it can also be used for cooking.  Being in a dehydrated form, it can be stored in your kitchen, ready for use whenever you want.    One stalk is approximately 1 teaspoon.  We do not add anything to our dehydrated lemongrass so it is pure lemongrass.  Lemongrass is an alternative therapy or home remedy used for various conditions such as to aid in digestion, improve skin condition, fighting cancer, controlling cholesterol levels, for cleansing and detoxifying – there are quite a few others.  Some of the properties of the lemongrass are analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anticancer, antibacterial and diuretic.  It is from these properties that it is used as alternative or complementary treatment.  I find the taste to be pleasing and add it to drinks and used it for cooking.  Although I prefer it fresh, for the times when I do not have any fresh lemongrass, this works just as well.

Ginger torch is also another commonly used herbal condiment in local cuisine.  By having the
dehydrated crushed ginger torch flower within easy access, you can use it as a seasoning that is sprinkled over the top of hot rice, giving a wonderful fragrance to plain white rice.  It can also be used to season various dishes. namely savoury dishes.  Each pack contains only ginger torch flowers without any preservatives,  The color of the crushed ginger torch is also all natural – the color of the flower.  With the dehydration process, it retains its aromatics and flavour.  There is no need to refrigerate it, just store it the same manner that you would store dried herbs – in a cool area.
In traditional or alternative therapy, it is used to reduce diabetes and hypertension and also to treat loss of appetite.  No wonder I like the plain rice better when I sprinkle some bunga kantan on it.  It is said to also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Blue sweet pea flower (bunga telang) is a bright, depp blue flower which is often used in Malay cooking especially for making nasi kerabu, colouring the rice a nice blue.  This flower is a natural food colouring and with its color also have antioxidant properties as well as other healing properties.  To make a food colouring, just pour hot water over a few friend flowers and allow it to steep until the liquid is cool.  This liquid can then be used as a food colouring for making cakes, agar-agar, etc.  Apart from using it as a food colouring to make both savoury and sweet dishes, it also makes a nice blue tea with a subtle floral flavour.  To make the tea, pour hot water over a few pieces of the dried flower and you will immediately see the water turning blue.  It can be served hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened.  It can be combined with other ingredients to make a drink and I find it interesting that when calamansi (limau kasturi) juice is added to it, it turns into a royal purple color.  This would make an interesting and good tasting drink especially for children in providing them with a healthy alternative.  The flowers are picked at full bloom and dehydrated making it easy to store and have readily available.

I grow all kinds of plants that lends itself to being dehydrated and in part 2, I will describe the other dried products that we have 🙂