Mmmm I love the sweet smell at home now, originated from my lovely kitchen.

The comforting aroma of pandan and lemongrass tea.

Haven't been to the market for quite a while, and whenever I was at Tesco, the lemongrass seems dry and semi wilted :( Miss making this drink!

And while I'm still on holiday, I woke up earlier for a trip to the market..
The young woman was very kind to get me  fresher stalks. I got 3 fat stalks hehehe, for I think RM0.50?

I couldn't find parsley though :( 
Initially wanted to do a kidney cleanse today. But its alright. Lemongrass juice is still super.

It is pretty simple, just 3 ingredients:- 1 stalk of lemongrass, 1 thumb ginger and 2 pandan leaves, knotted.


I grated half of the ginger because I forgot my mortar at my old place. I wanted a stronger ginger taste.

I knotted and crush the pandan leaves for more aroma, and slice the lemongrass. Add about half a pot of water and boil for about 20 mins. Low heat.

Brown sugar is optional, but I like mildly sweet so I put 3 teaspoonful in.



Voila! My delicious lemongrass tea.
Refreshing, and full of goodness. 

It's properties include:
~ Anti cancer
~ Aids digestion
~ Great to cure heatiness and fever.



Now, I'm off to read a good book! :)

Salut!
It has been a while eh? Got rather laid back with updates, so here is one quick post about the teas I've been drinking.

Mulberry Leaves and Chrysanthemum Tea

Since I have a mulberry tree at home, I alternate between fresh and dried leaves. If fresh, I'll use a little lesser. Just 2 ingredients, sometimes I add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.


I picked these leaves a few days earlier, after a couple of days became semi dried.


What it looks like after being boiled..
And, the tea..


Delicious!
I love to wind down at the end of the day with a good brew of healthy tea.
Easy to prepare and can be enjoyed even on weekdays.

This tea has many benefits but the main ones:
~ Prevent fatty liver
~ Aids weight loss
~ Improves eye sight
~ Cooling
~ Regulate blood pressure

This can be consumed cold or hot, but I prefer it warm. Relaxes me for a good night's sleep.

After many years of tea drinking, I've recently gotten very interested with flower / herbal teas (because I now know where to get them!)

Tea for today offers many health benefits; let's go thru by individual herbs.

Pak Kei / HuangQi
~ is of warm properties
~ promotes urination (diuretic)
~ used for treating cold and respiratory infections
~ strengthen immune system
~ is antibacterial and antiviral
~ protects liver
~ promotes tissue regeneration
~ can lower blood pressure (large dosage)
~ can increase blood pressure (small dosage)
~ regulate blood sugar

Jiao Gu Lan
~ antioxidant
~ promotes longevity
~ is a calming adaptogen
~ anti aging
~ improves digestion
~ improves fat metabolism
~ improves endurance in the body
~ regulates hormonal functions
~ prevents constipation
With so many health benefits, I'm happy to drink this every other day..

Got this from Yoga Journal dated back in 1999!
Also known as: Glycyrrhiza Glabra

Benefits of Licorice:

• Aphrodisiac (taken with milk and sugar)
• Soothe bowel and kidney irritations
• Cleanse the colon
• Strengthen the liver
• Mild laxative to expel mucous from lungs
• Good to treat sore throats
• Relieves canker sores, eczema, psoriasis.
• Heals herpes (sprinkle powdered roots onto clean sores) (WTF?)
• General abdominal pain, asthma, depression, insomnia
• Menstrual difficulties, nausea, tooth decay

The Nutrients:

• Vitamin B and E
• Choline
• Biotin
• Inositol
• Glycosides
• Isoflavanoids
• Triterpenoids
• Sterols
• Amino acids

Too much of a good thing can become harmful; so use moderately. Excessive use may cause:

• increase sodium
• water retention
• elevate blood pressure
• increase cardiac dysfunction

Licorice Tea:

by decoction:-

Put 1-2 teaspoon of dried licorice into pot/saucepan. Add one cup of water for each teaspoon of licorice. Bring mixture to boil and simmer on low heat for 10-20 mins. Add honey / apple juice after simmerring.