Sang Ji Sheng – with Many Health Benefits
By Vicky Chan of NourishU
Sang Ji Sheng (桑寄生) or Taxilli twig is also known as mulberry mistletoe. It has long been characterized by increasing lifespan and preserving health in many medical classics. The health benefits include lowering blood pressure, treating an abnormal heart rhythm, increasing coronary blood flow, improving coronary circulation, enhancing cardiac contractility, reducing myocardial oxygen consumption, inhibiting platelet aggregation, preventing thrombosis, promoting microcirculation, suppressing tumor growth, curing hepatitis, and so on.
TCM classifies Sang Ji Sheng as bitter and sweet in taste and neutral in nature. Medicinally, only the dried aerial parts of the plant are used. They are usually collected in winter and spring with the big stems removed and the smaller parts cut into sections and dried. Sang Ji Sheng is used in TCM remedies for nourishing liver and kidney, building strong bones and muscles, expelling wind-dampness and preventing abortion. It is also used in resolving health problems such as aching lumbus and knees, weak physique, hemiplegia, rheumatic pain, light headedness, threatened abortion, uterine bleeding, and blood in stool.
Sang Ji Sheng with its neutral nature is commonly used with few restrictions. Since it is a parasitic plant and lives on other woody trees, there can be slight toxicity derived from the host plant. Therefore, the recommended dosage is from 20 to 25 grams in making a decoction. When slight symptoms of adverse effects are found such as dizziness, headache or upset stomach, the whole batch of herb should be discarded. However, adverse effects are not commonly known because Sheng Ji Sheng tea is a very common street food found in many corner stores in China. The Sang Ji Sheng tea with egg dessert is an all-time favourite snack for many.
this lovely image by Vicky Chan
The easiest way to get the health benefits of Sang Ji Sheng is to cook it into a tea. It is a very inexpensive herb and you can buy it in most Chinese herbal shops. You can get 500 gm in a box for less than the price of a small box of tea bags. Make sure you rinse the herb thoroughly first (or even a quick blanching) before boiling it for 45 minutes to make tea. You can add milk and sugar to serve just like making English tea and it is very delicious. I will highly recommend you to try this and treat you guests with this new healthy tea for a change.
The following recipe, Sang Ji Sheng tea with egg dessert, is not only a healthy snack, it is also good for improving complexion and promoting better skin because Sang Ji Sheng is anti-inflammatory and promotes blood circulation. You will be healthier and prettier eating this on a regular basis.
this lovely image by Vicky Chan
Sang Ji Sheng Tea and Egg Dessert
Ingredients (2 servings)
• Sang Ji Sheng – 50 gm
• Egg – two
• Red dates – 10
• Lotus seeds – (optional) a handful
• Organic cane sugar – to taste
Directions
1. Bring 5 cups of water in a pot to a boil and put herb (sang ji sheng) in to cook for half a minute. Remove from heat, discard the water and rinse the herb for a few times to get rid of dirt.
2. Put herb back into the pot with 5 to 6 cups of fresh water. If lotus seed is used, the herb should be put in a soup bag so that it is easier to discard it at the end.
3. Rinse eggs, red dates and add to the pot. Bring water to a medium boil for 10 minutes. Remove eggs, put in cold water bath to remove the shell and put eggs back into the cooking. Continue cooking for another 35 minutes to about 2 cups of tea left.
4. Pick out dates and eggs and add to serving bowls. Filter tea and add to the bowls. Add sugar to taste and serve.
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Sang Ji Sheng – with Many Health Benefits : Chinese Medicine Living
Hawthorn - Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
By Vicky Chan of NourishU
High blood pressure and cholesterol are very common health problems to people in western societies living a hurried lifestyle, eating an unhealthy diet and lacking adequate exercise. The matter is worse during the winter months when many festivities occur (like thanksgiving and Christmas) and people are indulging more in high calorie and fatty foods.
Prevention is better than cure and self-care is better than healthcare. Preventing illness from happening is so much cheaper and more effective than curative care.
To help with fighting high blood pressure and high cholesterol which is believed to be the culprit to most heart diseases, I highly recommend you to try hawthorn.
Hawthorn is a very common fruit which is widely grown in many parts of the world. Chinese hawthorn can be commonly found in most Chinese fresh food markets or herbal stores. Dried, candied hawthorn slices are a popular snack for children to help improve appetite and promoting proper digestion. A few hawthorn fruits are commonly added to meat stews to make the meat more tender and easy to digest. In recent years, food scientists have discovered that the Chinese hawthorn fruit can lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, improve the functioning of the coronary artery and can be effectively used for the prevention and cure of coronary heart disease.
Dried hawthorn is very inexpensive and can be stored for a long time. It is sour in taste and is very acidic. It is not recommended for people with acid related digestive issues. Research suggests that hawthorn can lower low density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad cholesterol”), and triglycerides (fats in the blood). It seems to lower accumulation of fats in the liver and the aorta (the largest artery in the body, located near the heart). It also increases the excretion of bile and has antioxidant properties.
Simple ways to use hawthorn are:
1. For treating indigestion
Boil 10 hawthorn fruits with 15 grams of brown sugar in 2 cups of water and cook down to one cup and drink the liquid before each meal.
2. For treating lack of appetite (in humid summer weather)
Make a tea using 5 grams of hawthorn fruit, 3 grams of orange peel, 5 mint leaves and a little white sugar.
3. For treating overeating after a big meal of meat or greasy foods
Boil 10 grams of hawthorn fruit, 5 grams of fried sprouted barley, and 5 grams of crushed radish seeds in 1-2 liters of water for about 5 minutes and drink the tea as frequently as desired.
4. For preventing and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
Boil 15 grams of hawthorn with 6 to 8 dates (cut into halves) with 3 cups of water and cook into one cup. Drink once a day and as often as necessary.
5. For more advanced problems with the arteries, please try the following recipe.
Cornbind and Hawthorn Tea
SYMPTOMS
High blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, and deficiency of yin, liver and kidney.
THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS
Enriches blood, nourishes yin, moisturizes dryness and calms wind, invigorates kidney and liver, clears away toxic materials, promotes blood circulation, disperses blood stasis, lowers blood pressure and level of blood lipids.
INGREDIENTS
- Chinese cornbind (ho shou wu) 何首烏 - 20gm
- Hawthorn (shan zha) 山楂 - 16gm
- Mulberry (sang shen) 桑椹 - 12gm
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse herbs and put them all in a pot with 5 cups of water.
2. Cook over medium heat until 1 cup of water left.
3. Drink tea only.
USAGE
Drink regularly for long term effects.
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Featured image from whisperingearth.co.uk
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If you are having health concerns and would like assistance, Emma Suttie D.Ac, AP offers Skype consultations.
Please email info@chinesemedicineliving.com for more info.
Hawthorn - Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol