Huaishan Greenbean Soup

I have been staying at home. There is no lockdown in Singapore but we have Stay Home notice. To curbed Covid-19, going out without a mask is against the law and so is gatherings. All food need to be packaged and to consume at home. No one is allowed to eat in hawker centers, restaurants and outlets in the open. Shopping malls are closed. Except for essential services, all are closed.

I did not stepped out since yesterday. With so much time in hand, I tried making a dessert to pamper myself. It is the Huaishan Greenbean Soup.

Green bean contain Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, C, E, K and minerals like iron, magnesium and potassium. It can be taken warm or chilled.

Huaishan or Shan Yao or Chinese Yam. It improves digestive system, reduce blood sugar, nourishes lungs and kidney.  Being an antioxidant it also boost immunity. It is also beneficial for both male  and female reproductive system. Huaishan can be eaten fresh or put into soup or stir-fry with other vegetables.

You may take it and improve your health.

A Day at the Garden....

I was at The Garden By The Bay on 16.8.2014 with my brother. I have taken some photographs with my handphone and put them up here. It is always a joy to see multicolored flora and fauna at display. Enjoy!

"African Leaves"...非洲叶

I do not know the botanic name of this plant that produces these wonder leaves. If you walk around housing estates, you will probably find them growing but you have to know them to identify the correct tree. (See picture)

“African leaves” or the Chinese named it “Fei Zhou Ye” is a medicinal plant. The attributes and wonder of leaves from this plant is circulated by words of mouths from people who have tried it and benefited from it. Once again because of health, I chanced upon this plant and think I should share it here.

So what so good about these leaves? You can try consuming this leave. I took it because of blood sugar and of course cholesterol and it did showed results when I went for my check-up. It lowers…

- Blood sugar and good for diabetic patients 

- Cholesterol 

- Blood pressure

- Detoxification

- prevents cancer, etc 

How to go about eating these leaves? 

1) These leaves can be eaten raw after you plucked it from the tree. One leave a day, keep chewing and I have to warn you that it is super bitter. It is bitter than bitter gourd and the bitterness lingers in your mouth for a long long time. However there are people who reported that their blood sugar went down to normal…. OR 

2) Plucked the leaves and wash it clean. You lay newspapers on the floor and wind dry the leaves (you cannot sun it). You know when it dries because it curled up. Store them in a box neatly and every night before you go to bed, take 5 leaves, pour boiling water and soak it over night. Next morning when you wake up, drink a cup empty stomach. You can still taste the bitterness but not so much as you chew it fresh. 

Other than those mentioned, looks like it will also help to wash down fats and help in weight loosing. People who have joints pain due to urea acids said it helps to reduce the pain too. These leaves are good for prevention of stroke or people who have recovered from stroke. There are many more effective results for various illnesses i.e headache etc. So much for these magic leaves. 

I have not seen people selling these leaves in Singapore. In actual fact you need not buy because you can take a stalk and plant it. It grows readily and anyone who grows it will be willing to let you have some leaves. I have a picture of the plant above. The tree itself won’t die after you plucked the leaves. I plucked about 200 – 300 leaves and until I went back for more, the leaves are all grown (there are other people plucking from this tree too so you can see the leaves grow very fast). 

Add this to your medicinal plant knowledge. If so many people eat it and did not die from it, me too so it is consumable. Do the portion as mentioned and don’t overdo it. If you are already sick, it will gradually heal. If you are well, take it for prevention purposes. Nothing is magical overnight, it needs time…so let African leaves get you back to health. 

The beauty of Cactus...

"Cactus is a member of the Cactaceae family.... " and all these you can read from the Internet if you like to find out more.

 

I love these spiky plants in all shapes and sizes and they are so pretty to look at. I always kudos Mother Nature when I started to be awared of the surroundings and environment. I am curious about just anything that is a product of Mother Nature. She gave us so many beautiful things ranging from trees, to flowers, to plants, to animals, to minerals and crystals. The most complicated thing Mother Nature gave us is HUMAN.

 

Today I am here to share some of the pretty pictures I took of these spiky vegetation. Singapore is not a desert so we have to bring these plants into Singapore. We are hot enough for it to survive but not good enough for it to grow everywhere so we keep them in an enclosed plant-house, let it grow and "pay money" to enjoy looking at it.

 

These plants are edible since it is a source of food and water for human and camels in the deserts. I ate some Mexican Nopal by making it into soup, throw in some chicken, with garlic and ginger. The stock smell lovely and taste delicious.

 

Many know that the flowers from cactus plants are lovely and very very pretty. Their colors if not white are vibrant red or deep pink, yellow etc. There are also plants under the Cactus family that are non-spike like S-pipe Epiphyllum oxypetalum which is also known as Midnight Queen. Therefore when you are with plants, pick one and really look at it from the stems to the leaves and the flowers. Touch it and feel its texture. It is therapeutic to touch plants and healing to talk to a plant. At least it blooms to show its appreciation and not talk back at you.....

 

 

 

 

My love for Trees

Many people love flowers and plants. I have a friend who is a layman but he took the trouble to remember the names of these plants as in botanic names. I am not able to remember too complicated names of flowers and plants and therefore bought a book. I enjoy looking at all the beautiful flowers and plants and the colours and shapes never fail to mesmerize me. 

I love Trees. If I can I like to hug the tree trunks. I like to look at the barks textures and their colors too. Looking at the trunks also make me look at all the parasite plants clinging onto the trees and realized that parasite orchids are so pretty and so are the stag-horn ferns.

Trees gave me a feeling of security. It is big and strong and animatedly friendly. Their roots grow right down and it is so ''down to earth''. It stands by itself and silently grow, spreading its branches and some reaching for the sky. Some trees have branches that spread out to give shades and sanctuary to both human and animals that come under them. It shade away the sun, to provide a cooling place to relax. Have you sleep under a tree? Try it. 

Some trees stand for a few hundreds years. It saw the changes of the earth. It saw changes of people, it saw changes of the landscape around it and that of many eras. If the tree can speak, it can tell you lots and lots of stories of past and present.

It is painful to see trees being cut. Can you hear the trees speaking to you, can you hear its whisper? It not only do what we see it can do, it also protected the environment.  How many of us see these, appreciate and are grateful of it presence? 

In Singapore, although we are a small island however the government keep this place green. Children are taught about the environment. We are never short of trees and places that are Parks for people to socialize and relax.

Here are some pictures of tree trunks that I took while visiting Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Enjoy!

Wheatgrass...

Recently I have been drinking Wheatgrass juice. I know this grass has been around for a long time and many people are already using it as a juice, coloring, made into cakes, as an alternative medicine. It is also not a cheap drink because a small cup is S$2.00.

Many were said about this grass that it can be used for various medicinal purposes. I am not able to find anything concrete or proof that it is a 'wonder' grass for that matter but again anything grown naturally cannot be too harmful. Consuming such drinks, one needs to be moderate and not overdo it.

It smells like freshly cut grass. Not many can take the smell but I like the smell of freshly cut grass. The smells tell you that it is green in color. Wheatgrass is green in color. Beautifully green and it gives a color of Life. We all know that green color in the grass is called chlorophyll.

 

To consume wheatgrass, we have to separate the roots from the stems. A handful of wheatgrass probably can only give you a small portion of juice. This concentrated juice is nutrients and said to contain Vitamin A, C, E, iron, calcium, magnesium and amino acids.

 

So what can this wonder grass do? Below are extracts from various sites....

 

"Wheatgrass is used for increasing production of hemoglobin, the chemical in red blood cells that carries oxygen; improving blood sugar disorders, such as diabetes; preventing tooth decay; improving wound healing; and preventing bacterial infections. It is also used for removing deposits of drugs, heavy metals, and cancer-causing agents from the body; and for removing toxins from the liver and blood."

 

" Some people use wheatgrass for preventing gray hair, reducing high blood pressure, improving digestion, and lowering cholesterol by blocking its absorption."

 

"Wheatgrass is used for cancer and arthritis in alternative treatment programs. "

 

So much to this wonder grass and many more can be found on the net.

 

When I first took it, it helped me to clear my bowels easily. People said it may cause nausea but I am OK with it and I suppose everyone body is different.

 

Again I want to remind is to take everything moderately. I take it as a health drink. People who said it works wonder, yes maybe in combinations with other supplement they have been taking and they give credit to wheatgrass. So don't buy every thing said at 'log, stock and barrel'.

Sang Ye..or Mulberry Leave

Sharing again a medicinal leave which I consumed recently "Sang Ye " or "桑叶" in Chinese. This leave has another name called "Mulberry Leave aka Folium Mori".  Yes, you are right, the leave that silkworms feed on. What good is this leave?

I stumbled on this plant because I got lazy eyes or Chinese calls it "眼针". The eyes are hot and one side of my eye had a slight swell which is painful and very uncomfortable. My brother bought these leaves and put it in a slow cooker with water and let it boiled. He gave me the drink and after drinking a few cups, my eye swelling when down. This fresh brewed has no taste, just like tea however the smell to me is not so pleasant.

He also took some of the leaves from the boiled drink and pounded them and than applied on both my eyes. The boil on my eye broke and pus started oozing. The swell subsided. I decided to google and read about this leave and realized that it not only heals the eyes and at the same time there are many goodness about the plant. Sharing with you some of the medicianl  benefits and you can read further from the internet.

Sang Ye's benefits - to list a few

1) It is a powerful sugar blocking agent and act as a sugar balancer

2) Good for controlling blood pressure

3) Lower Cholesterol

4) It a Liver cleanser and prevent Liver Cancer

5) It is a powerful Anti-oxident

6) Good for Eyes as it contains Vit A

7) It contains various Vitamins and Minerals that are good for the Immune Systems

As I read on, I realized that various races around the world is using this leaves as remedies for various illness. It is surely a cleanser because after drinking the tea, I have been going to the restroom. My intestine is also cleaning up and I can feel some changes to my body.

A disclaimer - I am not the authority to gaurantee this leaves works for everyone but it works for me and many of our friends who tried it. Everything has to be taken moderately with right dosage. Over dosage of Mulberry Leaves carry some poison so be aware.

Below are some extracts from my readings :

"Mulberry tea is used to treat a variety of health issues including colds, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, mulberry tea can be used to treat conditions associated with the liver and lung meridians. It helps clear fever, headache, sore throat, cough, and red or painful eyes. Mulberry tea can also inhibit the development of bacterial strains, including streptococcus, the cause of strep throat. Drink mulberry tea to prevent and recover from common cold symptoms.

Mulberry tea naturally inhibits carbohydrate absorption. This is a result of the compound moranoline 1-deoxynojirimycin). Moranoline inhibits an enzyme in the intestinal tract (alpha-glucosidase) involved in the digestion of carbohydrates. This means the starchy, carbohydrate-rich foods you eat, like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, do not turn to glucose in your body and are simply flushed out. The lack of glucose in your system also lowers your blood sugar levels, making you less hungry. Used as part of a sensible diet, mulberry tea helps you achieve your weight loss goals.

Mulberry tea reduces the oxidization of cholesterol in the blood vessels, resulting in reduced risk of atherosclerosis (blocked blood vessels). This is due to quercetin and additional flavonoids contained in mulberry leaves. These antioxidants inhibit oxidative stress reactions that produce atherosclerosis. For healthy blood vessels, drink mulberry tea as a regular supplement to a healthy lifestyle.

Good Sugar Balance Mulberry leaf tea can balance blood sugar and aids in carbohydrate absorption according to a 2008 study. According to Medical News Today, the herb lowers post-meal blood sugar spikes and stabilizes blood sugar levels. As a result, drinking mulberry tea results in more sustained energy levels throughout the day.

For centuries, mulberry tea has been used as a treatment for diabetes mellitus in Asia. One of the most unique qualities of the mulberry leaf tea is its ability to prevent sugars from entering your bloodstream. Researchers in Japan found that mulberry leaves contain compounds that inhibit intestinal enzymes from passing sugars into the bloodstream. This inhibitor compound known as 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), can only be extracted from the mulberry leaf. By preventing large amounts of monosaccharide from entering into circulation, mulberry tea helps prevent and fight diabetes.

Prior to using mulberry leaf tea to treat any condition, please consult a licensed health care provider. "

Activities of the Naga Beings....

I have posted on Naga Beings and now continue to talk more about them.

Nagas are Dragons, serpents, snakes or to summarize...they are reptiles but tortoise, fish and frogs too fall under this Family Group.  However Nagas are from both the world and other realms, so if you don't see them it doesn't mean they are not around. The thing that caused Nagas to be angry and bring harm to human is when they are hurt or killed in human pursuit to claimed land, cut forest, burnt jungles, dig ground, built houses, mass killing of bigger mammals in the sea etc. They will create accidents, sickness and deadly ones too or skin diseases and many more.

Buddhists do not take refuge in Nagas but we acknowledge their presence and do offerings to them for peace and harmony within the family, the society and the Nation. It is like making peace with an angry neighbor so we offer flowers, five-color clothes, milk, honey, oats etc. Remember Nagas are clean and they do not accept anything that is stained by blood. In return, the Nagas will protect humans who did the offerings, giving them protection and wealth.

As in human, the Nagas too have the Black and White groups, meaning the Bad and Good groups. The Black group will not help nor forgive and will surely harm us if we agitate them, but the White groups promised to protect Dharma practitioners and those who are kind and good.

So if you dream of snake, please find monks or Tibetan monks to help perform the Naga Puja. It can be done by offering Food, Water or Incense and the Guru will advise what is best. However if there is a serious epidemic that cause sickness and death, the Gurus normally will do the ''lion roar rituals'' to appease these Naga Beings.

There is a certain day in a month to perform these pujas. You will have to check the correct dates and take part if you can or do a small donation towards the payers.

Below is the monthly activities of the Nagas....

1) 1st Month (January) is the Naga's Dharma month. They will listen to Dharma.

2) 2nd Month (February) is the Naga gained Wisdom month. They will help and protect those who make offerings to them.

3) 3rd Month (March) is the Naga Gathering or Meeting Day. All offerings will become nectar and they will fulfilled our wishes.

4) 4th Month (April) is the Naga Discipline and Regulations Day. Offerings at the place where prayers/ rituals is permored will bring peace and harmony.

5) 5th Month (May) is a rainy month. Naga will stay at home and practice. Offerings during this month will help us gain wisdom.

6) 6th Month (June) is Fruits collecting month. Offerings made to Naga will have our wish fullfilled. These is good for people wishing for child or wealth.

7) 7th Month (July) sees Naga collecting essence of food. Offerings during this month will help us not born in places of hunger or be hungry.

8) 8th Month (August) is a Naga dress-up month. Offerings to Nagas will help to gain wealth and also auspicious success.

9) 9th Month (September) sees Nagas collecting essence from trees, give them offerings and invoke their protection and they will bestow wealth.

10) 10th Month (October) is when all Nagas take a rest. They will be sleeping so no need to do any offerings.

11) 11th Month (November) is Winter working month. Offerings to Nagas will bring peace, happiness and harmony for oneself and family and also to the Nation.

12) 12th Month (December) is when Nagas guard their Wealth. Offerings to Naga will help us safeguard our Wealth

Therefore the Monthly Naga pujas performed Monthly will see the people and the Country of Singapore safe, happy, free from epidemic. The Nation will have due rainfalls, flowers will bloom and trees bear fruits. It will also bring abundance and prosperity to oneself and the Country.

(The above is a teaching given by Khenpo Dorje of Sakya Templing in Pasir Ris)

As 2012 is coming to an end, I pray that all Beings be Well, be Happy, at Peace and be Safe. May Beings have Happiness and the Cause of Happiness and be freed from Sufferings! Sadhu x3

Being aware....

 

Not many people are aware of their thought processes.

 

Recently I am aware of my thoughts on and off and at the same time aware of my surroundings and the people around me. I realized my heart ''thoughts'' played many tricks on me or me being gullible because I did not guard my thoughts.

 

My ''heart'' responded to external influences. When someone is nice to me, I said he is nice. When someone is not friendly I asked ''why''. Our ''heart'' is forever busy judging and reasoning. Some time we reasoned to make us feel better but actually there is nothing to justify.

 

Whatever arises is due to conditions and thus the consequences. We are not aware that our actions may caused or disturbed others thoughts. We always think that I don't care and what you feel is our own ''thoughts''.

 

When we say there is nothing but actually there is something because our reactions towards the other party is no longer friendly. We can be cordial or a matter of fact but we no longer care about the results it brings.

 

I realized the Road of Cultivation is a lonely one. There are so many doors leading to the same goal and each of us takes a different one. There are people who travelled together, there are people like me who have to be on my own. The problem is recognizing that you are ''alone'' and do not forced yourself onto anyone. The problem with human beings are we want to be associated. I know that we say we want to practice, we want to achieve ultimate enlightenment, we want to achieve for the benefits of Sentient Beings....but we keep on causing pain to others.

 

I also realized that all the Great Masters achieved clarity and wisdom when they are practising on their own and finally Enlightenment. Before one understand what it is, how can one tell people about it? In another word, if we do not abandone the Three Poisions, how do we understand the profound and yet simple Truth? We are already so confused with bombardment of so many information. Some say this is good, we all run there; some say this is no good, we all keep away. Some say this is a Perfect Teacher because of name and fame and we are like idol chasing. We want to be associated with the most popular masters - Yes, they are good Masters but what do we see in them?

 

I rejoiced at all the Gurus who has attained an enlighten mind in their many life times. They are now here because they wanted to reach out to all those who has the affinity with them. Do we look at the Gurus of passed achievement or do we look at the Gurus we know or think that we know? How many of us take time to find out? Mostly we know who he is in the past and follow him now because he is renowned?

 

Buddha reminded when Dharma is slowly receding, we have to be an island onto our self. We just need to continue practising and perfecting our self for the coming of the next Buddha. Yes, we can achieve this life time so we will come back for others when we understand what is it all about.

 

Did you ever thought why are there so many Arahants during Buddha Sakyamuni's time. There are many devotees or even people who met Him first time, listened to his Teachings and attained different stages of Arahantship?

 

I will continue to ''look at the rising and falling of my thoughts''. I know too that I will stray from my cause on and off. I will still continue to pay my respect to all Masters who follow Buddha's Dharma and is spreading the correct Teachings.

 

At the end of the day, I have to face ''Death" myself. All the good things I have done is to prep myself so that I don't go to Hell? If I am a practitioner, going to Hell may not be a bad thing because there are endless suffering beings there too.....and there are also Great Masters and Bodhisattva there too. Going to Hell is also to clear obstacles and you need not be burnt there too...do you believe?

Seven Star Needles II - Purple Flower

In my earlier posting of the Seven Star Needles - Orange Flowers, I mentioned about the special Purple Flowers species. 

An Aunt gave me a cutting and she puts it in a bottle filled with water. She mentioned that I can only put it in soil when there are roots growing. She also mentioned that the purple species is not easy to grow. She do not gauranteed that my plant will survive.

My cutting survived. It did not grow into scrub but instead a few branches extended. The amazing thing is it blooms immediately. The flowers of the orange flower and purple flower bloomed differently. Orange flower blooms individually but the purple flowers blooms in a clusters.

This Purple Flower Pereskia Grandifolia is widely researched for its medicinal abilities. It was said that it is very effective for people seeking cure for cancer. I do not really know how true is this but it is definitely a medicinal plants at your backyard. Below is an extract from what I read.

"Both Pereskia bleo (orange flower) and Pereskia grandifolia (purple flower) have been used as natural remedies in cancer-related diseases, either eaten raw or taken as a concoction brewed from fresh plants. Both are believed to have anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-rheumatic, anti-ulcer, and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also used as remedies for the relief of headache, gastric pain, ulcers, hemorrhoids, atopic dermatitis, and for revitalizing the body.[3–5] In Panama, the locals use the whole plant of Pereskia bleo to treat gastrointestinal problems,[6] while in India, Pereskia grandifolia is used to reduce swelling.[7–8] "

For me, I fell in love with the vibrant purple clusters. It is a joy to see them buds and blooms and became a fruit. I do not really know how to use this plant but I saw many readers coming to my blog reading about this plant - The Seven Star Needles.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum...a midnight bloom

Recently my garden is blessed with the blooming of Epiphyllum Oxypetalum. I love the plant and have anticipated its blooming for a long long time.Unlike other plants whose blooms will last a few days, this one will show itself for a short span of a few hours after midnight and than it will starts to fade when morning comes. So if you want to catch the special moment, you will have to stay up after midnight to celebrate its opening.

In this part of the world, we called the bloom 'Qiong Hua' or 'Keng Fa'. The fragrant of the flowers are sweet and pleasant to the nose. Scent filled the air and it made me very happy to see its opened white long petals, exposing the pollens and the heart. The white petals were so white that it looked like white feathers. The local people will let the flower dropped off and dries it and use it to make soup with pork ribs. It said that it cures diabetic. These are only local believe which I have no scientific proof for it.

Quote "Epiphyllum Oxypetalum is a night blooming succulent cactus of the type called an epiphyte. Oxypetalum is also called Dutchman S Pipe".

Sharing here are photographs that I took. All three bulbs in my garden bloomed one after another and it was said that it will bring good luck and abundance to the Owner of the plant.

Tropical Herbs...'Seven Star Needle'

Someone gave me a plant and said that the name as translated in Chinese is 'Seven Star Needle'. She told me that the leaves of this plant has medicinal value. By eating 7 pieces of the leaves, it will clear toxic in the intestine. This will relief all bad toxic and therefore avoid Cancer.

After doing some research, I realized the scientific name of this plant is Pereskia Bleo. Its flower comes in orangy red. I was given a stem to plant and after 7 months, it started to flower.

There are many herbal plants around us and we do not know them and therefore missed the chance of better health. As this plant grows by the fence, it naturally needs it as a support. However because it is a herb and it is used locally, people have been eating it and getting results from it. As I mentioned before Prevention is better than cure and it is good if you have this plant in your backyard and eat the leave occasionally or make drinks with it so that the family can also benefit.

This is how it can be taken

1) Pluck 7 pieces of leaves, wash and chew it. Do it once or twice a week (A word to pregnant women that you should not try anything as your body may not be able to take it with a baby.)

2) Pluck 7 pieces of leaves and boil it with one bowl of water until it is one cup and drink it like tea. This is good for clearing toxic in the intestine.

3) Pluck 7 pieces of leave and boil it like a soup, add pork ribs and a little salt. It is a good soup for the family.

4) Pluck 7 pieces of leave and stir fry with other vegetables.

It not only counteract Cancer, it lower blood pressure, cholesterol, migraine and many more.

I ate the leaves from this plant myself every time I do my gardening. I plucked and chewed it. It is crunchy and give out a nice smell. Since it is cactus family, the leaves are a little gummy but acceptable. However its flowers and fruits can also be eaten, cooked or raw. The needle thorns are used by Chinese Doctors to cure skin disease.

Here is some facts about this plant...

"Pereskia is a genus of about 25 tropical species and varieties of cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and thin stems. They originate from the region between Brazil and Mexico. They can be classified as shrubs, climbing plants or slightly succulent trees.Most of the species are found in dry forests or thorny scrub, in tropical climates..."

Apparently from the net, I also found that Malaysian Doctors have recorded about the benefits of this plant. You can search by typing "Pereskia Bleo".

Quote...
"Both Pereskia bleo and Pereskia grandifolia have been used as natural remedies in cancer-related diseases, either eaten raw or taken as a concoction brewed from fresh plants. Both are believed to have anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-rheumatic, anti-ulcer, and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also used as remedies for the relief of headache, gastric pain, ulcers, hemorrhoids, atopic dermatitis, and for revitalizing the body. [3],[4],[5] In Panama, the locals use the whole plant of Pereskia bleo to treat gastrointestinal problems, [6] while in India, Pereskia grandifolia is used to reduce swelling. [7],[8]"

For those reading Chinese, you can also try searching for "七星针草药".

This plant is easily found in Malaysia and Singapore. I was told that the Purple Flower Pereskia Grandifolia is also widely search for its medicinal abilities. I had one stem growing and will share the flower picture once it blooms.

Hope this article is helpful and beneficial for those reading here.