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There have much researches on the medical benefits of drinking green tea which as as follows:

• drinking green tea lowers the riskof liver, pancretic, breast, lung, esophageal and skin cancers
• green tea lowers the risk of cardio-vascular disease by inhibiting the production of platelets, which form blockages of the coronary arteries
• green tea reduces the risk of stroke
• green tea lowers blood sugars. Animal experiments have shown that animals who maintain moderate blood sugar levels live longer.
• Green tea and its active components combat viruses.

So drink more green tea less coffee for your health and well being!

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You have heard earlier about Dukung Anak /”To carry a child”, now what about this RODENT tuber which is translated as “rat with a tail”shape or in Chinese popularly known as laoshu yu.

Some more details of it:

Scientific name:Typhonium flagelliforme

Part used: the entire plant (roots, tuber and leaves)

Characteristic: has smooth dark green leaves shaped like a broad arrowhead with whitish leaf petioles and tubers.

Traditional use:

• according to researches, it is effective as anti-tumor, anti-viral and
• its effect on cancer cells- able to destroy cancer cells.
• cancer users who consumed them find that their stomach may feel bloated and some even complained of severe pains. There may also be some mild diarrhoea and flatulence as well as lethargy and numbness in certain parts of the body. Women may find their menstrual cycles disrupted. These effects gradually disappear in a few days and patients will find that they are more energetic and their appetites improved.
• so far there is no case on anyone dying or suffering adversely even after taking its juice three times a day for up to six months and there are people who have been taking it for three to four years ( source-CancerCure)
• however, once a person is on this herb, the diet should be changed to consuming more fresh fruits, vegetables and juices and to avoid meat and dairy products, processed foods, refined oils, oil and fried food and do more steaming and boiling.

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It’s important to understand what food you eat as it affects your health and well being.

Append below are a rough guide for Malaysians on

1. Always foods -Nutrient-dense foods you can have at every meal
2. Sometimes foods-Not as nutrient-dense and higher in fats
3. Seldom foods- High in fats and/not very nutrient-dense. You should not have these so often.

SELDOM FOODS comprises:

• Char koay tewo ,
• Pizza,
• Fried chicken,
• Beef rendang,
• Salad dressing(mayonnaise),
• Meat burger,
• Seafood,
• Ice-cream,
• Fried eggs,
• Butter and margarince,
• Cured meats(luncheon meat),
• Organ meat(liver,intestine),
• Cookies(sugary,chocolate),
• Soft drinks(sugary)
• Pickled food ( cucumber,papaya)

SOMETIMES FOODS:

• Roti canai
• Nasi lemak
• Chicken rice
• Soupy noodles
• Durian
• Assam Laksa
• Tosai
• Curry chicken
• Boiled eggs
• Canned foods
• Nuts
• Sugar-coated cereals

ALWAYS FOODS:

• Whole wheat bread
• Fruits and vegetables
• Cereals(oats,barley)
• Lean meats(chicken without skin,fish)
• Steamed or poached meats ( with low salt)
• Taufu and soyabean products
• Legumes/beans
• Herbs and spices
• Mushrooms
• Fresh fruit juices (unsweetened)

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Local Name: Pegaga

Scientific name: Hydrocotyle asiatica Linn (Centella asiatica (L.) Urba)

Characteristic: A creeper and a herbaceous plant with long runners and red flowers

Parts Used: Leaves and roots

Traditional Use:

• In ancient traditions, pegaga was used to detoxify the blood formula and aid skin condition.
• Research on pegaga in 1949 indicated the plant’s success in accelerating healing and relieving inflamation on leprosy sores and ulcers.
• Its other medical uses include treating skin diseases, asthma, hypertension, poor appetite, poor blood circulation, kidney stones, leg cramps,rheumatism and dizziness.
• To treat dizziness, boil the leaves with green beans then leave it overnight in the open. Eat the leaves and beans with some sugar the next morning.
• When the leaves are boiled with onions and drunk, it is effective for treating rheumatism, water boiled with the roots is taken as tonic. To treat typhoid, pound the leaves finely and apply to the forehead
• Water in which the roots have been soaked is used for bathing by mothers after childbirth.
• The roots when boiled are sometimes used by Malays as a decoction or douche to treat vaginitis and vaginal thrush.
• Ayurvedic medicine recommends pegaga for treating asthma, anaemia and other blood disorders, to reduce inflammation and fever. It consider the herb a “balancing” tonic, that increases energy while it relaxes the body, it is held to be effective in combating insomnia and making one calm for yoga and meditation.
• According to scientific study, it is also said to improve intelligence and memory retention. The study reveal that tablets made from this plant when taken orally over 12 weeks by mentally retarded children, produced significant capabilities in them Madasiatic acid and brahmic acid have been isolated from the plant
• also known as pennyworth, jin chian cao ( in Chinese), valarai (Tamil), brahmi (Sanskrit), khulakudi (Hindi) and artaniyya-e-hindi (Arabic)
• the Malays normally usually take as Pegaga as ulam ( raw ).

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Local Name: Hempedu Bumi or Pokok cerita

Scientific name: Andrographis paniculata Nees

Characteristic:Grows wild in the open. Also now been cultivated for medicinal purposes.

Parts Used: Leaves or the entire plant

Traditional Use:

• When the plant is boiled and drunk, it helps to lower hypertension.
• Tastes very bitter but being used traditional as a tonic like drinking tea
• Also used for treating tonsilities, flu,fever and chest pain
• It further acts as a strong anti-oxidant, protecting the liver and digestive system;
• It is effective in cases of cardiovascular diseases
• Also used as a pain killer against snake bites
• When combined with Misai Kuching (Orthosiphon grandiflorus), it is effective for treating diabetes
• Laboratory and clinical trials have demonstrated its effectiveness in cases of liver damage, poor liver function and hepatities. The primary active constituent, andrographolide, has been found to produce a stronger choleretic and hepatoprotective effect than silymarin from milk thistle
• Also based on scientific study, the bitter taste is due to furanoditerpene which is andrographolide and neo andrographolide. It suppose to help protect the body from bacterial attack.
• However, the consumption of Hempedu Bumi if consumed on a long term basis is believed to cause impotence.

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Like the other herbs like Dukung Anak ( To carry a child), Rodent Tuber ( Rat with a tail), there is another plant called Misai Kuching which means cat whiskers. Well you look at this herb-plant, you can see the flowers resemble those of the whiskers of a cat!

Some more details:

Local Name: Misai Kuching, Remujung

Scientific name: Orthosiphon grandiflorus Boldingh

Characteristic: A herbaceous plant which grows on damp soil. Now popularly cultivated for medicinal purposes. It has bluish flowers and looks like cat’s whiskers.

Parts Used: Entire plant.The leaves are popularly consumed as tea.

Traditional Use:

• A traditional preparation for the relief of joint aches and stiffness,
• The plant is said to be effective treatment of arthritis, gout and rheumatism.
• Misai Kuching has a long history of use in Asia as a safe and effective herbal diuretic, blood purifier and in treating hypertension and kidney stones.
• Used regularly, it helps to remove excessive metabolic waste and acids from the body.
• Also known to be effective for diabetic treatment when Misai Kuching is combine with Hempedu Bumi.
• Also, at times the plant is boiled with pokok temu lawak (Curcuma Xanthorrhiza) for eliminationof stones in the bladder.

Based on scientific study there are two types of flavone have been discovered in Misai Kuching which 5-hydroxy-6,7,3,4-tetramethoxyflavone and 4,5,6,7-tetramethoxyflavone. One other separated compound is isosinensetin

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In earlier article on the importance and benefits derived from the exposure to sunlight, sun bathing has alway been welcomed by who understand its natural powers.

For those who has not initate this practise, append below some experts advice/recommendations pertaining to sun bathing:

1. There should be minimum possible clothing when sun-bathing
2. If it is desirable then the head be covered and the eyes should be closed during sun-bathing. Do not cover the face and never look directly at the sun
3. Exposing to morning or evening sunlight is always beneficial but avoid those of the sunlight of the midday which is too intense for our own good.
4. You should begin by exposing the body to the sunlight for five to ten minutes, the anterior parts of the body for half this period and the posterior parts for the other half. Gradully you can increase the exposure to about an hour.
5. Note that if there is a feeling of giddiness, fatigue or discomfort experienced during a sun-bath, this is an indication of excessive exposure to sunlight
6. After sun-bath, a cold water bath should be taken or the body wiped with a piece of cloth wrung out in cold water.

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Since young, we have been introduced that the sunlight or sun rays is of prime importance to our mental and physical health. The growth and development of one’s body is dependent on sunlight which consists of energy and color.

However free thing like the sunlight has not been fully appreciated and utilized by us. The main reason being this wonderful gift from nature is freely available and bestowed upon us everywhere.

Let look at some basics of the benefits of sunlight:

The sun showers three kinds of rays upon us:

1. Rays of visible (white light): this white light consists of the light of seven different colors and each color has its specific effect on the human body ( color therapy)
2. Infra-red rays: these rays relax and soothe the muscles, reduce swelling and relieve pain
3. Ultra-violet ray: these are of special importance. Incidentally, Vitamin D is produced in the body by the action of ultra-violet rays falling on the skin. Hence sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D!. Besides this the ultra-violet rays are essential for the healthy conditions of the skins. Skin diseases occur more on those who cover their bodies from head to foot, avoiding the sunlight or using too much sunshades for fear of darkening their skins!

So what else can sunlight benefits us? They are as follows:

• Sunlight helps nourish the muscles - as explained above, if the skin is deprived of sunlight by keeping it covered, the muscles tend to weaken and degenerate
• Sunlight promotes the proper formation of teeth, speedy growth of hairs and quick and deep breathing. Blood pressure is brought down, the kidneys become more efficient.
• Sunlight maintains and even increases the amount of akali in the blood
• If a pregnant lady takes sun baths regularly, she gets relief from the usual discomforts of pregnancy such as fatigue, backache, nausea, overstimulation (or overexcitement),etc and lactation in the post parturition period is also improved.

All in all, solar power is a natural source of energy freely available and having healing powers as narrated above. Just imagine a place without sunlight might be - Rickets, tuberculosis, pneumonia, infant death rate increases and other contagious diseases will spread.

Sun-rays are even made more effective when used in conjunction with medicines, water, colors, gems ,etc

Solarized water, sugar, oil,etc are effective in curing ailments.

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Scientific researches have found that walking fast can improve the function of the heart system and respiratory organs, lower the quantity of cholesterol in blood and prevent high blood prssure. Furthermore, in a survey conducted by Japanese scientists in a village known for a large number of old people enjoying long life, it is found that the people there have the habit of walking fast.

This walking fast can complimented very well with the specific medical Qigong practise which is “WALKING  AS FAST AS THE WIND” & “SITTING AS STABLE AS A BELL”

Walking as fast as the wind” here means to walk fast with strong and vigorous strides ( how far the distance to walk would be in accordance with his/her physical ability.) The rationale being after walking one is full of vigor, feel completely relaxed mentally and physically and the symptoms of disease disappear or become fewer. Of course, initially, the practitioner normally will feel a little tired and have a slight ache at the waist and legs).

“Sitting as stable as a bell” - to be practise before and after the vigorous walking. It  means we should sit as stable as a bell. Here, any type of posture can be taken but the body should be upright . When sitting, imagine there is a golden ring of light around the navel. Slightly put the mind on the ring. Sit for a quarter of an hour or shorter if you wish.

Why this combination you may ask. This is to do with the saying ” to combine activity with tranquility” or yin and yang concept. The combination of “walking as fast as the wind ” & sitting as stable as a bell” make ” warding off sickness by walking” possible.

The idea is to initially walk one or two times every day each time about half an hour. Walk at an even, steady rhythmic pace, walk in a relaxed state. After you feel that that your mental and physical health as improve, walk longer and faster.

(extracted from Medical Qigong by Master Huang Runtian)

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In part 1, we see how organic food are grown compared to the conventional type. Organic food differs from conventionally produced food simply in the way it is grown, handled and processed.

Indeed there is no scientific evidence to suggest that it is more nutritious or safer than conventional food.

However, a major advantage is that the organic food is less likely to contain pesticide residues than conventional food

Yet, according to the National Research Council, the traces of pesticides left on conventionally grown products are unlikely to cause an increased cancer risk. Also, if fruits and vegetables are properly washed, most of the chemicals can be removed.

As for taste, that’s up to you to decide what you like best. In general, people tend to find that the fresher a food is, the better it tastes, regardless of whether it is organic or not.

However there are the following criticism pertaining to organic food:

• some people argue that eating such products increases your exposure to biological contaminants, putting you at greater risk for foodborne illness. In particular, concerns have been raised about:

Manure - While manure is a well known carrier of human pathogens, when properly treated it is both safe and efficient. Plus, certified organic farmers are restricted from using untreated manure within 60 days before the harvest of a crop and are inspected to make sure these standards and restrictions are met. Mycotoxins from molds - Fungicides are not permitted in the production and processing of organic foods. However, studies have not shown that consuming organic products leads to a greater risk of mycotoxin contamination. E. coli bacteria - Particularly the virulent strain O157:H7, found in the intestinal tract of animals, is a concern. As it turns out, both conventional and organic foods are susceptible to contamination by E. coli.

• organic farmers can’t produce enough to feed everybody. Some experts contend that organic food production, and in particular the failure to implement genetic engineering techniques, will condemn millions worldwide to hunger, malnutrition and starvation because:

Yield (total harvest per unit area) for organic farming is lower than for conventional farming.

• Organic farming is not economically or socially viable in poorer countries.

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