中医认为，桔子具有润肺、止咳、燥湿化痰、开胃理气、顺气、止渴润肺的药效，是男女老幼（尤其是老年人、急慢性支气管炎以及心血管病患者）皆食的上乘果品。经常用于治疗胸膈结气，呕逆，消渴。其皮则理气调中，而用于治疗胸肚胀满，不思饮食，呕吐哕逆，咳嗽痰多，亦能解鱼蟹毒。
一向来脾胃有问题时，我们老家都有吃糖煮桔子的习惯。不久前妈妈刚好来新加坡，就叫她做老家的糖煮桔子个我们。方法很简单，大家都可试试自己做。
糖煮桔子做法如下：
材料：
1. 桔子：2kg
2. 糖：2kg
3. 盐：500g
把桔子浸泡1小时后抹洗干净晾干水份。
 |
用小刀纵向划上几刀，然后按扁，把桔子的种子挤出来。
 |
据说水果酵素有清肠胃、排毒及调整消化系统运作，是人体最好的助手，可以帮助人体恢复功能，转化人体所需的各类营养，提高人体免疫力。制作方法，非常简单容易。
水果酵素DIY!
材料：
1）水果。任何未經煮熟的水果蔬菜都可以製作酵素。例如：梨，黄梨，橙，火龙果，奇异果，木瓜，白萝卜。這些果菜可以互相配搭，也可以分別釀製。有机水果蔬菜更好。
水果酵素材料
2）柠檬。
Continue reading
许瑞云医师是波士顿大学的医学博士，及哈佛大学营养学及流行病学硕士。她毕业后在哈佛大学附属医院接受住院医师训练，后来成为哈佛医院的主治医师及哈佛医学院讲师。2008年，她返回台湾。目前是花莲佛教慈济综合医院一般医学主治医师，并担任台湾素食营养学会副理事长。
不久前读到许瑞云博士独到的养生法，感触良多，特别是许博士关于生食的见解。特摘录如下，希望对大家有帮助：
—
生机饮食，在台湾是个争议颇大的领域。很多人因为生机饮食，治癒了难缠的疾病，但也有很多人因为生机饮食而吃坏了身体。在我所接触的病人中，很多人因为不懂得吃生食的正确时间，加上过量，以至於身体变得很寒，病痛一大堆。
我在美国时有位女病人，是个四十岁出头的高级知识分子，平日相当重视养生。她听说生机饮食好处很多，於是要求全家一起进行生机饮食。没想到，她生食了一段时间，胃胀气相当严重，身体时感痠痛，体力也较差，气色不好还很怕冷。
当她来做健检时，是大雪纷飞的冬季。她跟我提到她的经期不顺，我检查了她的荷尔蒙，并没发现停经迹象。於是，我和她聊起日常饮食，一聊之下，才知道她每天早上习惯将十几种蔬菜水果及坚果打成精力汤喝，我告诉她：「吃生食要配合季节、天气及自己的身体状况，吃得太寒反而不好。」同时，请她减少精力汤的量，一次只放两、叁种食材并加上暖胃的香料。譬如，一种水果加一、两种菜，再加点薑（或薑黄）、泡过水的亚麻籽或坚果，而且只在中午食用。几个月之後，她再回诊时，气色好很多，也不像之前那麽怕冷了。 Continue reading
Among all the complementary medicine and traditional medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has the most number of practitioners and patients. TCM has been practiced as one of the oldest medical disciplines in the world. It has been considered as an essential part of Chinese culture and tradition.
Although modern medicine has been developed to solve many problems in medicine, TCM has proven utility, due to its proven efficacy and history of minimal adverse reactions. TCM theory is based on the balance and unity of opposites (yin and yang). Majority of the medicines are derived from all natural ingredients, mostly herbs and sometimes animal extracts.
Continue reading
Honey is one of the world’s oldest medicines. It was commonly known as a natural sweetener derived or made from flower nectar collected by bees from various kinds of flowers. Bees store the nectar in the honey sacs were able to nest.
In addition to being a great natural sweetener, honey has a multitude of benefits that many people don’t know about. Honey benefits have known since many years ago because honey contains a variety of minerals and vitamins that their composition varies according to the quality of nectar and pollen.
There are many scientific research that shows honey is a wonderful food. In one recent study, researchers at the University of California, Davis, reported in March 2004 that daily consumption of raw honey may result better immune system and stronger body.
Continue reading
Most of us spend more than eight hours in office during weekday. It is quite a challenge to maintain good posture for long hour. If the chair that you sit is not comfortable, it may affect our health. So a good computer chair is probably the single most important component of our working environment.
Our body needs the right support and comfort. There is a link between back pain, poor posture, and chair design. Ergonomically designed chairs are built with the needs of our body in mind. They provide us with supreme comfort because they have adjustable features, which reduce the amount of stress we place on our muscles and joints.
If you are looking to buy one or more office chairs for your home office or small business, you will want to make sure that you get it right. It is an important decision. There are some guidelines in selecting a good office chair. Continue reading
三宝粉是许多素食者常食用的保健品，它包括小麦胚芽，大豆软磷脂和啤酒酵母。
小麦胚芽有丰富的维生素E，可抗氧化，延缓衰老。大豆卵磷脂可构成细胞膜，加强记忆力，改善代谢。啤酒酵母提供素食者缺乏的丰富的维生素B群，可以帮助消化吸收。以下是这三种营养的摘要。
小麦胚芽
小麦胚芽是高纤食品，可降低心血管疾病的发生机率。富含作为天然的抗氧化剂的维生素E，可降低细胞老化，促进新陈代谢，抗污染及抗不孕。
小麦胚芽粉萃取自小麦胚芽菁华，作为小麦籽粒的核心和生命中枢，在种植时胚芽发育成生命种子的幼根和子叶。据现代科学研究测定，它的蛋白质含量为31%以上，是一种优质蛋白质，比米、面高出6～7倍，其营养价值可与鸡蛋相媲美。小麦胚芽含也被营养学家誉为天然维生素E的仓库,具有延缓衰老、提高免疫力的作用，是为数不多的真正应用于人类抗衰老的抗氧化剂。
二十八烷醇则是小麦胚芽中的另一个重要成分，是改善体力，增加耐力，减缓运动后肌肉疼痛的秘密武器。实验证实二十八烷醇可增加运动时的氧气利用，改善肌肉中肝糖的储存与运动的反应能力。
大豆软磷脂
大豆软磷脂被誉为血管的清道夫,预防心脑血管疾病，提高人体的代谢能力，自愈能力，能延缓衰老，其健脑益智作用可提高学习和工作效率，同时保护肝脏，预防脂肪肝等病症的发生，能增强胰脏功能，可做为糖尿病人的营养品。
大豆卵磷脂富含胆碱磷脂质，肌醇磷脂质，脑磷脂与亚麻仁油酸。磷脂质对于维持细胞膜的健康，促进细胞的正常功能，使人体细胞对于营养物质的吸收，代谢废物的排泄有很大的帮助。另外，胆碱磷脂质对于脑神经传导物质「乙烯胆碱」的形成，提供了必要的原料，可预防记忆力的退化。卵磷脂本身具有生物乳化剂的功用，可使脂肪顺利运输至肝脏中代谢。根据一些临床试验结果显示，补充卵磷脂亦可预防脂肪肝的发生。 Continue reading
An adequate daily intake of potassium may be an important part of preventing high blood pressure. A potassium diet holds the power to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Potassium is a relatively common mineral and can be found in many foods, and is especially easy to obtain in fruits and vegetables.
Excellent sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, orange juice, white beans, yogurt and banana.
Sweet potatoes are actually one of the top sources of potassium available. It also contains top nutrients such as Vitamin A and Beta Carotene.
Orange juice is known for its excellent contribution to your daily intake of Vitamin C, but is also a superb source of potassium. Probably the best part about orange juice is how easy it is to fit into a potassium diet. Continue reading
The seeds and oil of the flax plant contain substances which promote good health.
Several studies indicate that flaxseed oil, as well as ground flaxseeds, can lower cholesterol, thereby significantly reducing the risk of heart disease. In addition, flaxseed oil can also be used to lower blood pressure. It has demonstrated useful anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties in a number of animal models and human diseases.
High blood pressure can be caused by hereditary factors, lifestyle choices and other compromising health problems. Diets with high fiber content and artery-cleaning attributes found in omega-3 fatty acids are helpful in keeping arteries flexible, thereby helping to maintain a smooth thoroughfare for the blood to pass through. Flaxseed oil may help protect against high blood pressure by inhibiting inflammatory reactions that cause artery-hardening plaque and poor circulation. Continue reading
Recently Gymnema Sylvestre was introduced to my mother for the treatment of diabetes (糖尿病).
A check in the Internet shows that Gymnema sylvestre (匙羹藤) is a plant used in India and parts of Asia as a natural treatment for diabetes or “sweet urine.” It is actually an Ayurvedic medicine. While it is still being studied, and the effects of the herb are not entirely known, the herb has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels when used for an extended period of time.
In healthy adults gymnema sylvestre is believed to help curb cravings for sweets. Though not a magic bullet, when taken with a high-carbohydrate meal or a meal high in sugar, it can aid the body by passing through sugars and making carbs available for burning, rather than turning these into fat stores. In this way it helps to build lean muscle mass.
Gymnema sylvestre has been deemed very safe for adults at suggested doses. If pregnant or lactating, do not take this herb due to lack of research and potential impact on the baby. Those will allergies to the milkweed family might experience allergic reactions to gymnema sylvestre.
Continue reading