Healthy Tea

A friend of my has developed nerve damage. Seeking ways to repair the damage, he has found two "teas" that have remarkable healing value. These were recommended to him by Chinese doctors who have been using them for years. The original web site form which they were obtained is here.

Each of the recipes in this section call for organic rice, vegetables and produce. Everything I had read about organic produce seemed to indicate that it had the same nutritional value as normal produce, but without the pesticides. Given all of the poisons in the other foods I eat - canned tomatoes, cereals, dairy products - the additional cost for a few less poisons did not seem to make sense. My opinion changed recently when I read an article by Stanford University researchers on the impact of disease on nutrients in grapes. The article was on research into the potency of Resveratrol (a substance that appears to be at least partly responsible for the health and longevity of the French) in grapes that were exposed to fungus and those grown with pesticides. What the researchers discovered is that the grapes exposed to fungus and other diseases had an "immune" response that increased the relative amount of micro-nutrients such as Resveratrol in the grape. In other word, organic produce which is exposed to natural stressors have higher nutrient content. Unfortunately, I could not find the article while writing this. However, there are some interesting statistics on overall decline in nutrient levels over the past several years here.

Rice Tea

Start 8 cups of water boiling in a 3 quart (1.5 liter) stainless steel sauce pan [do NOT use teflon-coated or aluminum pans - stainless steel only.] In a second 3 quart stainless steel sauce pan, start an additional 8 cups of water boiling.

While the water heats in the two sauce pans, roast the rice in a 6 quart (or larger) stainless steel sauce pot. Pour the rice into the pot and turn up the heat to medium. Using a spatula, stir the rice continuously until it turns a nice shade of brown (7 to 10 minutes). Be careful that the rice does NOT burn. Pour the boiling water from the first sauce pot into the rice. Cover and allow it to steep for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid back into the first sauce pot.

Pour the boiling water from the second sauce pot into the rice and allow it to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

Combine the liquid from the first sauce pot with the rice and water. Strain the liquid and seal in canning jars. Refrigerate. Discard any unused tea after 24 hours. Use the rice as a side-dish with meals.

Drink an 8-12 oz glass of tea three or four times a day, preferably 45 minutes after and at least 15 minutes before eating.

Daikon Root Broth

24 ounces organic white daikon with the greens attached
8 to 10 ounces organic carrot
8 ounces burdock root
3 to 5 fresh Shitake mushrooms sun-dried
8-12 cups of water (sufficient to cover the vegetables)

When purchasing the white daikon, make sure that the green leaves are attached. If the leaves are attached, 24 oz of white diakon with the greens attached will consist of 16 oz white daikon and 8 oz of greens.

If the Shitake mushrooms are NOT sun-dried, place them in direct sunlight for 3-4 hours.

Do not peel anything. Chop the vegetables into 1/4" slices. Chop the white daikon leaves. Place in a large sauce pot. Add sufficient water needed to completely cover the vegetables with 1-2 inches more. Heat on high until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 2 hours.

Strain the vegetables from the broth and discard the vegetables. Put the broth into glass canning jars. The broth should be completely consumed within 24 hours. If drinking the Rice Tea with the broth, wait at least 15 minutes after drinking the broth to drink the rice tea.

The Dinner Club index

Rice Tea

Daikon Root Broth

The Dinner Club
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