Monthly Archives: September 2014

September 27th, 2014

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Bakuteh With Kudzu Root

The other morning when I was at the butcher to get some pork ribs to make bakuteh, the butcher who is ever full of handy tips told me to get a wedge of ‘fun kot’ (kudzu root) to boil it with the bakuteh herbs and meat. The kudzu root will impart natural sweetness and flavor to the pot of bakuteh. And this root that is full of medicinal properties will also help to expel ‘heatiness’ caused by the bakuteh herbs.

Picture of ‘fun kot’ (kudzu root)

I listened to Keong, the butcher and he was so right! My pot of bakuteh soup was more flavorful and ‘thick’. And the next day, my kids and I did not feel ‘heaty’. I am so thankful to Keong for his handy tip! I did not even need to add oyster sauce, salt and thick black sauce to add flavor to the broth. All I added was about 1 tablespoon of organic soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon of organic blackstrap molasses to darken the broth.

My bakuteh composed of 2 sachets of bakuteh herbs, a head of garlic, pork ribs, dried flower mushrooms, golden needle mushrooms, puffed tofu and hard boiled eggs.

I used Snow Deer brand of bakuteh herbs – one of the best thus far!

Uncategorized

September 9th, 2014

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Organic Brown Rice Noodles With Minced Chicken In Blackstrap Molasses

Our healthy organic brown rice noodles for dinner yesterday…

The minced chicken meat and shimeji mushrooms were cooked with a head of garlic (minced in the blender), darkened and seasoned to taste with blackstrap molasses, organic soy sauce and pepper. The blackstrap tastes pretty much the same as thick dark soy sauce and way healthier too. The girls loved their oodles of noodles. There was enough to keep a bowl for Sherilyn’s lunch today 🙂

Homecooked Food

September 5th, 2014

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Finding The Right Specialist

Many people don’t think about medical care until they have a problem, but there is nothing more important than you health. It is important to seek medical care quickly when something is wrong, but you can avoid many health problems by maintaining a positive relationship with your primary care physician.

It is recommended that you see your doctor once each year for a physical even if you do not currently have any medical concerns. This allows the doctor to establish a baseline for your health. Many times, it will also help your physician discover small problems before they become major issues.

When you visit your primary care physician on a regular basis, he will gain a good understanding of your overall health. If you are experiencing symptoms that are outside his level of expertise, you will likely be referred to a specialist.

Visiting a specialist is an excellent way to gain insight regarding a particular area of your health, but it’s very important to choose the right specialist. Your primary care physician will likely recommend a specific specialist to you. However, you need to check and make sure the specialist is covered under your insurance plan before you make an appointment.

It’s also a good idea to do your research to see if the specialist will likely be a good fit. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to research healthcare providers thanks to the Internet. Without even leaving your home, you can search for insurance information, patient reviews and more.

Many physicians now have websites for their practices. This is a great way to get to know them a little before your appointment. Websites vary by provider, but most include information about the doctor’s training, experience and education. You can also learn more about other doctors and staff members in the practice.

On the specialist’s website, you should be able to see which insurance providers are accepted. Many websites include the paperwork you will need to submit at your appointment. Print it out and complete in advance to minimize your wait time. Some sites even allow you to click and make an appointment instead of doing this over the phone.

Talking to your friends, family members and co-workers is another great way to find a specialist. Encourage them to provide honest feedback about doctors they have visited in the past. It’s important to learn about a doctor’s communication style and bedside manner to see if he will be a good fit for your personality and needs.

MFLV

September 4th, 2014

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Adding Blackstrap Molasses Into Chicken Dish

Homecooked dinner tonight, 4 Sept 2014.

1) Stir-fried cabbage and bok choy (both organic) with garlic (I used an entire head of garlic and pan fried the cloves of garlic uncut. I love munching on fried garlic cloves!)

2) Blanched ladies fingers, drizzled with Japanese sesame dressing.

3) Beef bone soup with carrot, sweet corn, tomato and big onion.

4) Braised chicken with soy sauce, star anise, pepper and blackstrap molasses

I am glad that I found another way to use the blackstrap molasses that I bought. I added 2 tablespoons of blackstrap into the braised chicken dish to give it a nice dark color. This is to replace the use of thick dark sauce, which is not the healthiest of choice. In fact, I have always shunned the thick dark sauce (though I love having it in my dishes) as I have read before that it contains chemicals that are carcinogenic. None of the girls could tell the new alien ingredient added into their food and they polished off the entire plate of chicken dish, ha! Boy am I glad that I have found a healthy substitute for ‘hark yau’ aka thick dark sauce! 🙂

Homecooked Food

September 3rd, 2014

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Health & Safety Risk Assessments

The other day, we had lunch at this little eatery that serves pretty outstanding local food at very affordable prices. It was our first time dining at the eatery. I told the hubs that the eatery’s noodles and rice dishes reminded me of my dad’s cooking. We ordered three varieties of soup-based noodles, their nasi lemak, fried rice, black coffee jelly in Kopi Cham (Spreeze) and a mango smoothie ice-cream. We loved every item that we ordered. What we did not like most about this eatery is the customer service of the waiters, in particular one male worker. His face was as ‘black’ as the black coffee jelly that we had. Each time we asked him something or added an order, he would drag his feet to our table, with a face devoid of any smile and zest. While waiting for our takeout fried rice, I could see the kitchen staff working. The staff preparing food were not wearing any gloves. Even the workers handling cooked food for takeout were not wearing any disposable gloves or face mask. The owner sure needs some health & safety risk assessments done on their eatery and workers. On the overall, I am pleased with what we ordered. And I think the owners of the eatery should give their staff a good pep talk on a regular basis too.

MFLV

September 2nd, 2014

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Blackstrap Molasses

I bought a jar of organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses last week. After reading up the health benefits of blackstrap molasses, I wanted to give it a try too.

Instead of popping iron pills for anemia every other day, I thought I might as well pop something more natural like blackstrap molasses.

Blacsktrap is a natural stool softener that can improve the regularity and quality of your bowel movements. I thought that I could try feeding Cass with this too.

When I tried a teaspoon of blackstrap when I got home from the supermarket, I was disappointed. It tasted awful on my tongue and I do not think I can bring myself to swallow down a teaspoon of this black, thick and gooey stuff neat everyday.

I have yet to try marinating my meats with blackstrap and then grilling them to mask the taste. I am going to try doing this one of these days. And I think I can substitute our regular Chinese thick dark sauce with blackstrap as it tastes somewhat alike.

I will have some experiments to do in the kitchen soon and I hope that my kids won’t even be able to point out the unusual taste in their grilled chicken and dry noodles darkened with blackstrap 😉

Health Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses

1) Safe sweetener for diabetics – Unlike refined sugar, blackstrap molasses has a moderate glycemic load of 55. This makes it a good sugar substitute for diabetics and individuals who are seeking to avoid blood sugar spikes. Moreover, one serving of blackstrap contains no fat and only 32 calories, making it suitable for a weight loss diet.

2) Laxative qualities – Blackstrap is a natural stool softener that can improve the regularity and quality of your bowel movements.

3) Rich in iron – Two tablespoons of blackstrap contain 13.2 percent of our RDI of iron, which our bodies need to carry oxygen to our blood cells. People who are anemic (including pregnant women) will greatly benefit from consuming 1-2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses per day.

4) High in calcium and magnesium – Blackstrap molasses contains a mineral profile that has been optimized by nature for superior absorption. For example, two tablespoons of blackstrap contains 11.7 percent of our RDI of calcium and 7.3 percent of our RDI of magnesium. This calcium-magnesium ratio is ideal, since our bodies need large quantities of magnesium to help absorb similarly large quantities of calcium. Both of these minerals aid the growth and development of bones, making blackstrap a good safeguard against osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

5) Additional mineral content – Two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses also contains 18 percent of our RDI of manganese (which helps produce energy from proteins and carbohydrates), 9.7 percent of our RDI of potassium (which plays an important role in nerve transmission and muscle contraction), 5 percent of our RDI of vitamin B6 (which aids brain and skin development) and 3.4 percent of our RDI of selenium, an important antioxidant.

6) Colon Health
Blackstrap molasses is a very good source of calcium, which helps cleanse the colon of toxins. Calcium is often associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

7) Good Source of Selenium
Blackstrap molasses is a good source of selenium, providing about 5% of the DV per tablespoon. Selenium plays a key role in thyroid function, antioxidant protection, cancer prevention, cardiovascular health and inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Selenium deficiency can lead to these and other health conditions.

8) Good Source of Vitamin B6
One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses provides 7.5% the DV of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is needed for the immunity, the nervous system, cell formation, blood health and energy production. It is also believed to have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.

9) Skin Health
Testimonials claim that blackstrap molasses is great for skin health and may help to cure eczema, psoriasis, acne and other skin conditions. Blackstrap molasses contains powerful antioxidants, which are believed to contribute to good skin health and lower the risk of lines, wrinkles and other skin conditions associated with premature aging.

With so many health benefits tagged to blackstrap, I really need to find innovative ways of concealing this syrup in the food for my kids and me! Or train my taste bud to accept it neat!

Healthy Food, Nutritional Information On Food

September 2nd, 2014

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Magnetic Therapy Bracelet For Hand Numbness?

I still get the hand numbness and tingling sensation on my hands, especially on my right hand every morning when I wake up. I notice that the more I use the hand to carry heavy things, the more severe the hand numbness and tingling sensation will get the next morning.

I try not to carry heavy things but sometimes I cannot help it. Carrying heaving things as well as sleeping on my side will aggravate the hand numbness that I experience every morning. The numbness could be a spin off from the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that attacked me two months after I gave birth to Alycia.

I have tried several products that are supposedly good for the hand numbness but none of them worked. Perhaps I should try magnetic therapy bracelet as recommended by my friend.

Pretty and therapeutic. I wonder if this magnetic therapy bracelet can treat my hand numbness. Should I give it a try?