A health freak mom's thoughts on health and all things healthy
It’s the Petai season now and they are selling very cheaply everywhere — from roadside sellers to supermarkets, wet markets and even via online platforms. Almost everyone in our family loves the stink bean and there are a variety of easy ways to cook these beans into a glorious dish that’s bursting with flavors. Not…
I’ve recently added organic moringa leaf powder into my diet. As the powder is bitter and has the taste of raw leaves, I sprinkle about half a teaspoon of powder into my coffee every other morning to mask the taste. Moringa leaf powder does wonders in helping me ‘evacuate’ every morning. Moringa tastes like a…
Sweet foods are often preferred over bitter foods. Who would want to dig into a bowl of bitter gourd when they can enjoy comforting savory dishes or sweet desserts with gusto? Bitter foods tend to get the bad rap in the culinary world since their strong flavors can be off-putting to picky eaters. However, bitter…
Colored Cauliflower is available in green (also known as Broccoflower), purple and orange varieties. Although it may look different than the popular white cauliflower, the taste is just the same: mild, sweet and nutty. The orange and purple cauliflower are higher in antioxidants than regular white cauliflower. Purple cauliflower’s true origin is not known, but the…
Also known as Asian Pigeon Wings, Blue Bell Vine, Blue Pea, Cordofan Pea and Darwin Pea, ‘Butterfly Pea’ (Clitoria ternatea) is an amazing brain boosting herb native to tropical equatorial Asia. A traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, Clitoria Ternatea has been consumed for centuries as a memory enhancer, brain booster, anti-stress and calmative agent. Its…
For several hundred years now, the burdock plant and burdock root have been used for purifying and flushing toxins from the blood stream. In its capacity as a diuretic, the burdock herb and root increase the output of urine, thereby flushing out excess water. The taproot of young burdock plants can be harvested and eaten…
Of the different colors of sweet potatoes, my absolute favorite is the purple variety. Everyone in our family loves it. We often have them for lunch. The lavender colored cousin of the familiar orange and yellow variety of sweet potato has a very flavorful and pleasant floral aroma. Purple sweet potato is also known as Okinawan…
Pandan leaves are the love of my life! I so heart these fragrant leaves. I love everything pandan – from pandan cakes to pandan kaya jam, pandan jelly, pandan chicken, pandan desserts, you name it, I love it. Sniffing pandan leaves and pandan powder can lift up my mood instantly. The aroma de-stresses me. Pandan…
Winged beans or most commonly called four-angled beans in Malaysia are one of the favorite beans in our household. We like sauteing the beans with sambal or with garlic and minced meat. Four-angled beans grow well in hot conditions. We used to have these tubers growing in our garden when I was little, planted by…
My acupunturist and herbalist recommended a healing herb to me known as ‘ngai’. ‘Ngai’ is very beneficial for women’s health. When my late grandma was still around, she would prepare a simple and delish ‘ngai’ omelette soup for my mum and me regularly. I have not eaten ‘ngai’ for over 30 years. This is a…