The Astragalus genus consists of some 2000 species of the legume family Fabaceae including milk vetch, locoweed and goat’s thorn. However, only two of these species, Astragalus membranaceus and Astragalus mongholicus are generally used for health purposes. These are native to the North and East of China, Mongolia and Korea.

So if you are going to use it, don’t go picking a local common variety and making your own preparations, since toxicity between species varies, and possible side effects are unpredictable. Stick to commercially available supplements which may also be labelled bei qi, huang qi or ogi, hwanggi.

Astragalus extracts and supplements are now quite common in the drug stores. Astragalus is usually taken in combination with other herbal supplements in a chinese soup.

Properties:

Astragalus contains numerous active compounds, including flavonoids, polysaccharides, and various amino acids and trace minerals.

Flavonoids are potent antioxidants that protect the cells from free radical damage caused by unstable molecules.

The polysaccharides found in this herb have the ability to boost infection-fighting white blood cell production and spur the activity of killer T cells.

Health Benefits:

China used astragalus root for thousands of years as a tonic herb to strengthen qi –which means to strengthen the body’ life force and protective energy. In the Western world, strengthening qi means to strengthen or bolster the immune system.

Astragalus is touted for its ability to give the immune system a powerful boost. It is used to stimulate the immune system, strengthen digestion, and increase metabolic activity.

Scientific research has found that astragalus root is effective against several chronic diseases such as diabetes, stomach ulcers, cancer, and high blood pressure.

With mild anti bacterial, anti viral and anti inflammatory properties, the herb appears to benefit the immune system and respiratory tracts.

Astragalus appears to work by stimulating the immune system. It has antioxidant effects that inhibit free radical production. In the body, free radicals damage cells and are linked to many health problems associated with aging.

As an adaptoge with anti oxidant benefits, Astragalus root may well help the body fight the effects of various stresses.

It’s also benefit for cancer sufferers, helping to speed recovery after chemotherapy.

Cautions:

Pregnant or nursing women should not use astragalus root. It is advised that anyone on prescription medications, or women that are pregnant or nursing, consult a physician before taking any herbal or dietary supplements.

Very high doses may suppress the immune system. So you should avoid using astragalus if you are taking immune-suppressing drugs.

If you have an immune system disease such as multiple sclerosis, lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, or another condition known as an “autoimmune disease,” you should not use astragalus root.

Related Posts

• November 24, 2011 -- Winter Tonic Soup Recipes for Women
• November 10, 2011 -- Homemade Herbal Tonic for Women with PMS
• October 21, 2011 -- Chinese Herbal Tonic — Codonopsis Root ( Dang Shen )
• March 25, 2011 -- Herbal Tonics During Pregnancy

Yield: Makes 10 twists

Ingredients:

1 1-pound ball of dough
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup light brownsugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sesame seeds
½ tsp ground cardamom

Instruction:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

1) Place an oven rack in the centre of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2) In a shallow bowl, mix together the cinnamon, sesame seeds, cardamom, and brown sugar. Twist 2 pieces of dough together to form a rope-shape. Pinch the ends together to seal. Roll, press, and stretch the dough into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. Starting along the short edge and using a sharp knife, slice the dough into eight 3/4-inch-wide lengths. Brush all sides with the melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar plus 2 teaspoons cinnamon). Twist the ends in opposite directions, then transfer to a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Let rest 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 12 to 14 mins until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Related Posts

• September 18, 2011 -- Cinnamon Whirls Recipe
• December 5, 2011 -- December 1500 Calories Mediterranean Diet Menu
• December 1, 2011 -- Red Dates Chinese Cake (Nian Gao) Recipe
• November 30, 2011 -- Tonic for Women — Red Date Cake Recipes
• November 21, 2011 -- Papaya Fish Soup Recipe for Breastfeeding Women
• November 3, 2011 -- November 1500 Calories Mediterranean Diet Menu
• October 2, 2011 -- October Mediterranean Diet Menu
• September 29, 2011 -- Lily Bulb Soup with Lotus Seeds Recipe
• September 20, 2011 -- Anti-flu Diet Recipe — Chicken Curry
• September 16, 2011 -- Health Benefits of Cinnamon

• Western-Style Scrambled Eggs and Wheat Toast

Scramble 1 egg plus 2 egg whites (or 1/4 cup egg substitute) with 1/2 chopped bell pepper, any color, and 1/4 cup chopped onion. Season with ground black pepper. Serve with 1 slice whole-wheat toast topped with 2 teaspoons trans-fat-free margarine and 1 cup fat-free milk.

Lunch

• Veggie Burger with New Potatoes

Heat 1 veggie burger and 4 small potatoes from Monday’s dinner. Top the veggie burger with 1/4 cup shredded cheese and melt in the toaster oven for 2 minutes at 250 degrees. Add 2 tablespoons ketchup and 2 teaspoons spicy mustard if desired. Serve with 2 cups baby spinach leaves topped with 1/4 cup chopped onion and 1/2 chopped bell pepper.

Snack

• Raisin Bran, Yogurt, and Pecans

Serve one 6-ounce light yogurt with 1/4 cup raisin bran cereal and 8 pecan halves.

Dinner

• Tomato Couscous with Asparagus and Crumbled Ground Beef

Cook 2 ounces dry couscous according to package directions. (Try Near East Mediterranean curry couscous.) Grill 4 ounces 90%-92% lean ground beef and 10 spears asparagus sprayed with olive oil nonstick cooking spray. Crumble hamburger into cooked couscous, chop asparagus and add to mixture, and top with 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce from jar. Serve with 4 ounces wine.

Nutrition information:

Daily calorie total: 1,530
Fat: 42 g
Percent of daily calories from fat: 23%
Saturated fat: 11 g
Percent of daily calories from saturated fat: 6.5%
Carbohydrate: 187 g
Percent of daily calories from carbohydrates: 47%
Fiber: 33 g
Protein: 98 g
Percent of daily calories from protein: 25%
Cholesterol: 292 mg
Calcium: 1,173 mg
Sodium: 3,498 mg

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• June 2, 2011 -- June Mediterranean Diet Menu
• May 3, 2011 -- May 1500 Calories Mediterranean Diet Menu
• May 2, 2011 -- May Mediterranean Diet Menu
• April 19, 2011 -- April 1500 Calories Mediterranean Diet Menu
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Ingredients:

1 stick of butter or 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 to 1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
16 oz. Mochiko sweet rice flour
2 1/2 cups milk
90 g red dates
1 Tb baking soda

Instructions:

1 Mix all the ingredients including red dates , beat for 2 min is an electric mixer.

2 Over a 9″x13″ baking dish (oiled or sprayed with pam) sprinkle Mochiko flour.

3 On the bottom of baking pan ,spread half of the batter along with red dates.

4 Spread rest of the batter over the red dates, bake at 350m degrees for about 50 min.

5 To check whether it’s been done or not ,insert chopstick.

6 If it comes out clean, it is done.

Related Posts

• December 8, 2011 -- Holiday Recipe — Cinnamon Twists
• December 5, 2011 -- December 1500 Calories Mediterranean Diet Menu
• November 30, 2011 -- Tonic for Women — Red Date Cake Recipes
• November 21, 2011 -- Papaya Fish Soup Recipe for Breastfeeding Women
• November 3, 2011 -- November 1500 Calories Mediterranean Diet Menu
• October 2, 2011 -- October Mediterranean Diet Menu
• September 29, 2011 -- Lily Bulb Soup with Lotus Seeds Recipe
• September 20, 2011 -- Anti-flu Diet Recipe — Chicken Curry
• September 18, 2011 -- Cinnamon Whirls Recipe
• September 12, 2011 -- Green Tea Moon Cake Recipe

The following cake recipes which main ingredients are red dates are good tonic for women.

Almond Red Date Cake Recipe

Ingredients :
120g red dates (seeded)
130g water
55g sugar
1 tsp of salt
half tsp of essence of vanilla

75g almond (sliced)
3 eggs
2220g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
200g butter
30g cocoa powder
180g brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp essence of vanilla

Instructions:

1. Cook butter and cocoa powder in a pot, at low flame, stir the mixture well and leave to cool.
2. Cook all the ingredients for red date till thick and sticky and leave to cool for later use.
3. Toast the almond slices and mix it with plain four and baking powder.
4. Pour the cocoa powder into mixing bowl, follow by brown sugar, vanilla essence and salt.
5. Combined the mixture well and add in eggs, mixed flour and baking powder.
6. Prepare a rectangular mold, brush with butter, spread some almond slices in the centre.
7. Pour half of batter into mold, add in red dates followed by remaining batter.
8. Spread the remaining almonds on top and bake in pre-heated oven at 185 Celsius for about 40 minutes.
9. Ready to be served when cools.

Steamed Red Date Cake Recipe

Yields: 20 serving(s)

Ingredients:

2 cup(s) chinese red dates
Water to cover
1 cup(s) glutinous rice flour

Instructions:

1 Wash red dates and place in a saucepan with water.

2 Bring to a boil; then cook, uncovered, over medium heat until softened about 20 minutes.
Skin and pit dates.

3 Puree the pulp by forcing it through a ricer or fine sieve.

4 Gradually add glutinous rice flour to the puree and knead the mixture to a stiff paste-like dough. Form the dough into a long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter.

5 Then cut in 1/2-inch rounds and flatten each slightly.

6 Line a small baking tin with foil or waxed paper, arrange the rounds on top.

7 Steam until the cakes are done about 10 minutes.

Variations:

In step 3, add 1 tablespoon lard to the dough.
After step 4, prepare the following mixture to use as a cake filling: heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil.

Add 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and stir once or twice.

Then add 1/2 cup walnut meats, blanched and chopped fine, and 1/3 cup sugar.

Toss quickly to coat seeds and nuts with the sugar.

Add 1 teaspoonful of this mixture to each disk of dough; pinch the disk into a ball to enclose the filling.

Arrange, pinched-side down, on a baking tin and steam as in step.

Simple Red Dates Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 cups dried, minced Red dates
1 cup water
Bring these to a boil then set aside to cool
2 cups wheat flour
1 teaspoonful soda
1/2 teaspoonful salt

Instruction:

Sift these together then add to the above mixture. Bake at 325° F

Cautions:

Pregnant women should not eat red dates, but they can consume the liquid part of soup prepared with red dates.

Those who suffer from Dampness or abdominal distension, or have chronic illness, constipation, tooth ache from cavities or gum infections, or have phlegm-productive coughs, should avoid eating red dates.

When people eat red dates, they should not eat the dates and cucumber or carrot together. The L-ascorbic acid contained in carrot and the catabolic enzyme contained in cucumber can destroy the vitamins contained in dates. At the same time, people can not eat dates and the animal liver together. The elements like copper and iron contained in animal liver can oxidize the vitamins in dates. In addition, people should drink much water when they eat the dates, as the high content of sugar can hurt the teeth to some degrees.

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• December 8, 2011 -- Holiday Recipe — Cinnamon Twists
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• November 28, 2011 -- Red date (Jujube) — A Tonic for Blood
• November 21, 2011 -- Papaya Fish Soup Recipe for Breastfeeding Women
• November 3, 2011 -- November 1500 Calories Mediterranean Diet Menu
• October 2, 2011 -- October Mediterranean Diet Menu
• September 29, 2011 -- Lily Bulb Soup with Lotus Seeds Recipe
• September 20, 2011 -- Anti-flu Diet Recipe — Chicken Curry
• September 18, 2011 -- Cinnamon Whirls Recipe

Nutrients:

Red date has the highest concentration of polyphenols among dried fruits.

A serving of power-packed dates contains 31 grams of carbohydrates. Dates are one of the best natural sources of potassium. which is needed to maintain a healthy nervous system and to balance the body’s metabolism as well.

Dates also contain a variety of B-complex vitamins – thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid.

28 grams Red Dates contain

Calories 48
Sodium 23 mg
Total Fat 0 g
Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g
Total Carbs 9 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Monounsaturated 0 g
Sugars 6 g
Trans 0 g
Protein 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 2%
Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Iron 112%

Food Usage:

Red date is a traditional food to control endocrine, enrich blood and nourish the skin on the face. When red date is served with lotus seed, it will help regulate menstruation, supplement qi (vital energy) and nourish the body.

As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, fermented red dates were used to make red date wine, which was served as a tribute or used to treat guests and friends. The Qin State used red dates and chestnuts to relieve famines. That explains why the folks have been regarded the red date as one of the major crops.

Red dates also serve as one of the major dry fruit ingredients in Chinese cuisines. In about the first century AD, the red dates were introduced to the Mediterranean and West Europe through Syria and in the 19th century to North America from Europe.

Medicinal Usage:

Red dates are frequently used in Chinese and Korean traditional medicine for alleviating stress, and for antifungal, antibacterial, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, sedative, antispastic, antifertility/contraception, hypotensive and Antinephritic, cardiotonic, antioxidant, immunostimulant, and Wound healing properties.

In China, red dates have been regarded as an important tonic. According to Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) written by Li Shizhen, the red dates are sweet and warm-natured; they can nourish the middle warmer and replenish qi, nourish the blood and alleviate thirst; they can be used to cure diseases such as spleen hypofunction, poor appetite and diabetes, qi-blood deficiency, etc.

Eating red dates can strengthen the body, and cure diseases such as neurasthenic, imbalance of the spleen and the stomach, indigestion, cough, anemia and over thinness. They are effective to preserve the liver and prevent cancers.

The plant may help prevent impairment of hippocampal memory. A controlled clinical trial found the fruits helpful for chronic constipation.

Red dates contain many health benefitting phytonutrients flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic properties.

Other Health Benefits:

• improves cAMP.
• calms the central nervous system.
• inhibits histamine, IgE and 5-HT (serotonin).
• protects liver.
• improves strength of muscles.
• inhibits cell mutation and inhibits cancer cells.
• treating skin cancer：the active ingredients betulinic acid.
• maslinic acid possess the effect of inhibiting cancer cells.
• preventing reaction in blood transfusion.

Application:

Candied Red Dates

Wash about 3 pounds dried jujubes; drain and prick each several times with a fork. In a kettle bring to a boil 5 cups water, 5-1/2 cups sugar, and 1 tablespoon corn starch. Add the jujubes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Cool, cover, and chill overnight.
The next day bring syrup and jujubes to a boil and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon lift jujubes from syrup and place slightly apart on rimmed pans. Dry in oven, or in sun for about 2 to 3 days. Check fruit frequently and turn fruit occasionally until the jujubes are like the dates ones sees in the market.

Red Dates Syrup

Boil syrup remaining from the Candied Jujubes, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 cups. Use over pancakes and waffles. Store in the refrigerator.
Other uses: Substitute the dried jujube wherever recipes call for raisins or dates. Dried jujubes are a wonderful snack that can be prepared without the use of any preservative as is so commonly needed for other dried fruits.

Cautions:

• Red date promotes damp heat (infection of the digestive tract).
• It creates flatulence, indigestion, promotes parasites, bad teeth.
• Do not use in case of hot cough or in case of yeast infection.
• Do not use large amount if digestion is bad.

Related Posts

• November 30, 2011 -- Tonic for Women — Red Date Cake Recipes

Red Dates Pork Soup

Ingredient:

2 litres (10 cups) water
1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
12 water chestnuts, peeled
8 red dates, pited and rinsed
500 gm lean pork, rinsed and scalded with boiling water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions:

Bring the water to a boil in a stockpot. Add all the ingredients, except the salt, and cook over high heat for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Season with the salt and remove from the heat. Serve hot in individual serving bowls.

Red Dates with Lotus Seeds Tonic Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

Red dates, lotus seeds, rock sugar, honey and papaya

Instruction:
Bring red dates and lotus seeds with some rock sugar to the boil. Cut the papaya and remove its seeds. Put the cooked red dates and lotus seeds with honey into the papaya, then steam for a while and serve.

Tips:
While eating, you’d better eat papaya together with other ingredients. This tonic food can be served as a dessert after dinner.

Related Posts

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• November 10, 2011 -- Homemade Herbal Tonic for Women with PMS
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• March 25, 2011 -- Herbal Tonics During Pregnancy

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized golden threadfin bream (or any other appropriate substitute)
1 large papaya (use green papaya if used for increasing milk in breastfeeding)
5-6 pieces of dried scallop
3 large dried dates
2 slices of fresh ginger
2 L of water
1 teaspoon of salt (to marinate the fish)
1 teaspoon of oil (to fry the fish)

Instructions:

After the fish is cleaned, wipe the fish with paper towels or a cloth to remove excess water.
Cover the fish with a small amount of salt (inside and out).
Let it sit for an hour and then drain any water.
Peel and cut the papaya into large edible cubes.
Start boiling your soup water.
In a pan, add oil and fry the ginger with the fish on low-medium heat (until the fish is completely cooked and the skin is a slightly browned).
Put the fish into a soup bag and add to water.
Add papaya and gingerBoil for at least an hour.

This soup is rich vitamin C, carotenes and antioxidants which aids in milk production for breastfeeding women (use green papayas in this case)

Precautions:

Caution must be taken when making fish soup as the fish will disintegrate.  This is why it’s important to use a soup bag to put the fish in to keep all the contents contained.  This is particularly important when serving the soup to babies or children.

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Other names:

China: Mugua
Australia and some islands of the West Indies: papaw, or pawpaw
Southern Asia and the East Indies:kapaya, kepaya, lapaya or tapaya.
French: papaye (the fruit) and papayer (the plant), or figuier des Iles.
Spanish-speaking people: melón zapote, lechosa, payaya (fruit), papayo or papayero (the plant), fruta bomba, mamón or mamona.
Brazil: mamao

The papaya is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya. The papaya is believed native to tropical America. There are two types of papayas, Hawaiian and Mexican. A properly ripened papaya is juicy, sweetish and somewhat like a cantaloupe in flavor. Although Mexican papayas are much larger the the Hawaiian types, the flavor is less intense than that the Hawaiian papaya. The papaya is one of the leading fruits of southern Mexico and 40% of that country’s crop is produced in the state of Veracruz. The fruit is melon-like, oval to nearly round, somewhat pyriform, or elongated club-shaped, 6 to 20 in (15-50 cm) long and 4 to 8 in (10-20 cm) thick; weighing up to 20 lbs (9 kg).

Nutrients:

The papaya is regarded as a fair source of iron and calcium; a good source of vitamins A, B and G and an excellent source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Papayas have a relatively high amount of pectin, which can be used to make jellies.

How it works to lose weight?

Eating papaya helps you lose weight because it will improve your digestion. Papain aids protein digestion as it helps break down protein in the food you eat. the potassium and fiber in papayas help to tighten the tummy. It can also help one reduce wrinkles.

Eating papaya 30mins before meal, the papain and the vitamins will search for fats (which will be from “storage”) and start breaking them down. Which is why if you eat plenty papaya, you can loose stools.

To dilute the effect of yellowness, drink 30% more water during the day to pass the excess out.

Benefits for Women

Women in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other countries have long used green papaya as a folk remedy for contraception and abortion. Enslaved women in the West Indies were noted for consuming papaya to prevent pregnancies and thus preventing their children from being born into slavery.

In China, it’s used in traditional Chinese medicine for Chaenomeles speciosa (flowering quince) or Pseudocydonia sinensis (Chinese quince).

In the Chinese system of medicine, papaya is neither warm nor cool. It is believed to stimulate circulation, relax joints and muscles, and improve the flow of breast milk in nursing mothers.

For these lactating women, it is common to simmer five hundred grams of papaya and a pig’s trotter and drink the resulting soup to increase their breast milk.

Eating strongly coloured vegetables and fruit such as papaya, carrots and plums makes people more attractive, according to a new British study.

Researchers at St Andrews and Bristol universities studied the relationship between skin colour and attractiveness, and found people with a yellow skin hue were perceived as particularly healthy and attractive, the Grocer magazine reported.

They also established for the first time that yellow pigments, or carotenoids, from certain fruit and vegetables played a key role in producing yellowness in skin.

To diminish nausea and vomiting when pregnant, Chinese medical practitioners advise women to roast papaya leaves and crush the ashes to fine dust then dissolve three grams in a glass of water and drink this decoction two or three times a day. As an aid in healing renal colic, kidney stones, and gall stones.

Green Papaya (unripe papaya) as Meat Tenderizers

Its green fruits contains two proteolytic enzymes, papain and chymopapain. The latter is most abundant but papain is twice as potent. Papain helps digestion and is used to tenderize meat. One of the best known uses of papain is in commercial products marketed as meat tenderizers, especially for home use. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements and is also used as an ingredient in some chewing gums.

Because of its papain content, a piece of green papaya can be rubbed on a portion of tough meat to tenderize it. Sometimes a chunk of green papaya is cooked with meat for the same purpose.

Papain-treated meat should never be eaten “rare” but should be cooked sufficiently to inactivate the enzyme. The tongue, liver and kidneys of injected animals must be consumed quickly after cooking or utilized immediately in food or feed products, as they are highly perishable.

Health Benefits:

According to traditional Chinese medicine, papaya can help digestion and invigorate the stomach; it can slow down the effects of ageing and help produce mother’s milk.

Papaya promotes the health of the cardiovascular system and also provides protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.

Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.

Cautions:

Papaya releases a latex fluid when not quite ripe, which can cause irritation and provoke allergic reaction in some people. The papaya fruit, seeds, latex, and leaves also contains carpaine, an anthelmintic alkaloid (a drug that removes parasitic worms from the body), which can be dangerous in high doses.

Mention has already been made of skin irritation in papaya harvesters because of the action of fresh papaya latex, and of the possible hazard of consuming undercooked meat tenderized with papain. It must be added that the pollen of papaya flowers has induced severe respiratory reactions in sensitive individuals. Thereafter, such people react to contact with any part of  the plant and to eating ripe papaya or any food containing papaya, or meat tenderized with papain.

The latex concentration of unripe papayas may cause uterine contractions, which may lead to a miscarriage.

Related Posts

• November 21, 2011 -- Papaya Fish Soup Recipe for Breastfeeding Women

The following recipe can be consumed during the premenstrual phrase or for more long-term use.

Ingredients:

Bupleurum (chai hu) 10g
Selfheal spike (xia ku cao) 12g
White peony root (bai shao) 15g
Bitter orange (zhi ke) 10g
Red sage root (dan shen) 20g
Red sugar to taste

Instruction:

Boil the herbal ingredients with 600ml water, bring to a boil and then simmer until the decoction remains about 150ml. Filtered or strained the liquid into a container, add red sugar to taste. Serve hot, once a day.

Related Posts

• December 12, 2011 -- Chinese Tonic Herb — Astragalus root (huang qi)
• November 24, 2011 -- Winter Tonic Soup Recipes for Women
• October 21, 2011 -- Chinese Herbal Tonic — Codonopsis Root ( Dang Shen )
• March 25, 2011 -- Herbal Tonics During Pregnancy