Organic Lavender Tea

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Lavender is an ancient Mediterranean flora. For centuries Lavender oil has been used for aromatherapy, soothing, and antiseptic effects in spa and during bath or body massage. the aroma reduces anxiety including patient anxiety in health care settings. Lavender tea, which mainly is made from a few dried lavender blossoms left in boiling water for few minutes and drained, is delicious and soothing. You can add the blossoms to your black tea and enjoy the taste and health benefits of both together. It is known that lavender tea can give relief to upset stomach and indigestion. It reduces insomnia, convulsions, and headaches. Lavender is used vastly in cosmetics and cleaning products for both its health benefits and aroma.  It is good to know that very strong aroma of lavender can cause headache, nose bleeding, nausea  and vomiting for those who have allergies. Lavender also is added to honey and different kind of marmalades such as apricot, plum, raspberry, strawberry and to chutneys such as sweet chili dipping sauce and tomato chutney. Because of it’s calming effect on nervous system, it is better not to drink lavender tea a couple of weeks before any surgery.

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

Organic Jasmine Green Tea

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Jasmine flower is a symbol of love, feminine kindness, nobility, grace, and elegance. Tea lovers usually add it to green tee for it’s fragrance and it’s pleasant taste. You can add them to your water and keep it in the fridge. Jasmine tea is soothing and makes you calm. It is known for weight management, powerful antioxidant and anti cancerous qualities. Also Jasmine has been used for it’s effect on reducing fat and cholesterol. It is  aphrodisiac and it reduces the risk of developing a tooth cavity, specially if you use it as a mouth wash. It also prevents the growth of some bacterias such as salmonella.

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

Organic Chrysanthemum Tea

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Chrysanthemum flower is Japan’s national flower. It is very much valued medically by japanese and Chinese and recently it is popular in other countries as well. It is also known as a symbol of wealth, faithfulness, and Truth. It is cold in nature and the tea made out of this flower is soothing and cooling. Therefor you can add a couple of slices of fresh ginger root, which is hot in nature, for taste and for making it balanced in temperament. Plus ginger will add anti-inflammatory characteristic to the tea and is good for musculoskeletal inflammation and pain. You can drink it with or without honey, but it has a mild and pleasant sweet taste by itself. If you serve it after a big and rich cuisine, you don’t need ginger or honey and in East they even add a few wolf berries or some Pandan leaves to this tea. When you boil Chrysanthemum, the steam, which is very fragrant,  can help the symptoms of cold, sinus inflammation , and red eye. It is believed and have been experienced for centuries that this tea is good for detoxifying liver and has cleansing effect on skin, specially on dark spots and it reduces aging appearance. Two to three times a week would be a moderate use for this tea and most other herbal teas. Mainly, herbal tea  as a part of nutrition is for prevention and giving balance to your health gradually, so if you are on any medication for any health condition, you need to check with your doctor.

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

 

Recipe,

1- Boil 1 tea spoon of dried chrysanthemum flower in a glass of water for 5 minutes (after rinsing the flowers wit cold water)

2- Add a few slices of fresh ginger root (Optional)

2- Drain it and serve the tea with hot water and honey or cold water and ice

Organic Star Fruit

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Star fruit is a tropical fruit ranging from sour to sweet taste depend on the variety. Star fruit is a diet fruit and it has a lot of anti-oxidant. It also may reduce cholesterol and it helps constipation. Star fruit is known for curing hangover and it’s headache and nausea. Adding a slice of pickled star fruit to a glass of hot water and drinking it has the same effect as the fresh fruit in fighting with hangover. Nursing moms can get benefit from eating this fruit, because it is believed that star fruit can stimulate  the flow of breast milk. It is full of vitamin C, so it can fasten the process of wound healing and common cold as well.  I like to make both jam and pickle out of this fruit. Peanut butter sandwich is a good pair for this jam:-) And the pickle is delicious just by itself:-)

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation!” Dr. Sii

Organic Mushrooms

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Mushrooms are Magic! They have all kind of characteristics with the range of killing you with poison to protect you from many diseases. There are at least 140,000 different kind of mushrooms in the world and only 14000 of them are known to human and only hundred of them have been studied for their health benefits. But even with this limited studies, mushrooms managed to receive so many credits and recommendations for their position in our diet. They are gorgeous with varieties in shape, color, and texture and delicious with varieties in taste fresh or dried. Finding them during hiking is like finding jewels and they always bring smile on my face and light in my eyes. You need to be expert to recommend eating a wild mushroom, but it is always the best to eat organic mushroom, because they are like sponge and absorb elements in their environment. Absorbing bad things makes them poisonous and good things make them nutritious and therapeutic. They grow easily and in so many different environments, from tree, soil, and plant to insects (like caterpillar fungus, which is called magic mushroom and is used by athletes for boosting energy). We all know that mushrooms are a rich source of protein. It is also known that mushrooms can manage weight, have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory elements, are beneficial for skin – immune system – liver, and are good for boosting energy and reducing stress. They also increase memory and vitamin D level and even some kind of mushrooms have shown anti HIV characteristics in the lab. On top of all these, they are a very good source of antibiotics. Penicillin, tetracycline, and streptomycin are all made out of fungal extracts:-)

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

     

Lemon Mint Tea & Honey

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Lemon mint is a variety of mint, which smells like lemon when you crush the leaves between your fingers and tastes like a mixture of mint and lemon. It grows very easily in most kind of soils and loves moisture. It is resistant to changes in weather and to insects and diseases. Fortunately rabbits and deers don’t like them, so when you plant a few branches of lemon mint in your backyard, they just grow, run, and spread. I always enjoy making fresh lemon mint tea and drink it with honey, specially in cold days. They are very good in opening up your sinuses and help soothing cold symptoms. Fresh mint tea is very popular in countries like Morocco and Netherlands and in roman’s time mint and the smell of mint in the house was a sign of hospitality.

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

  

Organic Black Sticky Rice

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Did you know that fruits, grains, and roots that are darker and more colorful, usually have more vitamins and antioxidants? For example beets have much higher antioxidant than turnips, black and ruby rice have higher than white rice, and blue berries have higher than white mulberries. Black sticky rice with a rich purple color is full of vitamins and antioxidants, which because of it’s antioxidants, it can be beneficial in reducing heart disease, stroke, and cancer. It is delicious and gluten free. When you cook it like pudding, it can be a very nutritious alternative for cereals in the morning. You can serve it with coconut milk like Thai people or with either fresh milk or kefir and honey like Si’mama Cafe:-) Either way, it is absolutely satisfying and easy to make. Black sticky rice is full of fiber and is known to have soothing anti inflammatory quality for conditions such as allergies and asthma.

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

Organic Rosella Tea

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

When I tried Rosella tea for the first time in Thailand, I tasted something  similar to cranberry and sour cherry juice. I liked it a lot and when I saw the flower and learned about the benefits that local people had experienced for a long time in history, I was even more interested in this plant.  Later I found out that in south Asia Rosella tea was used as diuretic and for proper kidney function as they use cranberry juice in North America. Rosella can be used as a natural red food color and it is known to be a great source of  vitamin C, B, D, Omega 3, Magnesium, and Calcium, which increases high immunity and helps healing wounds and reduces muscle cramps.  Other health benefits related to this flower are lowering blood cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It also can balances weight, Detoxifies body, and fight against cancer. It is soothing for cold symptoms and helps digestion. On top of all these, it is delicious cold in summer and hot in winter:-)

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

Recipe:

1. Boil 1.5 liter water until it becomes very hot with steam.

2. Add 25 grams Rosella and boil it for 30 minutes until the Roselle becomes totally soft with red juice.

3. Remove all of the Rosella.

4. Add some sugar  (250 grams).

5. Add a pinch of salt.

6. Taste and adjust sugar ( don’t forget that you will add ice later)

7. Move the pot from the oven to room temperature.

8. Store in a bottle in the refrigerator and serve it with water and ice according to your taste.

Organic Butterfly Pea (Anchan) Tea (Magic Tea)

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

It is magic! This beautiful blue tropical flower has historically been known for adding many health benefits to human life.  Its color is used as a natural blue and purple food color and the hot and cold beverages made out of this flower are known for detoxifying body, satisfying thirst and soothing stress.  The flower is used for nourishing and improving hair and skin. It gives strength, growth, and shine to hair. Butterfly pea flower also; improves memory and sharpens the mind, Improves eye sight, provides antioxidants, boosts immunity, reduces the risk of developing Diabetes 2, reduces depression and anxiety. Hot and cold Butterfly – Blue Pea – Tea Thai beverages are fun, fancy, and delicious! In Si’Mama Cafe we call it TT or True blue Tea and hot and cold Lavender Lemonade. Drink it and serve your guests and your loved ones with this tropical drink and see that not only you will impress people, but you will be impressed yourself with the benefits 🙂 In Thailand you see this drink on the store shelves along with other refreshing and healthy drinks.

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii

 

 Recipe:

1. Boil 1 liter of water.

2. Add 100 grams of Butterfly Pea flowers ( or approximately 25 flowers, after washing them with water )

3. Stir it and boil it for 5 minute.

4. Drain it and add fresh lemon juice to the liquid

5. Add 75 grams sugar and stir until it is melted (you can also use syrup or honey or drink it not sweetened).

6. Leave the pot in room temperature.

7. Store it in a bottle and serve it over ice and water to your taste.