【Description】
Diabetes has long been a serious health challenge for people around the world. Today, the diabetic population not only shows no sign of decreasing but continues to grow, and now includes a significant number of younger people.
What are the symptoms of diabetes? What problems can occur in severe cases? What kind of diet should diabetic patients consume?
In this lesson, Grandmaster JinBodhi shares his knowledge of diabetes and explains how energy gives rise to it. He also teaches us how to make a simple, healthy drink that is effective at lowering blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
【You will learn】
- The causes, symptoms and complications of diabetes
- Low-sugar recipes for diabetic patients
- Grandmaster JinBodhi’s healthy drink recipe which helps lower the “3 highs”
- Some common Chinese herbs that are useful in improving the health of diabetic patients
【Content】
Hello, everyone. (Hello, Grandmaster.) To start, I’ll be telling a story. Once, Mrs. Wang and Mr. Wang went on an outing with their grandkids. While playing with the grandkids, Mr. Wang kicked a stone in the river by accident, and one of his toes was bleeding a little. This is normal, right? They had brought along some plasters; so, they put one on, and the bleeding stopped.
Several days later, Mr. Wang’s toe wasn’t feeling right. His plastered toe looked a bit festered. He then quickly went to get some anti-inflammatory cream and applied it; he thought everything was going to be OK. And then, about 10 days later, his foot’s swelling got worse, and his plastered toe looked bad. It was all inflamed and swelling badly, and the color didn’t look right. Mr. Wang then went to see the doctor the next day, and he was told he had severe diabetes.
(He knew nothing about it?) He had no idea. Mr. Wang was shocked because he didn’t expect it to happen to him. “Anyone can get it,” the doctor said. When you get old and live a poor lifestyle with bad diet, it could happen to you. All the tests showed Mr. Wang was indeed diabetic. The doctor told him that the other specialists would look at his toe the next day. Surgery was a possibility. That didn’t sound pleasant to Mr. Wang. (Right.) (Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?)
So, the next day, the doctors told him that an amputation was the only option. The doctors would only remove his damaged toe. Had he gone to the doctor later, his foot, or even his leg, would be gone. Mr. Wang should have gone to the doctor earlier. A little delay and, see, his toe had to be removed. It was the only option to keep him alive. A further delay could kill him. (Sounds serious.) (When we talked about a small surgery, I thought, wound cleaning, maybe. Or, pus or abscess removal.) Yes, that’s what we thought. (For sure, not a toe removal.) Maybe 2 stitches, that’s it.
The doctor then showed Mr. Wang who had undergone amputation; some had a leg gone; some, half a leg, some had no legs, some were blind, and some had festered wounds all over their body. All these conditions were caused by diabetes. (Scary.) (I think many would be worried that they’re like Mr. Wang, who had no idea at all about his diabetic condition. But, in fact, they already have diabetes.) (Yes, they just don’t know it.)
(So what are the details that we should look into?) I’ve done some research on this matter. I made a list of symptoms related to diabetes. Let’s go through them. See for yourself; do you have the problems on my list? If you need more answers, then go to a doctor. What I’m about to say is what the doctors say.
First, you’re eating, drinking and urinating more. But at the same time, you’re losing weight. (How come? Shouldn’t you gain weight when you’re eating and drinking more?) (And, usually, most diabetic people are obese.) Yes, obese people are more likely to have diabetes.
Next, your wounds are harder to heal. Cutting your finger on the chopping board, hurting your toe from kicking the leg of a table, being hurt by knives, needles, nails, shaving wounds; these are common injuries, right? For some people, these wounds don’t heal. Some of their wounds even fester.
Next, skin itching. You may ask, “Whose skin doesn’t itch?” Not like that; here, we’re talking about serious itching which leads to excessive scratching. This is a serious matter.
Next, numbness in hands and feet. Some might have a prickling sensation too. Juezhen, when I say numbness, it’s not like feeling nothing at all. (Yes. That’s like, you poke someone with something sharp and he doesn’t feel it.) Yes, there is sensation. (It’s a tingling sensation.) Yes, in their arms and legs. (Yes.) There is a sensation. Try not to misunderstand this. (So people feel a numbness or prickling sensation.) Again, there is a sensation; it’s not like people don’t feel anything at all.
Next, slower reaction. I’m referring to degeneration of the senses. Say, when doing your laundry, you take more time in telling whether the water is hot or cold. That’s what I call sense degeneration. (For healthy people, they find the water hot right away, with just one touch. Diabetic people are like, “This is OK, not hot at all.”) Totally unfazed. (Exactly.) Or, acceptable temperature. (Right.) They can withstand extreme heat or cold.
(This is like an illusion that boiling water isn’t that hot.) (This is not about how much heat or cold one can take; but this person is slower in reacting to heat or cold. Or, like Grandmaster said: They just don’t feel, even when being poked by someone.) Yes. Some people react to pain quickly. Say, a lady’s high heel steps on my foot. That’s painful. (Right.)
There are people who feel nothing at all. I’m talking about being stepped on with a high heel. That’s what I call sense degeneration. It’s the degeneration of the sensory nerve endings, which causes slower reaction to all sensations, such as heat, cold, itching, etc. This is troublesome. The ability to sense pain is a self-protective mechanism. When one reacts to pain slowly, or is not able to feel pain, it’s very dangerous.
Next, eyesight degeneration. Becoming blind is quite possible if you have diabetes. Neither of you expected this, right? (Yes, totally.) If I have an eyesight problem, I can read with reading glasses. (Yes.) But for eyesight problems caused by diabetes, nothing can help. They can’t see at all. (For those who have diabetes, your eyesight getting bad is not due to aging, OK? This has nothing to do with your age.) Diabetes could cause cataracts or corneal exfoliation. (The former is more common.) Or, eye congestion. (Yes.) In short, diabetes could cause ophthalmic diseases. (In short, if we’re having these aforementioned symptoms, we should be careful.)
There’s more to this eyesight problem. Our eyes do adapt to darkness, so we can see a bit in the dark. With some light, normal people can see things, such as houses, a dog or a person walking. Normal people can see at least a rough shape, even if not exact detail, right? Diabetics with eyesight degeneration can’t see the shadows healthy people can see. So they’d fall or bump into things. (Better not to drive.) Yes, don’t drive, it’s too dangerous.
Next, you get tired easily. You feel weak, or drained all the time, to the extent that you think you’re getting old. This is one of the symptoms too. Remember, you feel exhausted all the time and find it hard to concentrate.
Next, it’s about your skin tone; it’s either pale like you’re sick, or it could get dull, not dark. It’s not bright skin, OK? It’s pale skin. Westerners have white skin, and they’re not sick, OK? The pale skin one gets from diabetes and heart attacks is unpleasant to look at. When people are sick, their skin becomes pale. “Pale” is the term, OK? Not bright. Being sick means you’re malnourished. Your skin could be pale, or it could be dull. The color to describe a sick person’s skin is grayish-purple.
Diabetes could make your skin pale or grayish-purple. This paleness is usually due to ischemia. Being grayish-purple means you have congestion in your body. Your blood vessels are stuck, or your body might have trouble pumping fresh blood. It shows in your skin. When your skin looks grayish-purple, it means you have congestion. This might be too deep for you. In short, your blood is somewhat stuck. This is dangerous. A stroke could then follow. One could die 3 days later from a severe stroke attack in the brain. They could appear all healthy and active before, but a stroke could end everything. So, it shows on your skin, OK?
Next, diabetic people have thicker nails, or their nail shapes could be affected by diabetes. (Is it the fingernails or toenails?) It’s more evident on the toenails. It also affects fingernails, but not as much as toenails. (It’s more evident on the toenails.) Yes. There are some changes in the color of your toenails. They could be blue-black, or green; they could also get chipped, become tilted, slanted or curled up. Before this, your nails get thicker. Spoon-shaped nails are a sign of illness. Healthy nails are slightly curved with a smooth surface. Some people’s nails are curved like an apple. What does that mean? Trouble. Could it be caused by diabetes? Maybe.
There’s more. Here’s another one: Beau’s lines. They refer to horizontal ridges or dents in your nails. (That’s something new.) How do you spell that? B-E-A-U’s line (I see.) It’s the name of the doctor who discovered it. (I see.) It could be an English or French name. Yes, that’s how it got its name. (What does it look like?) (Horizontal? Or vertical?) Horizontal. It’s a horizontal line that cuts across your nails. (Across the center?) Yes. It’s like a scar from a knife cut. (Is it only on the big toe?) It can happen on all toes. (Fingers and toes.) It’s more evident on the toenails. (OK.) It happens more on our toenails. Looks more obvious too. Not that many people have these lines on their nails. If you do, better visit a doctor.
(Those are the 10 signs of diabetes.) Yes, with examples. And also, paronychia, a slightly technical term. (It refers to nail inflammation that may result from trauma, irritation or infection.) Yes. Look at someone’s skin, and you can tell how severe their diabetes is. There would be signs of swelling, puffiness with dark, grayish and purplish spots. (In short, to know if someone has diabetes, we look at their legs.) Right.
These symptoms suggest one may have diabetes. But being quick to conclude that you have diabetes when your skin is occasionally a bit itchy, is not right. Feeling itchy on your skin sometimes is perfectly normal. We’re talking about severity here. What are the signs that tell you things are bad? When you see a Beau’s line, you should visit a doctor. That’s what I call severe.
You should look at the reliable stats we found online. Stats are important. Diabetes gets to anyone and everyone, not a specific group of people. (Let’s look at the percentage of diabetic patients in each country. These are figures from 2021. China, 11%, that’s a lot of people.) That’s OK. (Yes.) There are others with higher figures. (Singapore, 12%.) That’s OK, too. (OK? Seriously?) (USA, 11%. Yes, a developed country. Singapore and the USA are both developed countries. 12% and 11%.) So-so, I’d say.
(Malaysia, 19%. That’s quite high.) They should watch their diet. (Indeed.) (Canada, 8%. Better than most, I’d say.) A lot better. (The percentage is less than 10 in Canada.) (Korea, 7%; Australia, 6%.) (Any country that is lower than 6%?) Yes. (Which one?) (We’re talking about countries in Western and Northern Europe.) Let’s talk about what makes these numbers. You could say that developed countries are more civilized and educated, so they know how bad diabetes is. As a result, they adopt a healthy diet. They also know the importance of working out. They maintain a diet that is low in sugar, fat and oil.
(The stats also show that diabetes is, in fact, the ninth-leading cause of death in the world, with half of the people it kills being under 70 years old.) Each year? (Yes.) Complications of diabetes have killed around 1.5 million people. That’s quite a lot of people. (Yes.) (That’s why we should be mindful of it. The aforementioned countries with percentages lower than 20% are doing OK, but not those that are above 20%; it’s a signal that many already have diabetes, or they’re about to get it.)
In other words, diabetes could lead to other complications. (Right.) For example, I just mentioned eyesight problems. What about kidney problems? If the kidney problem gets more serious, one will need kidney dialysis; that’s another big problem. (Right.) Yes. (Kidney dialysis often reminds people of the “3 highs.” When you have one of the 3 highs, you’re more likely to get the other 2.) Yes. (High blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.) When one gets diabetes, it could lead to heart attacks. (Yes.) Stroke, too, maybe. (Right.) A stroke might kill you. (Yes.) Right. Speaking of kidney problems, it’s bad once it leads to kidney failure. (Yes.)
(The stats also show that people with diabetes are 12 times more likely to develop brain clots than people without diabetes. Again, 12 times.) (That’s scary.) (There are one million cases of blindness caused by diabetes every year.) (That’s quite a lot.) (Yes, one million cases. Here’s another one: infertility. People who have diabetes, men or women, tend to struggle with infertility. Diabetes also affects the reproductive system. If a pregnant woman suffers from severe diabetes, it could lead to her giving birth to a child with birth defects, or miscarrying, or a situation which puts the child and the mother in danger.)
Let’s try to summarize things. First, obese people are more likely to get diabetes. (Yes.) Everyone deserves respect, regardless of their figure, but being obese is not healthy. If you’re obese and working out very little, remember to eat a healthy diet and do more workouts. Next, this is about those diagnosed with the 3 highs. (When you have high blood sugar, you should be worried about getting diabetes.) Right.
(If you already have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, you need to pay attention to your blood sugar as well.) Yes. (Having one of the 3 highs leads to the other 2 highs.) (This is not about getting all 3 highs at the same time. If you already have the 3 highs, of course, your blood sugar is high. If you only have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you should start being vigilant. Like we mentioned, having one of the 3 highs gets you the other 2 highs.)
Also, let’s talk about genetics. (Right.) Diabetes could be running in your family’s genes. If one of the members of your family, a parent or a sibling, has diabetes, then you should be careful. From a TCM perspective, the root cause of diabetes lies in a weakness in one’s vital energy. When your internal organs are weak, evil energy, or illness, will surface. It’s always like that. This happens usually when you begin to get weak. When do you start getting weak? As soon as you hit 40.
(For your information, there are 3 main types of diabetes: type-1, type-2 and gestational. Type-2 diabetes is also called acquired diabetes, which one acquires from, say, consuming too much sugar. That’s type-2 diabetes. Type-1 diabetes, on the other hand, can also be called hereditary diabetes. In other words, it runs in the family. That’s type-1 diabetes; (children can get it. Here’s the question, Grandmaster. We know that type-2 diabetes is, like I said, acquired through unhealthy dietary habits. Does it mean that we’d get diabetes if we consumed too much sugar?)
Alright, let’s talk about healthy diet. (Sure.) We’ll look at some low-sugar foods. Can we have some examples of low-sugar foods? I mentioned oat before, right? (Yes.) Oat is low in sugar content. Foods that help prevent diabetes are more or less similar to food that prevents coronary heart disease and the 3 highs. That’s how it is. (Low salt, low fat, low sugar.)
Rice nowadays isn’t processed like how it used to be. Can we get rice ground using a stone grinder? (I think it’s hard.) That’s what I think. It’ll be expensive; people nowadays seek convenience. Take flour for example; they don’t care how it’s made. Do we still have grain processed using a traditional method, with the bran and germ still intact? Do we still have whole-grain rice? (Brown rice? It’s slightly brownish in color.) Yes, rice that is not overly milled. Brown rice is healthier than white rice, and helps control the blood-sugar level. (Yes.)
(And coarse grains too.) Yes. (For example, oat and buckwheat.) In Ancient China, millet was the best-selling grain. Do you know what millet is? (Quinoa is another whole grain similar to millet.) Right. I see, quinoa. (Like millet, it’s a type of whole grain. After Clinton’s heart surgery, he was advised to go vegan by his doctor. And what was he asked to eat? Quinoa. It’s whole grain, and it’s nutritious.) Brown rice is good; it comes with the bran and germ. Whole-wheat flour, whole-grain rice, oat, quinoa; these are healthy and low in sugar. Eating mixed grains is healthy too. Are beans healthy? (Beans are healthy.) (Eat everything in moderation.) Yes, eat more types of food. Eating a small amount of beans is healthy. A healthy meal should have grains.
Don’t forget your vegetables. Cucumbers, broccoli, celery, tomatoes, etc. These are low in sugar. And soybean products too. (Soybeans are not suitable for people with kidney issues.) If you have kidney problems, you should watch what you eat. (If your blood-sugar level is slightly higher, but you have no kidney issues, soybeans are safe for you; it’s a good protein source. And safe too.) (Yes.) Almost all types of food contain sugar. Millet too. And grains grown in Hebei, Shaanxi and Shandong are actually quite high in sugar. (Grains are mostly carbs, which turn into sugar in our body.) Potatoes also contain lots of sugar. (All tuber foods are the same.)
There are vegans who are diabetic too. When you have diabetes, it’s not easy. Everything contains sugar. The foods for diabetic patients are limited; so, diabetic people do sometimes succumb to sugar cravings. (Diabetic patients are their own doctor. They know the do’s and don’ts, what they can eat and what they can’t. But still, this doesn’t help them long term. Prevention is still better than control.)
(Let’s see how we can prevent; it’s about eating more healthy foods and less unhealthy foods.) (Prevention is about not letting things get worse.) (One more thing: If you have diabetes, remember, no smoking and no drinking alcohol. This is extremely important.) No drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. We don’t want people to argue and say, “What about weed?” Don’t try to be smart. Drugs, weed; they ruin your body. (This is what I think. After today’s lesson, if you have diabetes, or if you’re on medication, you should still follow up with your doctor.)
Remember to exercise more. I don’t think today’s lesson will ease all your worries. I know, diabetes is worse than demons and ghosts. To get rid of demons, you get an exorcist and use some charms, and that’s it. But once you get diabetes, it’s hard to shake it off. There are Energy Bagua practice sites in parks all over the world. I created the practice of Energy Bagua.You can ask around, many people have benefited from it. I’m not bluffing; Energy Bagua has helped many diabetic patients. I advocate dealing with diabetes in various ways. Healthy diet is one way.
There are some tried-and-trusted recipes and home remedies that are beneficial to our health. I’ll show you one today. This one helps prevent diabetes and the 3 highs. I call it the “3-Highs Clearing Tea.” Alright, now, to the ingredients. First, mulberry leaves. (The dried ones.) You can get powdered ones too, from a herb store. Dried mulberry leaves are common in Asia. It’s effective at lowering the 3 highs. Again, what are the 3 highs? (High blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.) If it’s effective against the 3 highs, it can also help you lose weight and improve facial appearance. What a miraculous leaf. The ancients called it “Leaf from Heaven.” It’s medicinal value is remarkable. So, mulberry leaves; this is the first ingredient.
(Let me share what I know too. What do Western medicine practitioners say about mulberry leaves? Studies have revealed that (the properties of mulberry leaves can reduce blood-sugar spikes after you eat carbohydrates. Scientists from the UK also say that mulberry leaves can stimulate insulin secretion and improve sugar metabolism. All this information is public and you can find it easily. An article featured in the Journal of the N American Diabetes Association reveals a study that found that type-2 diabetes patients who took mulberry leaves had significantly lower peak blood-sugar levels after meals. These studies of mulberry leaves reveal what benefits mulberry leaves offer, providing hope for diabetic patients.) They can now consume mulberry leaves without worries. (Yes.) The ingredients in my recipes are all scientifically proven.
The next ingredient: white chrysanthemum. Only the white variety is considered a medicinal herb, not the yellow, pink or green ones, OK? Those are for viewing; they’re not known for their medicinal value. I’ll give you some examples of herbal white chrysanthemum. First, the Hangzhou chrysanthemum (Hangbaiju). And then, there’s the tribute chrysanthemum (Gongju). I personally prefer this one. These differ in terms of medicinal benefits. For this recipe, you should use the tribute chrysanthemum.
The next ingredient is American ginseng. This is another useful ingredient. Wu-li, tell us about American ginseng. (The name itself tells you it’s not local. It’s mostly found in North America.) Canada and the USA? (Right.) (American ginseng is quite special; unlike Chinese ginseng which is hot in nature, American ginseng helps cool the body. It’s a cooling and qi-nourishing herb. Besides being a cooling herb, what does it do? It’s used mainly to improve immunity, calm the mind, eliminate fatigue, enhance memory, reduce blood pressure and blood sugar, and regulate insulin. Looks like it’s made to fight diabetes.) What an effective herb. (I know.)
We have 3 ingredients so far: mulberry leaves, tribute chrysanthemum, and American ginseng. Next, dried hawthorn. Most Chinese know what it looks like. It strengthens the spleen and stomach, and it helps digestion too. Next, lotus leaves. Fresh lotus leaves are not available all the time. I think the herb stores sell the dried ones. Next, this ingredient is not that common. You know the hairs inside leaves of corn? Yes, the hair-like substance is called corn silk. Does corn silk matter in this recipe? It may not look important, but, in fact, it matters a lot. It offers very good health benefits. It’s especially good for the kidneys. It helps kidney inflammation, edema, high blood pressure and high blood sugar; it also calms our minds. That’s what it does for our health. It’s quite a special herb.
Next, ingredient quantities. Juezhen, please. (First, 5 grams of dried mulberry leaf. It’s easier if you have a scale. No way you’re buying herbs in grams. 3 grams of American ginseng. 15 buds of either chrysanthemum mentioned before. 7 grams of dried hawthorn. 7 grams of dried lotus leaf. Finally, 10 grams of dried corn silk.) The suggested amount makes tea for one for a day’s consumption.
(So, how do we make this tea?) Grab a normal rice bowl. A normal one; not an oversized bowl, OK? We need 6 bowls of water. (6 bowls, OK.) Yes. It needs to be simmered for more than 45 minutes. (Wait, we should wash all ingredients first.) Alright, the washing part. Make sure you wash everything clean. These ingredients are contaminated to a certain extent before they reach you. So, make sure you wash them clean. So, gather all your ingredients and wash them thoroughly. Grab the amount you need first before washing them, OK? They gain some weight after being washed. (They become wet). Yes.
So, grab the quantity of ingredients you need, wash them, and put them into a pot. (Everything goes in at the same time.) Let’s talk about some do’s and don’ts. It’s best not to use a metal pot for this recipe. (So, no iron or stainless-steel pot.) A clay pot is the best. (This is an important reminder.) (So, better use a clay pot.) Clay or ceramic pot is fine; they’re more or less the same. Clay pots are suitable for Cantonese soups and herbal soups.
Add in 6 bowls of water. Keep it uncovered; reduce liquid to 4 bowls. (Bring it up to a boil first, and turn to low heat, right? Medium-low.) We add quite a lot of water. If we use low heat, it’ll take a long time. (Yes.) Use medium-low heat to simmer, OK? Watch the simmering; don’t go watch TV and leave it simmering. You might need to add water to it. Keep an eye on it, OK? Make sure it’s reduced to 4 bowls of water. So, medium-low heat, OK?
Reduce it to 4 bowls of fluid remaining; that’s how much you need a day. (A tea drink.) Yes. You treat it like a tea drink. What does this tea drink prevent? Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems. It also helps to reduce the 3 highs. It lowers your blood-sugar level to prevent diabetes. In short, it helps you lose weight and prevent diseases. (That’s how this tea got its name.) Yes. (It prevents the 3 highs, that’s why.) It’s a tea for clearing. Clearing what? The 3 highs that could kill people. That’s what this tea drink clears. (Impressive.)
That’s the “3-Highs Clearing Tea”; remember the name. My master told me about the benefits of mulberry leaves. The other ingredients were added by me. That’s based on what I know about these ingredients. Do you have any other questions?
(After finishing our tea, can we keep the ingredients and simmer them again the next day?) The used ingredients spoil quickly in summer, so I wouldn’t recommend doing so. If you preserve them well, you may use them however you like, but don’t re-simmer them the next day. Think. If the ingredients still have some medicinal goodness in them, can we reboil and re-simmer them? I had quite a lot of herbal tea when I was little. After the first serving, my mother would add cold water to the ingredients and reheat them. (I went through that too. After pouring out the first serving, my mom would add cold water to the ingredients and make a second serving. Then, she’d mix both servings together and then divide the mixed drink into 2 servings for me.) This is a good method; you don’t waste the herbs’ goodness. (Right.)
(I have a question too. How often should we drink this tea?) Like I said, this recipe is based on what I know about these herbs. These herbs are suitable for all body constitutions. If you don’t feel any side effects after drinking it, you may have it for 5 consecutive days. And then, take a 3-day break. Within this period, if you feel OK, and you feel like drinking it again, then feel free to do so after your 3-day break. This is my suggestion. For this recipe, I’m recommending a safe amount for each herb used. I’d recommend an increased amount if it’s being used by diabetic patients. (More herbs needed to treat diabetes.) This recipe is for prevention purpose. (I see.)
(Can this drink be taken by those who are on diabetes medication?) Every diabetic patient is on a different medication treatment plan, and they’re prescribed enough medication, I think. Will this drink add more burden to your body? Think about it; I don’t recommend drinking this blindly. It’s better to do more research; that’s what I think.
(Do we drink this tea hot or warm?) It depends on the climate; serve it at room temperature on a hot day. In Singapore, the temperature could reach over 30°C. The tea should be about this temperature when served. No need to get it to 50°C. It depends on the level of heat your stomach can take. And if you’re used to drinking warm beverages, then warm it up before you drink it. Remember: Don’t drink it ice cold. If you can’t finish it, you can store it in the refrigerator; when you drink it later, warm it up to about 30°C. Serve it around this temperature during summer.
(If we’re making tea for 2, do we double everything? I’m talking about the herbs and water.) Double the amount of water added, yes, but not the herbs. If both people have high blood sugar, then make and serve 2 different servings. One serving for one person for the best efficacy. If you’re making it for 2, it’s probably for your family. If that’s the case, just add more water. You’re experimenting at the beginning, so it’s OK to use a smaller amount of herbs. Play safe, OK? (That’s very thoughtful, Grandmaster.)
(Can we make this 3-Highs Clearing Tea along with the Liver-and-Eyesight Improving Tea, drinking them on the same day?) Better not. Herbs used in diet therapy have their specific functions. All herbs and foods must be paired accordingly. Whatever you’re served must be cooling in nature, if you want to lower the 3 highs. We need to understand this concept. And, when something is too cooling, it could harm your body.
Here’s an example. Alright, mints. Not bubblegum, OK? Mints. When do you get mints? After eating foods with a strong smell, like onion and chives, right? What does mint candy contain? Peppermint, right? How do manufacturers label the strength of their mints? With colors. Say, green is least minty and blue is the strongest. When I first had a blue mint, I couldn’t feel my jaw. I think it’s mixed with something else stronger than peppermint. It’s too chilling.
Extreme diets make you sick. Why can strong mints get rid of bad breath quickly? Because they contain a lot of strong ingredients. Peppermint is essential, but using it too much may make one’s body too cold. Even for a herb that’s good, you need to use it in a proper amount; using it too much can be harmful. Too many mints can cause menstrual pain and nasal problems. Why? Because it’s too chilling for you.
So, this tea, or medicinal recipe, whatever you call it, is specially made to deal with the 3 highs. To achieve that, it has to be chilling to a certain extent. So, don’t take the 2 teas together, OK? (This recipe is for those who have high blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol, or those who are obese. It’s also a recipe for prevention. If you suffer from low blood sugar and pressure, don’t take it.)
(Someone here is growing a few mulberry trees. (If he wants to collect and dry the leaves, when is the best time to do so?) Good question. I’ll tell you more about mulberry leaves. Mulberry trees are found in many places. The ancients grew them for the leaves to feed the silkworms; it was not for medicine-making. In ancient times, mulberry leaves were known as Heavenly Leaves. They were also called Iron Fans. That’s how it was back then.
So, why Iron Fans? Mulberry leaves are resilient through late autumn and winter. There’s a saying: “No leaves survive the winds of autumn.” When the cold wind comes in autumn from the north, the trees have no leaves the next day; as a result, suddenly all the tree branches are shining black. All leaves are on the ground. The leaves would fill the pits; that’s how it is. All leaves, but not the mulberry leaves. When wind blows through dried mulberry leaves, you can hear the sounds of metal clanging. That’s how mulberry leaves got the name “Iron Fans.”
When you hear the sounds of metal clanging from a mulberry tree, it means autumn is ending and winter is near. So, when is the best time to pluck the leaves? After the leaves are hit by late-autumn frost. That’s when they have the best medicinal efficacy. There is less efficacy if the leaves haven’t been hit by frost. It’s even less efficient during spring. The best mulberry leaves in terms of medicinal value are the ones struck by late-autumn frost. (New knowledge gained.) (So, pluck it after the frost hits.) Yes. (Then, dry them in the sun.) Right. Some people keep the dried leaves for later use; some grind them into powder and store it in a container or a plastic bag for later use. (Thanks for the information, Grandmaster.) (Awesome.)
So, we’re here today to present a recipe to those with high blood sugar. What’s the name of this tea again? (Mulberry Chrysanthemum Drink.) Right. I sincerely wish you health and happiness. May you be healthy and happy. (Received.) May you gain dharma bliss. (Received.) Also, health and longevity. (Received; thank you, Grandmaster.)