【Description】
A cold is a health challenge that calls for tender loving care. Knowledge of supportive dietary practices is more important than ever given the need to bolster overall health in a world of obstacles to wellbeing.
Eating natural, nutrient-dense foods can help prevent colds. Please listen to Grandmaster JinBodhi’s wise advice and learn about several healthy ingredients that are effective at fighting viruses. Follow Grandmaster to learn how to make some valuable, health-preserving dishes.
【You will learn】
- Understand several health-preserving ingredients’ benefits, the wisdom of Nature, and consumption precautions
- Learn Grandmaster JinBodhi’s secret wellness recipes and make tasty dishes
- The effects of Grandmaster JinBodhi’s healthy recipes
【Content】
Hello, everyone. (Hello, Grandmaster.) Today, we’ll continue with the second talk on being healthy in winter. Yesterday, I briefly talked about some conditions and various symptoms that could turn into a cold. I think everyone’s got it by now. Today, I’ll talk about something more practical; that is, how to deal with these problems. You need the knowledge to eat properly.
(Right. So today, we hope to learn more about foods that boost our immunity so we stay healthy in wintertime.)
No problem. Let’s analyze slowly. So today, I’ll discuss some diet-related health and wellness issues. It’s from my non-medical point of view and could be based in Traditional Chinese Medicine or wellness knowledge. If you have doubts about it, I recommend that before you adopt my methods, consult your own medical specialists first. We come with good intentions, which are for you to be better, healthier, safer, and more comfortable. That’s what I want you to be.
Everybody’s physique is different and potential underlying illnesses. Each of us is different. (Right.) You can mix and match these healthy diets to suit your needs, but you must make sure that your body can accept them first. Can you accept cold foods? (Right. Know what you’re made of first.) Also, you can consult your own doctor to know what you can do. Out of kindness, I want you to be safe.
The pandemic is back; this is the third year. People can’t handle it anymore; they need to work and earn a living. The world is chaotic now; the weather is more turbulent and unpredictable now. We want to feel peaceful and live better. I just want to be kind and share with you my knowledge, secret remedies to fight the pandemic, and methods to stay healthy. OK? (Great.) Again, I do this out of kindness. Here goes. (Great.) (Master, please give us the instructions.)
Let me introduce some foods that are good for preventing colds and general illness, and which have high medicinal value. However, many people, especially the mothers, do not understand them well enough. (So, what’s the first superfood?) Hold on to something; it’s very powerful. It’s garlic. (Garlic?) That’s right. (It’s very common. We use it every day.) We use garlic every day in our cooking, right? (Right.) But not many have a deep understanding of it.
Garlic has contributed a lot in the history of human development. Why and how is that? Now, imagine a living environment with poor hygiene that is highly susceptible to bacterial infection. People living in such an environment rely on garlic to stay healthy. Garlic is also important in regions where meat is a staple, such as Qinghai, West Tibet and Inner Mongolia, where keeping livestock is crucial. There are also areas that need garlic. People living in coastal areas must consume garlic for survival. The people I’ve mentioned have especially benefited from garlic.
The Compendium of Materia Medica states that garlic is a magical remedy; it can dispel evil, reduce swelling and pain, eliminate cold and dampness, and open channels. Isn’t it awesome? (It is!) It can open up all channels. (Right.) Its spiciness can open up all the meridians. Although it smells pungent, in its taste, there is the allicin that unblocks your channels and kills the germs inside you. It kills germs and unblocks channels; it protects your liver, lungs and throat from being infected by the bacteria.
For the prevention of plague and germ attack, I think it’s the bodyguard of our health. It’s wonderful that it carries such functions. But you must use up to a certain amount. If you use too little, it won’t be effective. Say, if you cook a big cabbage, 2 slices of garlic are not enough. Although there’s allicin, the amount is too small, and it’s cooked; it cannot provide the best effectiveness.
(Master, how much allicin do we need to get the effects, such as killing germs, eliminating infection, and preventing malaria? How to bring out the effectiveness of allicin to the fullest?)
I’ve conducted research and learned that if the garlic is cooked, it’ll lose a lot of its effectiveness. If we eat garlic cloves whole and raw, not chopped up, it’ll be most effective. Your stomach may feel a bit uncomfortable, as garlic is spicy. Usually, we crush the cloves and mix with other food before eating. This way is easier for our stomach to accept. Alright? (Yes.) If the garlic juice stays too long in the esophagus, the esophagus will get burnt. It’s just my well-intentioned reminder.
So usually, in Northern China, we’ll blend or crush the garlic for eating. It should be chopped, not mushy, right? (Yes.) So, what are its benefits? If we add some vinegar, soy sauce or salt to balance out the taste, it’ll be gentler and less likely to burn. For the prevention of illness, you have to eat a certain amount to get its benefits. That’s it.
(The Compendium of Materia Medica states that garlic can deal with dampness, plague, cholera, hard lumps, malaria, snake bite and scorpion sting.) The 2 illnesses you mentioned earlier are both plagues. (Right. Garlic fights real plagues.) What a powerful medicine. (Yes. What about modern science? Is there any research on garlic?) Sure, there is.
(Actually, garlic has been used in the West and Europe for a long time. Julius Caesar, the great emperor of Ancient Rome, made his soldiers eat garlic every day to boost their energy and dispel illness. At that time, there was also an epidemic. He saw that the number of enemy soldiers was falling because of the epidemic.) They got their work made easy for them. (Yes.) Their enemies were sick or died. (Right.) If his soldiers stayed healthy, they’d win the battle. (Right.) Brilliant. (Therefore, he built the great Roman Empire.) The Ancient Romans used garlic so well. (Yes.) Wow! They were so wise!
(Practitioners of Ancient Chinese and Indian medicine used garlic to help breathing and digestion. The allicin in the garlic can cure and prevent flu, inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, pneumonia and tuberculosis. It’s very effective.) It’s truly a treasure. (It’s really good. Right.) We haven’t always valued it that much. (We had no idea.) Eating garlic helps fight plague. It’s not a legend. It’s a fact, proven by history. That’s why we’re introducing garlic to you today.
Since garlic has so many benefits, let’s talk about it some more. Eat spicy food to fight flu; that sounds contradictory. Now that we’ve learned about it, we should really eat more garlic. It’s really anti-epidemic. We can prevent infections and live healthily. Thus, I want to introduce it to you all. (Thank you, Master!) You’re welcome. (Everybody knows about garlic. I told Teacher Wu-li today that I took penicillin shots whenever I got a cold. After all, I’d rather eat garlic than take injections.) Right. It’d be fine to eat a jar of preserved garlic. Right? (Very true!)
Well, let me also tell you to buy some garlic now; prepare your big glass jar, clean and dry it well. Peel the garlic cloves and put them into the jar. Then, add vinegar. More than 10 days later, they’ll turn green. It’s the beautiful blue-green preserved garlic. It carries great effectiveness and won’t irritate your stomach. You see, it’s the great wisdom of our ancestors. (Yes. Now, we’ve learned about such a great health guard, garlic. We must use garlic well.) Right. Later, I’ll share with you an invention of mine, an especially good method of eating garlic for health maintenance. We’ll continue to discuss some other healthy foods.
Let’s move on. (Who’s next?) Let’s see what it is. (What is it?) (Well, the second one is somewhat similar to garlic.) Similar in size, yes. (It’s bigger. Yes. And the color is beautiful.) It’s called onion. (Yes. Onion. It’s similar to garlic. It also tastes a bit spicy.) They’re close relatives, cousins. (Yes.) (It’s also effective at easing cold and cough. (It can eliminate phlegm, germs, and strengthen the spleen and stomach. It also contains antioxidants which eradicate some free radicals. It’s also a good hand with which to fight infections and viruses. Wonderful! That’s what you get from onion. It’s a powerful food.) Brilliant! (Onion. Yes. It can boost our immunity.)
(Master, let me also introduce you to the special essence in onion. It’s the well-known quercetin. Quercetin offers lots of benefits. If we eat food that is high in quercetin, it can slow down the speed at which our cells oxidize.) It’s a good thing to slow down the aging of our cells and internal organs. It’s called quercetin. (Right.) Great. (In fact, onion has another good effect. It can lower blood lipids. It’s very helpful for unblocking coronary arteries. It not only reduces inflammation, germs and coughing, but it also lowers the 3 highs and protects our coronary arteries.)
Not just that, there’s more. It’s also good for the kidneys of the elderly and the urinary system. That’s how it is. So, that’s onion for you. It’s such a health-guarding treasure and easy to buy. (Right.)
Let’s move on. What do we have here. (What is it, Master?) It’s turmeric. (Turmeric?) Yes. Turmeric. (We’re not that familiar with this one.) It’s used more in India and by those who are influenced by the culture of Ancient India. It looks like the ginger we use in cooking. Only the color is darker than the color of ordinary ginger. Its shape is very similar to ginger. Ginger is a good thing too. I can only say that turmeric does wonderful things. Chinese rarely eat turmeric, unless they’re living in India or areas of Southeast Asia.
It’s said that turmeric saved the Indians. Ancient Indian legends hailed turmeric as a godsend. It’s an auspicious treasure granted to the Indians. Since it’s a gift from the Gods, it can ward off evil spirits. When children experience shock, stomachache or leg pain, people would have them apply or consume turmeric. If you’re sick or want to prevent sickness, add a spoonful of turmeric into your curry as you cook and mix it well. (Yes. It’s tasty.) Then, you eat it with the veggies.
What kind of effect does it create? (Studies in recent years showed that it carries strong antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties. Isn’t it powerful? Strong antioxidant and anti-cancer.) You’ll be forever young and won’t easily fall victim to serious sickness. This is the most essential point. And, it’s anti-viral and anti-inflammatory. Right? Many diseases are caused by inflammation and viral infection. This superfood is anti-viral and can kill viruses too. It also keeps inflammation under control. (I see.) This avoids complications as you recover. Wow! This thing is powerful! Marvelous!
(Many European and American studies discovered that turmeric is very effective at controlling many viruses such as Ebola, which has caused a very high number of deaths in Africa. Also, coronavirus.) We’re experiencing it now. (Right. Also, flu virus and hepatitis virus. And even HIV. Turmeric is truly a treasure.) (It’s effective against many types of virus.) If we partner it with garlic, it’ll be super-effective. (Yes.) Good. It’s great! (Right.)
(Regarding what we’re discussing, it’s effective in preventing respiratory diseases in the winter. Turmeric is super-effective in preventing lung fibrosis.) Many netizens are sending me messages now that their loved ones suffer a disease called pulmonary fibrosis, the patients suffer lung fibrosis and have lost their basic lung function. Those patients will die. So, turmeric can fight lung fibrosis effectively. That’s great! (Right.)
It’s also effective at fighting coronavirus. Well, it’s good for us to use at this time. Remember the name, turmeric. It’s so precious. It’s a treasure. You can get it inexpensively at the store. What a heaven sent remedy! (Right.) That’s why I’m introducing it to you all. (Great. But we have to give you a kind reminder: Turmeric is a heaty food; it’s a fiery plant and food. Eating too much may cause dry mouth and constipation. Right. I especially remind you all (that turmeric may stimulate uterine contractions; thus, it’s not suitable for pregnant women to eat. Even if it’s good, we must still be careful.)
Many special medicines may not be suitable for pregnant women or those with chronic diseases. Consult your physician first. We want to be healthy and live a long life by watching our diet, the ingredients we use and their safety. Make sure they’re safe for consumption. Pregnant ladies must be careful. Ask the doctor to make sure it’s safe for both you and your baby.
Alright. These are the 3 treasures. (What an informative day.) Yes. (We’re very excited.) We’re really eager and happy to tell you about these 3 treasures. Do remember them. Later, I’ll share with you another healthy recipe. Should I tell you what it is? (Yes.) Since we’re here. (Can’t wait!) It’s another secret milkshake recipe.
This “Health-Guard Milkshake” will protect you from viruses and influenza. Get a blender. Add in the ingredients. First, 4 cloves of garlic. Garlic is strong at eliminating inflammation and germs. Heat oil in a pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds. One quarter of a lemon with peel. One steamed potato. One stalk of celery. Half of an apple. Some ginger shreds. One cup of yogurt, about 130 g. Half a teaspoon of turmeric. Five teaspoons of honey. Water, about 100 ml. You can adjust the amount of water according to personal preference. Blend all the ingredients well; that’s it.
It eliminates and prevents viruses and sickness. It keeps you safe. It’s fun. Right? (It’s fun and tasty.) (It looks tasty.) It’s really tasty. (This healthy milkshake consists of garlic, turmeric and lemon. All the superfoods are inside. It tastes sour and sweet and is not spicy at all.) It’s tasty. (Yes.) I’ve had mine here for a while. You can add more water. Then it’ll be easier to drink. (It’s tasty and nutritious.) Right. (It also prevents sickness.) Yes. We’ve shot this video. You can watch it on YouTube now. (Great.) It’s easy to make.
Since many people have a blender at home, you just need to buy the ingredients. (It’s convenient.) You can get them easily. (Master, if we drink it several times a week, it’d be very good. Right?) I think it’s fine to drink it 2 to 3 times a week. Usually, under normal health conditions, everybody, even the children, can drink it. It’s safe. (Right. Even for children.) If you’re healthy, it prevents you from getting sick. If you’re sick, it helps you to relieve pain and recover. If you’re diabetic, you must pay attention to the amount of sugar or honey. Take note of your health condition, OK?
Under normal conditions, I want you to have such a recipe to maintain health and avoid sickness. I didn’t copy it from anyone. We experimented with it. Each ingredient was carefully chosen and put together to form this recipe. It’s easy, you have to try it. (Alright.)
(Master, I see the messages from the friends online now. They ask whether someone suffering some kind of health issue, or a relatively serious problem such as a tumor, can drink this. This is suitable for people with a normal health condition. However, if you already have a specific health condition or illness, consult your doctor before consuming.) Right, for those who suffer from certain illnesses (or have a serious condition…) Right. It’s better to consult your doctor. Our main focus is on safe consumption; I think everyone understands our kind intention. You’re all wise too. (Yes. Thank you, Master!)
(We’ve just introduced 3 superfoods. Next, we’ll recommend one more thing to you. We’re very familiar with it. It’s lemon, and you shall learn more about it.) Right. (In fact, we can use lemon every day. We can make lemon tea in the morning. Lemon is rich in vitamin C and also effective at eliminating phlegm. In terms of phlegm-clearing, lemon is better than tangerine. Yes, better than its cousin.)
(Right. It’s expectorant effect is mainly in its peel. So, in our healthy milkshake, we use a quarter of a lemon with peel.) Right. It’s essential. (And, when we drink it, it’s not too sour.) (Not too bitter, either.) We’re not squeezing some lemon juice into it. (We want it with its peel.) Add in one quarter of a lemon with peel and blend together. The lemon peel is essential. So, lemon is another treasure.
Alright. You’ve learned this now. Let’s talk about something we can use to make tea. It’s called Houttuynia cordata. It’s another secret VIP. (This herb, in certain parts of Sichuan and Guizhou, is called “broken-ear root.”) Yes. (We mix it with other veggies.) Like mixing a large bowl of salad, but entirely made of this. (Right.) There must be a reason. It’s to prevent and cure sickness. It’s particularly effective for the heat and toxins in the lungs.
It’s also called “fishy grass.” If you add it into your dish, it’ll smell fishy. It’s a very unique smell. With such a unique smell and look, it must be special. It has very special effects. (It’s very effective against lung heat and dampness, and skin inflammation.) Right. According to TCM theory and the perspective of yin-yang and inner-outer, if you have lung problems, these usually show on your skin. For example, the skin is prone to ulceration, acne or psoriasis. About 90% of lung problems will present on the skin, indeed. If you have heart issues, your tongue coating will thicken. If your liver is inflamed, it shows in your eyes. Right? Amazing, right? Do you get it now? (Understood.)
According to Chinese Medicine, these correspond to the lung meridian, so it relates to the lungs. And, almost all medicines that are good for the lungs are cold in nature. Under most normal circumstances, it’s beneficial to clear the lungs. Clearing the lungs, clearing the liver, and moistening the intestines are some medical terms in TCM treatment. For lung and liver diseases, clearing and protecting are the main treatment measures. Fishy grass is effective at clearing toxins, inflammation, infections, dampness, etc. Too much dampness is referred to as “damp toxin.” Fishy grass is effective at clearing dampness, as well as at treating other issues in the lungs. That’s how valuable it is.
Next, there’s another lung-cleansing superfood, loquat. I think you’ve seen the loquat syrup before. Right? Where does it come from? The loquat trees and the ripe fruits. The ripe fruits are yellow and look like apricots. It’s delicious, not too sweet. How good is it for the respiratory tract and lungs? A 30-year-old American man was diagnosed with lung cancer. A Western doctor told him frankly that there was no cure. (Right. Surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy were all they could do.)
He knew he had no way out. He heard from someone about loquat. He was looking all over for it in the States. He put all his effort into gathering and eating all the loquats he could find. He asked people who had loquat trees at home for the loquat leaves. He picked the leaves from over 100 loquat trees and ate them. 3 years later… (What? He lived another 3 years?) 3 years later, he went to the hospital for a checkup.
The doctor said that he wasn’t sick. (The tumor disappeared?) Yes. (It’s a miracle.) His cancer was healed. (The loquat leaves cured his cancer?) It’s true, we don’t have to lie about a fruit. It’s really good. (It can truly help people and save lives.) I’m telling this to those who suffer from lung infections easily. Many people suffer from lung fibrosis and die from it. This is what I know. Alright. Both the leaves and fruits are useful.
(Other than loquat, there are also pears, figs…) Right. (…lily, mountain yam, white fungus, lotus seed, turnip, kale, Chinese cabbage and wild rice stem; almost all are white?) Right. They’re mostly white. (Yes.) According to the Chinese 5-element theory, white veggies and fruits correspond to the lungs. Yes. It’s true. (Foods in this category are good for cleansing and moistening the lungs. I’m recommending them to you.)
(Master, recently, we’ve shared a few videos such as about the soups and teas to eliminate cough. People love them a lot. They’ve sent and shared with us lots of testimonials.) Really? (I want to read you a few of them.) Sure.
(Alright. This one talks about the calming and cough-soothing egg drop soup. She said, “Master, I’m Ma-mi from New York Center. Thank you for the wonderful remedy for cough and fever! Colds are prevalent in New York this winter, and the kids got infected at school. My son had been coughing for more than a month. At night, the coughing would get more intense. The medicines and cough syrups didn’t help much. Last night, I made the soup for my son, and I didn’t hear him cough that night. His coughing used to wake me up every night. This morning, he’s not coughing at all. It’s amazing! Thank you, Master!”) Great.
(Next, it’s Shou-nian from San Francisco Center. “A bowl of cough-relief soup is better than a good medicine.”) Good. (“My father got Covid-19 during the pandemic. Since he was old, and he drank some cold milk earlier, he was coughing all winter. I was worried and bought him different cough syrups. However, they were not helping. On December 28th, I saw the cough-relief soup recipe. I asked my mom to make it for my father. After drinking the soup, he was coughing less that night and slept very well.
My mom made it about 4 or 5 times for him. Thanks to the soup, he coughed out lots of thick phlegm. After a few days, his lungs felt much better, and he could breathe easier; he is no longer coughing now. My mom and I don’t worry anymore. I also shared the video with those suffering a bad cough. I hope they get well soon.”) Very nice. I feel happy listening.
Alright. Next, let’s learn how to make the “Heat-Eliminating Tea.” (A type of tea drink.) For coughing, dry and itchy throat, or sore throat, you can try the “Heat-Eliminating Tea.” We need some indigo woad root, Forsythia suspensa, and honeysuckle, 10 g of each. These 3 herbs are effective at eradicating heat and toxins. Add 2,000 ml of water into a pot, it’s about 4 bottles of drinking water. Add in the indigo woad root, forsythia suspensa and honeysuckle; bring to a boil.
Then, simmer for 10 minutes. You’ll get the brewed tea, enough for one day’s consumption for a family of 4. Those with symptoms of wind-heat common cold can have this tea for a few days. It’ll clear the heat in your body; you’ll get well soon. A reminder: This tea is not for long-term consumption. Once the symptoms are eased or gone, you may stop taking it.
(This tea is cooling.) It’s easy to make, right? (Yes.) It’s easy to learn. (Yes.) You only need these 3 common ingredients. (They are common herbs.) Yes. You can find them in any herbal store. It’s easy to find them all. And they’re not bitter. Right? So, heart cleansing, lung moistening and heat reducing are effects we seek to protect ourselves from epidemic and flu. That’s how it is. (Yes. Thank you, Master!) Right. This is one recipe. We also have other easy-to-make recipes for you to learn.
The next recipe is “Scrambled Egg With Ginger Shreds.” Let’s take a look. (OK.) Scrambled egg with ginger shreds; a common dish that helps relieve coughing and flu symptoms. Peel and shred the ginger. Pour some oil in a pan. Heat up the oil and add ginger shreds; stir-fry for a while. Then, add in an egg and mix well. If you’re coughing with yellow phlegm, add in a teaspoon of sugar. Stir-fry until the egg is cooked and serve. It’s delicious and healthy.
(This smells so good; thank you, Master, for sharing so much good stuff with us.) Right. It’s quite delicious. When I was small, if I could eat this, it was the biggest reward and comfort. Usually, I ate this in the middle of the night. If I coughed, I’d wake everybody up. Then, my mom would make this stir-fried egg for me. My grandmother taught her this. My coughing would stop after I ate it. My mom said I was faking, in order to get her to make it. You can have this even if you’re not coughing; it’s OK. It really works.
Be a bit more generous with the oil. Let the ginger shreds stay in the hot oil for a while. Don’t burn the ginger; just get them it little brown and add eggs right away and mix them in. The fried ginger shreds are essential and work with the eggs to produce the desired effects. That’s it. Please remember to use the ginger we use for cooking. Do not use the sunchoke from Northern China. It looks like ginger, but it’s not. It’s not as spicy as ginger; for this recipe, we use spicy ginger. Use ginger if you want to live long, stay healthy, and cure your cough. A reminder for you. (Thank you, Master!)
I’ve told you all the secrets. So, I hope you feel how much I love you through these recipes. (Thank you, Master!) Wishing you all health and long life! (Received.) A happy family! (Received. Thank you, Master!) Thank you, all!
(This program does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult with professionals before attempting any food, exercise method, or participating in activities such as Bodhi Meditation or Energy Bagua.)