Healthy Living in China

By Sammy Buhr [US]

The problem: Low energy levels, trouble waking up in the morningThe solution: Goji berries

Goji berries or “wolf berries”can be found everywhere in the grocery stores, pharmacies and on the streets of China. They are also sold from large bags or containers at local vegetable markets and in tea shops.

Goji berries, known by its Latin name, Lycium Babarum, have a long history in China. They have been in use as a health aid since about 200 BC and boast a wide variety of health benefits.Cardiovascular benefits and gastrointestinal benefits are linked to consuming goji berries.One quarter cup of dried goji berries is said to contain roughly 150% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A as well as a good dose of copper, selenium,vitamin B, not to mention a bit of vitamin C, iron, potassium and zinc as well. In addition to these vitamins and minerals are about 9 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and an abundant supply of antioxidants.

The tremendous nutritional content is likely to give you a boost and get you going in the morning in a different way. When you find you are really struggling to get up in the morning, all you have to do is place the blender on the base, push a button and you’re ready to go. As an alternative,most grocery stores in China sell a dry mix (just need to add hot water) healthy porridge-like breakfast drink made from nuts,seeds, grains and often containing goji berries. This can be a great choice for overcast winter mornings.

Goji berries may be used anyway that you would typically use raisins or other dried fruits.But many Chinese people put a tablespoon of the dried fruit in a glass and add hot water and a slice or two of lemon. Sipping on this throughout the day can also provide many healthy benefits.

健康問題：白天沒精神，早上睡不醒 解決辦法：枸杞

在中國無論走到哪兒，百貨店、藥店、或者是街道上，甚至在菜市場和茶葉店，你都可以買到大袋或桶裝的枸杞。

中國人食用枸杞歷史已久，公元前200年左右，人們就發現枸杞對身體健康有著諸多好處，而將其作為一種藥食同源的保健佳品。中醫認為，吃枸杞可以養心血、健腸胃。據說四分之一杯干枸杞中維生素A的含量，大約是醫生建議每天攝入量的150%，枸杞富含銅、硒、維生素B，還含有一定量的維生素C、鐵、鉀和鋅。除此之外，四分之一杯的干枸杞中還含有9克蛋白質、6克纖維素和豐富的抗氧化物。

這些豐富的營養成分能夠給你補充足夠能量，每天精力飽滿。你所需要做的，只是煮粥時抓一把枸杞放進鍋里。中國很多商店都賣一些有益健康的早餐粉。這些早餐粉以堅果、植物種子、谷物為主要原料制成，很多原料里都包含枸杞，只要用熱水一沖，就是一杯很好的早餐飲料。

枸杞可以和很多食材一起搭配，最簡單的是和葡萄干或者其它一些干果搭配食用。不過很多中國人喜歡將一湯匙干果放進杯子，加入開水，再放進一、兩片檸檬，泡一杯果茶。每天喝一杯這樣的果茶，對健康也很有好處。

健康問題：冬季缺少陽光，情緒抑郁 解決辦法：甘草

甘草是另外一種常用藥，在超市和藥房里都能買到。甘草可以清除人體內的毒素，還具有抗病毒、抗菌和抗炎的功效。和黃芪類似，甘草也常用于治療傷風和流感，并且可以全面促進人體免疫系統的功能。

醫學家認為，甘草具有類似腎上腺素的作用，并且可以促進用于脾胃疾病的康復?，F在人們越來越清楚地認識到，人的脾胃健康和情緒之間存在密切聯系，另外，甘草的益腎作用又可以緩解疲勞，兩相結合，也許就是甘草能夠抗抑郁的原因。如果你發現自己在冬天的幾個月里因為缺少陽光而心情郁悶，可以泡一杯甘草茶。

The problem: Lack of sunlight resulting in low mood/seasonal depressive disorder The solution: Licorice root

Licorice root (甘草 , “gan cao”) is another one of those things that can be found not only in grocery stores and pharmacies, but also bought out of a burlap bag in most street side vegetable markets. It’s not hard to see why it’s so widely available.

From a TCM perspective,it is thought to detoxify the body. It is credited with having antiviral, antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties as well. Much like astragalus, it’s sometimes used to fight colds and the flu. But licorice root which contains a surprising side benefits all immune boosting functions.

Licorice root is said to nourish the adrenal glands and help heal the gut. The connection between gut health and mood has gotten a lot of publicity recently. Perhaps this combination of alleviated adrenal fatigue gives licorice root its potent anti-depressant properties. Whatever the reason,if you find yourself down in the dumps due to the lack of sunlight in winter months, consider brewing yourself a cup of licorice root now and then.

It should be noted that licorice root is recommended for intermittent use. For this reason, licorice root is not recommended for those who deal with hypertension or high blood pressure. But if you enjoy average health and you just need a mood boost, this root may be a low cost solution for you.

T h e p r o b l e m: S l u g g i s h digestion The solution: “Dark” tea from Hunan

What westerners call “black tea,” the Chinese call “red tea”(hong cha). And so now it’s a big confusing to discover a tea that the Chinese call “black tea” ( 黑茶 hei cha). We seem left with no other option but to call this “dark tea.”

But call it whatever you want.Just make sure to try it sometimes during your stay in China. Make a special effort to acquire some of this tea if you have had any stomach or digestive issues. Hei cha is very similar to pu-erh tea.It doesn't look quite as nice as other teas in that it is pressed into disks or bricks and often contains rough looking leaves and bits of twigs and stems. The fermentation process is quite similar. But if you can get a hold of some good-quality hei cha and you split the brick apart, you will find something unique. Hei cha is famous for growing a bit of yellow colored mold inside their tea disks/bricks. When you first hear this, you are probably less likely to want to try this “dark tea.”Think for a moment about where penicillin comes from. That's right, it’s also a mold.

醫生建議，甘草最好是階段性服用，不宜常服。因此，不建議高血壓患者在冬天服用甘草。但如果你屬于健康人群，只是想改善一下情緒，甘草對你來說也許就是物美價廉的佳品。

健康問題：消化不良 解決辦法：湖南黑茶

西方人所說的黑茶，是中國人說的紅茶。中國人有自己的黑茶，所以在中國提到紅茶和黑茶，可能會讓西方人紅黑不分。我們現在說的就是中國黑茶。

如果你胃不舒服或者消化不良，尤其適合喝一杯黑茶。黑茶很像普洱茶，有的壓成磚狀，有的壓成餅狀。從外觀上看，黑茶不像其它茶那樣漂亮，茶葉里經?？梢钥吹酱植诘娜~片，還會生出一些黃色霉斑，不知道的人可能會以為是茶葉變質。但是稍安勿躁，想一想青霉素是怎么發明出來的，你就不會對黑茶望而卻步。

據說黑茶最初發明的時候就是因為茶葉的存放時間過長，于是起了發酵作用。那時候，湖南渠江城正是瘟疫肆虐的時期，死者眾多。人們喝了這種看上去發了霉、實則發酵的茶葉后，死于瘟疫的人神奇地減少了。

我本人注意到黑茶，是自己患上消化不良的時候。買黑茶時最好找一位內行的茶葉老板，看一看帶有“金花”的茶樣。金花就是黃色的霉變，里面含有療效神奇的保健成分。

健康問題：易患感冒、免疫力低下或者組胺水平過高 解決辦法：黃芪

中醫認為，黃芪屬于根莖類中草藥，性溫、味甘，有補氣健脾等很多功效。按漢字字面來講，“黃芪”兩個字意思是“黃色的藥中之長”。如果你住在經常出現空氣污染的地方，服用黃芪就會對你的健康極有好處。

黃芪在很多中藥方劑里都有使用，常用于治療傷風、咳嗽和流感?，F代西醫也認識到，黃芪有抗病毒、抗菌的作用，并且能夠減輕炎癥癥狀。我最感興趣的是，無論中醫還是西方自然療法醫生，都認為黃芪還可以用于治療過敏癥。下面這種以黃芪為主的中藥制劑，比我吃的其它抗組胺藥的效果都更好，這一點讓我很是驚奇。如果你正患有“組胺不耐癥”，可以去中藥店看看，買這種黃芪復合制劑試試。我發現，黃芪抗過敏作用堪稱神奇?！?/p>

（編譯/孫開元）

A legend about where Hei Cha comes from involves a stash or rotting tea that was finally brewed and drunk by the local inhabitants who were afflicted with some sort of plague. The townspeople were dropping like flies until they brewed and drank what looked like moldy tea. The mold contained immune boosting properties and the townspeople were saved.

Personally, I found dark tea during a period where I was having some digestive problems.Dark tea cannot be found just anywhere but it can be bought all across China. Check larger tea shops or wholesale tea markets. Make sure you find a knowledgeable sales person and ask to see a sample that has the 金花 (jin hua) or “golden flowers.”These “golden flowers” are the bits of yellow mold that carry incredible health properties.

The problem: Susceptibility to colds, weak immune system or high histamine levelsThe solution: Astragalus

Astragalus, or “huang qi ( 黃芪 ),” is considered to be a warming and sweet root that has the potential of nourishing the lung and spleen meridians.The Chinese characters黃芪are roughly translated into “yellow leader.” Astragalus root certainly is a leader when it comes to boosting immune function and strengthening the respiratory system. Thus this herb can be extremely helpful if you live in an area that has a lot of air pollution.

Astragalus is used in many different Chinese herbal remedies for cold, coughing and the flu. In addition, western medicine now recognizes its effectiveness in combating viruses, bacteria and in reducing inflammation. What was most interesting to me was that it is commonly recommended by both Chinese doctors and western natural doctors for allergies as well. I was amazed to find that the brand pictured below was more effective than the commercial antihistamine I was taking for allergies at the time.If you are now struggling with what is being called “histamine intolerance,” you shall have access to a Chinese pharmacy, then give this Astragalus root complex a try.I found it to be almost miraculous.◆