Oh dear, I am so "gassy"

I always like to understand the cause and effect of food as this helps me design my daily diet based on whole foods.  When we eat, along with our food we also take in gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide along with whatever other gases within "reach".  When our body digests our food, among the by-products are gases.  Tiny amounts of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane combine with hydrogen sulphide and ammonia in the large intestine to give gas its smell resulting in flatulence or commonly know as fart.  Certain foods like beans and cabbages releases more gas when it is digested.  If you have a lot of gas after eating dairy products such as ice cream, yogurt and milk, it is an indication that the body has trouble digesting lactose or more commonly known as lactose-intolerant.  For some, it also causes diarrhoea as well as stomach cramps.  

Certain foods worsens flatulence:

1. vegetables such as artichokes, broccoli, leeks, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, onions, beans, Brussels sprouts, and turnips.
2. cereals, such as wheat or oats.
3. pulses, including beans and lentils.
4. dairy produce.
5. yeast in baked products, such as bread.
6. cashews.

In Malaysia, sometimes these types of food are deemed as "sejuk" or cold - not because of the temperature but because it causes gas.  Within our local diets, the some of the widely consumed vegetables are long beans, cabbage, bean sprouts (tauge) and onions.

We "pass wind" many times a day and most of the time, we don't even notice it as it also doesn't have any smell an indication healthy digestion gas.  When within the digestion process it produces gases that contain sulphur and ammonia, this is where it starts to smell.  If food is not properly digested, it starts decomposing releasing sulphur hence the smelly flatulence.  If you have excessive flatulence, it is also an indication of abnormal digestion.  If the gas is not released through the mouth like burping or through "farting", it can build-up in the body causing heartburn, body aches and pains, headaches etc. depending on the individual.

Understanding the behind-the-scenes, I realise that enzymes play an important role in digestion.  Lack of certain enzymes, that are normally produced by our body, can result in the inability of our body to digest certain foods we consume resulting in conditions like lactose-intolerance, gluten-intolerance and others.  As we age, certain organs in our body that produce these enzymes may not be functioning optimally either due to health condition or deterioration.  Improper digestion can cause decomposition of food producing an unhealthy environment in our digestive system that promotes pathogens and supports cancer cells.  It can also create build-up of acids causing our stomach lining to get inflamed and promoting ulcers as well as weakening it causing toxins to permeate through it into our blood system.  To me, maintaining a healthy digestive system as well as promotion good digestion helps prevent many other illnesses.

Hence I began a journey of discovery of enzymes from whole foods - naturally and not chemically processed as the idea was to provide the ability to consume it as normal food and allowing our bodies to function normally.  Almost all the enzymes I am studying and researching are plant-based versus animal-based, something that I find very interesting.  
Our local fruits that are rich in enzymes that assist the digestion process include papaya (betik), pineapple (nenas), calamansi (limau kasturi), lime (limau nipis) and Roselle (asam belanda) although technically it is known as calyx and not fruit.  All these are planted at the farm - following totally organic practices - and something that I incorporate into my normal diet.  These plants are what I hope others will plant in their homes, if not all, some, as they are local hence well-suited to our weather and relatively easy to grow.
I further challenged myself to experiment different ways of consuming it as well as combinations to further make it easier to consume as natural food.  The outcome: the dehydrated form, the fermented enzyme form and the vinegar form resulting in many ways of including it into my normal daily diet preventing boredom.  

Note:   This is more as information and not to be taken as medical advise.  For medical advise, please consult your doctor or health practitioner.

Pure Durian Nuggets: To sell or not to sell

During these last durian season, I bought extra durians as I wanted to make durian suggest.  I haddone this before and I loved it.  So this season, I bought durians that were not exposed to herbicides and chemical fertilisers of the original variety - non-GMO and also without hormones application.  The price ranged from rm 8-10 per kg at the orchard and each fruit was more than one kg.

The nuggets are made from pure fruit with no additives or preservatives.  I do not use fruits that are no longer nice to consume fresh but select the best ones.  The seeds are removed and only the flesh is used.
No flour of any type or other fillers were added.  No sugar was added and since it is already naturally sweet, the dehydration process will concentrate the sugars.  Adding sugar would not only make it extremely sweet but also detract from the health quality.

As a general rule, upon dehydration, each fruit will produce about 6-8 durian nuggets.  Basically, if you eat 8 nuggets, you have eaten a whole fruit.  Since it is really good and being a durian lover, I can easily eat them in one sitting - something which can be more challenging if I was eating the fresh fruit.  What I find interesting is the dehydration process breaks down the fibrous strand resulting in a smooth non-chewy cake-like texture.  You can either consume the nuggets on its own or use it to create or flavour other dishes like sweet coconut gravy that you use as a dip such as with bread, sweet desserts such as pancakes and puddings, and to make ice cream.

Some have asked if I am selling them.  Therein lies the dilemma.  The cost of producing  the 8 nuggets is around rm 12 - including the fruit cost (average price rm 9), people cost, dehydration cost and simple packaging. That doesn't include selling costs. So in total to have a few cents of profit, the selling price is RM 15.  The question is: are people willing to buy it for RM 15.  If I wanted to use fancy packaging, it will be at least rm 18.

I began a comparison of high-end snacks without additive, fillers and preservatives.  It was hard to find any for comparison.  To compare to other durian products, there was no pure durian products was not possible as I couldn't find any.  There were durian candies which were loaded with other ingredients, durian dodol which had more flour and sugar and other ingredients than durian, durian ice cream where durian was used as a flavouring and tempoyak which used durian that was no longer good to consume fresh.

Conclusion: the durian nuggets will be sold in packs of 9 nuggets at a price of rm 15.  If you are interested to purchase, you can whatsApp me at 0172821219.  Up to 9 packs per order can be sent via poslaju for additional rm 7.50 postage cost.  It will also be made available at the various events we do while stocks last.

Hydrating and loaded watermelon

Being a proponent of local foods, I decided to do some research on the health benefits.  Watermelon is easily available in Malaysia and at an affordable price.  Hence it can be added into our daily diet effortlessly without doing damage to our food budget.

Why do I love it?  Many reasons.  The nutrient value is good with rich in vitamin C, Vitamin A, the various vitamin Bs , calcium, potassium as well as containing the enzyme lycopene (like those found in tomatoes at a fraction of the cost) and the amino acids arginine and citruline.  Some studies has indicated that citruline is more bio-available when consumed as a juice so I tend to blend it.  It also has a respectable dietary fiber content.  Being alkaline in nature, it also helps to neutralise the acts our body produces especially after food digestion of proteins, fats and sugars.  So, it is my go-to drink during the festive season as a pre-emptive measure from all the variety of foods that is consumed during this period.

In caring and maintaining our health, the nutrients in watermelon contribute towards:

1. care of our gastro-intestinal system
2. helps in lowering blood pressure
3. helps in caring for our heart.

Being high in water content (about 90%), it is a great juice to drink on our hot days whilst providing nutrition to our body.  It is also a great post workout juice to consume as whilst it replenishes the fluids lost during the workout, the citruline also helps remove the lactic acid produced by our body and helps speed up our muscle recovery.  So instead of reaching out for those manufactured post-workout drink, just blend some watermelon and replenish with all the natural goodness.

So, why not blend some watermelon for a great breakfast drink, hydrating drink on hot days and a post-workout drink and reap the benefits naturally.  As with everything, I consume it in moderation as part of a daily diet with a boost depending on what activity I did :)

More than a vinegar

Many have asked me how do I make Roselle Enzyme vinegar and requested for my recipe.  However, my Roselle Enzyme Vinegar recipe is a trade secret.  What I will share with you is basically how to make a vinegar of your choice.

1. First you need a starter.  If this is the first time you are making it, the easiest starter is using unpasteurised organic apple cider vinegar.  There are many brands available so choose one you like.  What we are looking for is the bacteria that will cause a reaction with your fermented liquid to form acetic acid which is the key component in vinegar.
2. A fermented liquid - could be from rice or fruits for example.
3. I will always use a glass container to ferment my vinegar as I can be assured that my container will not cause any undesired chemical reaction with my vinegar throughout the fermentation process.
4. The basic ratio of starter to fermented liquid is 1:1.  So, if you have 500 ml of starter, use 500 ml of fermented liquid or juice.  Place in the container and cover it with muslin clothe so that air can still enter the container but not the bugs that will be attracted to it during the fermentation process.
5. Place in a cool area without exposure to sunlight and allow it to sit for at least 3 weeks.  You can tell the vinegar is ready when you take off the muslin covering and you get a strong aroma of the vinegar.
6. To store vinegar when ready, just strain the liquid through a strainer such as using an unbleached coffee filter.  Bottle the strained liquid and your vinegar is now ready for consumption.  It can be stored at room temperature and lasts for month.

If you plan to make another batch of vinegar, just bottle half of the vinegar produced and retain the other half to be the starter for making another round of vinegar.  Under the right conditions, a mother of vinegar may be formed which is essentially cellulose with acetic acid bacteria, the key item that enables your liquid to turn into vinegar.

You can allow your vinegar to be fermented longer than 3 weeks in the fermenting container.  I find that the longer I leave it, the resulting vinegar is "smoother".

Locally, we have many options for creating our fermented liquid to be turned into vinegar so you can experiment and see which vinegar you love most.  An area of consideration is what special nutrients or items that the source of the fermented liquid can bring to the final vinegar produced like enzymes and antioxidants.  I suggest that if you are going to take the time and effort to make your vinegar, do select the best ingredients free from chemical toxins as well as hormones.  Happy trying :)

Go Local >> Part 1: Cancer Commonality Factor - Constipation

A few weeks I listened to Dr. Lou Coutinho speak on treating cancer patients and the research that they have done with these patients in finding the commonality factors.  They found 4 factors and I find them interesting as as he puts it, you do not need to spend a lot of money to prevent cancer but make changes in your daily diet and lifestyle.  This I truly belief.  As he puts it, there are all types of cancer patients irrespective of ethnic backgrounds, body size, occupation or financial status and they collected data on patients from many different countries.
One of the factors is constipation.  This makes sense to me as with constipation, your body retains the wastes and toxins longer in your body as well as prevents regular disposal of your body wastes as well as toxins.

If you are constipated regularly, heading for the medicine cabinet is not the answer as it addresses a symptom but does not solve the underlying issue.  It is crucial that the body can get rid of the wastes and toxins efficiently and that it does nor cause issues with your gastro-intestinal system or lead to the toxins and wastes re-entering the blood system as it would mean that these toxins and wastes would then cause problems to other organs of your body.  This would create a conducive environment for the cancer cells in your body to mutate and become active.

Thus caring for the gastrointestinal (GI) system is of the upmost importance and this includes the stomach, pancreas, intestines and colon.  Water is one of the essential elements in maintaining a healthy GI system.  Hence be sure to drink sufficient clean water daily and the amount varies depending on the activity from at least 1 liter.  Coffee, tea, carbonated drinks are not considered to fall into the water category.

Our GI system contains friendly-bacteria that helps in the process of digestion.  Certain things that we do can cause these friendly bacteria to die or reduce in quantity.  Amongst the most often cause is prescribed antibiotics.  Many take costly probiotics and probiotics but there are so many kinds and each person varies in the type and quantity of bacteria present.  After all, each person has a different kind of diet, etc. After thinking about it, I decided to write this article on what we have locally that is low in cost and effective.

We are blessed because we have natural herbals locally grown which contribute towards a healthy GI system.  The top on my list is turmeric and ginger.  They are easily available and easy to grow in our gardens, whether in pots or in the ground.  As long as they get sunshine, water and some fertiliser, they will grow just fine.  As many already know, black pepper is essential in increasing the bioavailability of curcumin (the main phytonutrient we want in turmeric) and we have these grown locally.  I favour Sarawak black pepper or any organically grown black pepper.  We can easily incorporate this into our daily diet.

Many of our normal daily dishes can easily have these ingredients added to it.  When we make soups, just add some turmeric, black pepper and ginger.  When we do stir-fry dishes, again these three


ingredients can be added.  Most of us have rice as the main staple and we can elevate this staple by adding these three ingredients.  We can also add these ingredients to our teas or milk drinks.  Be sure not to use refined sugar as this will help create an acidic environment favourable for cancer cells mutation and growth.

What else can we eat to further improve our GI system.  Try adding tapioca, another easily available, locally-frown ingredient,  to your diet as with its high fiber content, it will help the disposal of toxins in our GI system.  It also has a low glycemic index hence replacing your rice with this as the staple carbohydrate will further add benefits to your diet.  It also helps in the growth of the beneficial bacteria in our GI system.

It is hard to overdose on this when you eat it naturally and I haven't been able to find any adverse reactions or contraindications when taken as normal food.  Simple changes that can make a difference.

Go Local: Power trio

We have been mind-trained to look west that in the process we have lost our traditionally wonderful vegetables.  To me, peperomia pellucida (sireh cina), cosmos dianthus (ulam raja) and wild purslane (beremi) are superfoods that can be eaten raw as a salad.    They grow easily in our weather and requires minimal care.  To maximise the benefits, it is best grown organically without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides and not exposed to any chemical herbicides.

This combination provides the following nutrients:

1. Vitamin A
2. Vitamin B1, B3, B6
3. Vitamin C
4. Calcium
5. Copper
6. Iron
7. Magnesium
8. Manganese
9. Potassium
10. Omega-3 fatty acids
11. Sodium
12. Zinc

These combination has the following properties:

1. anti-oxidant
2. anti-hypertensive
3. anti-diabetic
4. anti-inflammatory
5. bone-protective effect
6. anti-microbial
7. anti-fungal
8. anti-cancer
9. lowers cholesterol
10. anti-arthritic
11. anti-rheumatic
12. anti-diarrheal
13. analgesic

The beauty of this trio is it is natural food so it can easily be incorporated into your daily diet.  You don't have to worry whether you take it before a meal or after a meal or on empty stomach because it is food and not chemicals.  I am not a proponent of juicing but if you want to drink it, blend it so that you get all the nutrients and benefits.  Happy eating :)

Natural Preventive and curative: My Basics

The main purpose of the farm is to produce chemical-free and hormone-free edibles and through the years, I have selected some staples for a reason.  I still continue to plant and nurture many different plants as I am ever the optimist in believing that I will have time to study them further for their benefits so until them, I will care for them.  The staples that I have narrowed down to is based on what I feel is the basics for my health from a preventive and curative view.  So what are my basics: ginger, turmeric, coconut, and roselle.  Why you may ask?  Simple, I need to keep my immune system and my central nervous system (including the brain) healthy.   I am not a doctor so I do not do diagnosis or pharmacological advise.   I practice natural food therapy in my daily life so I share what I experience and know.

The largest organ in my body for the immune system is the gut which includes the stomach, intestine and bowel.   It performs the key function of removing toxins and wastes from our body as well as allowing absortion of nutrients by our body.  If our gut cannot function properly, the food is not digested properly, our body doesn't get the proper nutrients, and our body doesn't eliminate the toxins and wastes properly.  If the gut is not healthy, it can also cause toxins and harmful bacteria to enter our blood system which can result in other organs being damaged and allergies.  For me, the easiest way to care for them is to incorporate ginger, turmeric, tapioca and roselle into my normal food intake, either as solids or liquids.


To care for my central nervous system, especially my brain, I look to coconuts which I either consume as a drink or using extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO).  Studies have proven that the ketones in coconut oil can help rebuild or repair our brain cells.  An illness that many of us are aware of that affects the brain is Alzheimer's.  It has been shown that consumption of EVCO can improve and even cure this condition and best of all, no negative side effects - this is something that almost all the drugs cannot claim.  I choose EVCO because it is the purest form of coconut oil and when produced from organic coconuts does not contain contaminants.  It is produced using cold-pressed method from fresh coconuts.  It doesn't undergo any chemical process or drying that can contaminate the coconut.

Of course, ginger, turmeric, coconut, tapioca and roselle also have other benefits so by incorporating them in my diet, I get to enjoy them too.  These 5 provides antibacterial, antiviral, improve the immune system, helps to lower cholesterol, improves blood circulation, helps to improve high blood pressure condition, improve digestion, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer - to name a few.  One of my key focus is to share what can be planted by everyone or if not, what can be obtained locally with the cost also being a factor.  Ginger, turmeric and roselle can be planted in containers for those who do not have much planting space.  If you have a small space, you can plant tapioca and dwarf coconuts but if you can't, they are easily purchased.  None of these need to be imported as they can be obtained locally so this can make it affordable to many.  Try incorporating them into your normal daily diet and I hope you can reap the benefits of a better health.

Eat for Life: Naturally maintaining my gut

We often are more reactive than proactive and we tend to want miracle cures.  I decided to change my diet from being reactive to proactive and one of the major changes is the diligent inclusion of turmeric and ginger, roselle probiotics and virgin coconut oil in my diet.  This combination provides a wealth of health benefits but in a proactive measure, one of the main ones that I want is the care and maintenance for my gut.  I have done a lot of research on this and will continue to follow developments from both the medical world as well as the alternative holistic therapies.
Our gut is the biggest immune organ in our body with the main function of processing our food and removing toxins.  It is basically our digestive tract.  Over the last few years, more and more information has been disseminated regarding a condition called leaky gut.  A leaky gut causes allergens and toxins as well as bacteria and viruses to enter out bloodstream leading to many illnesses including infections to other organs like the brain, heart, kidney and others, allergies and autoimmune.  The symptoms are many and is often misdiagnosed resulting in our medical treatment addressing the symptoms but not the condition.   Some of the symptoms are:

1.  allergies
2. infections to various organs and within the body
3. body aches and pains
4. bloating
5. cramps

The symptoms and manifestation of the problem is common enough that the treatment is often for the symptom and not addressing the underlying issue.

Some of the causes are:

1. age
2. gluten
3. antibiotics
4. food additives
5. carcinogens

How to avoid a leaky gut?  Easy but can be difficult to do for some: take care of your gut and prevent the lining from breaking down or having holes.  Basically, one needs to take care of what one consumes.  A healthy gut has good digestive tract walls and good bacteria.  As we age, our body will breakdown and need repairing so similar to having a car, one needs to do maintenance.  Some repairs here and there, replacing what is worn down, etc.

In my proactive mode, I have added 3 items which not only is good for my gut health but also contains other health benefits:

1. Bentong ginger and turmeric with black pepper
2. Roselle probiotics
3. Extra virgin coconut oil

These 3 items promotes the repair work, addressing the symptoms with its anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti inflammation properties and then continues to promote the health of my gut with the probiotics and "cleaning" activities.  They are simple to add to my daily diet and doesn't require major changes to my routine and readily available.  I am a firm believer that if we cannot make something a normal thing to do, it will be hard to remain diligent and sustain it as a normal course in our life.  Whilst some of this are available in pill forms, a few factors make it less desirable:

• I do not know what is added during the process to convert it from natural state to pill or capsule
• The cost is higher than the natural state
• While it may be convenient, over a period of time, I will become bored and lazy to pop the pills and ultimately, just stop doing it
• There is no fun in pill popping - there is no enjoyment in consuming it and it becomes a to-do task as opposed to something I do normally

My focus has always been on organic and local so that it is easily available and affordable.  After all, if it is expensive that it is out of reach to the masses.  As with everything you consume, do find out about the source of what you consume and that it is natural, organically grown without hormones as well as additives-free and this includes preservatives, sugar, colouring.

Go organic and go local

Over the last few days I have been involved in many discussions regarding GMO vs non-GMO, organic vs non-organic, local vs imported.  The underlying grievance was the cost issue.  So I thought I will lay down my take on it.
GMO vs non-GMO
GMO food inherently contains carcinogens at the cell level so if is just about impossible to get rid of it.  The purpose of GMO was to alter the natural state of the produce at a cellular level so that it can contain pesticides to enable the plant to produce more and or standardised product.  This is great for commercialising a produce as you can have high yield at a lower cost. The major GMO produce are corn and soy and more will probably be added in the future.  These two items appear in many forms,  For corn, some of the items are  fresh corn, frozen corn kernels, corn oil, corn syrup, corn flour, and breakfast cereal.   Another item often forgotten is animal feed as many use corn which are GMO so the toxins gets transferred from the feed to the animal and to us such as in chicken, beef and fish and shellfish and also in milk.  For soy, some of the items are soya bean oil, soya sauce, soy milk and soy flour. The pesticides are carcinogens and though Big Businesses claim that it is safe, there are many non-industry sponsored studies that show otherwise including the proliferation of a new disease called Autoimmune.   Good for business but bad for people.

Organic vs non-organic
Organic produce is produced without using any chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers.  The soil has also got to be toxic chemical contaminant free.  Hydrophonic method is not necessarily organic.  For non-organic, anything goes.  Organic farming is also more labor-intensive.  For my definition I also include avoidance of plant hormones.

Local vs Imported
For some reason, many are ignorant and automatically assume that if something is imported then it is good.  Not necessarily so.  Imported costs more as there is transportation costs, handling costs and other related costs.  So the higher price doesn't mean that it is of better quality.  It goes back to knowing your source.

What it boils down to is: "Do you want to pay now or pay later?".  So, if you think that choosing organic, non-GMO and local is more expensive or not of high quality, do be sure to add up the costs properly.  The other hidden costs are medical bills, transport costs (for treatment and related services required), pharmaceutical bills (bear in mind that sometimes you will be prescribed a few drugs as the first is for your condition and the others to treat the effects of the first drug), future higher food costs (as then you can only eat foods that meet the criteria for your condition), loss of work days, lower quality of life and other costs.

The bountiful God's Crown (Mahkota Dewa) Fruit

With such a grand name, Mahkota Dewa (God's Crown) is traditionally used in many ways.  It's botanical name is Phaleria Macrocarpa.  At the farm, our 4 years old tree stands about 2 meters.  I haven't trimmed it since I propagated it from

seed and it is now fruiting in abundance so I will wait a little while before I prune it a bit.  Watching its growth, I would say it is a slow grower in height but that doesn't mean the same for the fruiting.  It starts fruiting in about 1 year.  The fruit is a dark red color when it ripens and it is at this stage that I harvest.
The outer skin of the fruit is slightly waxy and the flesh is fibrous and white in color.  For the first 3 years, I only fertilised it about once every six months so there wasn't much fruits produced.  However in the last year, I fertilised it quarterly and I see a marked difference in the quantity of the fruit.  I use organic, farm-produced fertiliser since I wanted to ensure as best as I can that it is free from toxins and chemicals as ultimately, I plan to use it as a health "supplement".
I use the fruit to produce my tea.  It contains alkaloid, flavonoid, polyphenol and antioxidants making it rich in benefits in traditional preventive and curative therapy.  I drink the tea at least once a week as part of my detoxification regime with its alkaloid content.  It helps to cleanse the liver, kidneys and digestive system.  It is also antiviral and antibacterial which helps strengthen my immune system.  Sometime I drink more times depending on how I feel.
Amongst its other uses in traditional therapy are:

1. To help lower the blood sugar for diabetics due to its saponin content
2. To cleanse the blood due to its flavonoid content
3. To improve the body's metabolism due to its flavonoid content
4. To reduce cholesterol due to its flavonoid content
5. As an alternative tutor and cancer therapy from its antioxidants and alkaloids
6. To reduce the fats in the blood due to its flavonoid content

A noted point is pregnant women and post-natal women shouldn't consume this.

I checked around for dried Mahkota Dewa fruit and the price ranges from RM 50-60 per 100 gm.  As I cannot verify that it is organically produced nor using the method that least introduces contaminants, I decided to make my own.  I produce the tea by first harvesting mature fruits, slicing and dehydrating them.  Traditionally, it is sun-dried but I prefer to dehydrate so as not to introduce contaminants.  Once dried, it can be stored
for many months - at least 3 months - though I tend to prepare mine at regular intervals.
I use a claypot to are my tea, about 10gm per litre of water.  I bring it to a boil and allow it to cool in the claypot before drinking it.  It looks like regular tea and the taste is slightly bitter (like when you are too strong tea) with fruity undertones.  To make it more bland, you can always add more water to dilute it but I find that it is not necessary.
With all the benefits and the taste, I find it easy to add it to my regular drinks list.  In case you wonder what is on my regular drinks list, they are misai  kucing tea, soursop leaves tea, Bentong ginger and turmeric drink, Roselle (tea and drink) as well as variations of calamansi drinks (with lemongrass or bunga telling).  With this variety, I am never bored but I feel that it makes going organic and natural brings lots of benefits to my health maintenance.

SHL Edible Products: Going forward

It has been over 10 years since I embark on my organic agriculture journey and over the years, I have planted over 100 types of plants and trees, researched and experimented the use and benefits and processing some of them to form products, a step beyond its natural form.  As I move to the future, I have made moves to streamline our produce and plants.

I have a keen interest in making food as medicine and to make it as a normal part of our daily diet with the ultimate aim at preventing diseases and illnesses whilst at the same time having therapeutic values. This is a way to adjust our diets without making it a chore and working through natural healing which takes time.  I am not a medical practitioner nor do I presume to be an expert.  However, I do consume what I produce and it is a tenet of the farm that we do not sell edibles that we do not eat ourselves.  What I produce for my own consumption is what we in turn productize.

All the products are based on what we grow at the farm as it is important for me that the source materials are as clean as possible from toxic chemicals either from the ground or what is used during its growth and processing.  I have streamlined our  products to those that I find is easiest to consume and with loads of benefits

Bentong ginger and turmeric

Ginger and turmeric are well-known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as for the benefits for reducing cholesterol, improving the immune system and digestive system.  Our concentrate also includes black pepper to further aid in the absorption of curcumin into the body.  This combination aids in the healing of many inflammatory based illnesses like gout, many forms of arthritis, and muscle pains.  It also has anti-cancer properties especially for the digestive system as studies found that it kills the heliotrope bacteria which is found to support activation of cancer cells in the digestive system.

There are many ways to consume our concentrate:

• Dilute with water – either hot or cold to make a drink that can also be sweetened
• Use in your cooking to add flavor

Blue Pea Flower (Bunga Telang Biru)

This flower can be used as a natural food coloring and is a must if you want to create authentic nai kerabu – using blue coloring is just not authentic or good for you.  The flowers are dehydrated and it can be stored in a cool, dry area or in the refrigerator for longer term storage.

Like many colored natural food, this flower is rich in antioxidants.  Another property that it naturally has is as an anti-depressant.  It can be used to create a blue-colored drink and when mixed with calamansi juice, turns purple and can serve as a relaxing drink after a stressful day.

In traditiinal or alternative therapy, it used:

• To Improve eyesight and eye strain
• As a blood cleanser
• To detoxify
• To relieve stress

Calamansi

It is a great source for vitamin A and C.  The main acids in this fruit is citric acid and ascorbic acid.  Using cold-pressed pure juice, I have created the following

• Pure calamansi juice which can be turned into a drink on its own by diluting or used in flavouring cooking
• Pure calamasi juice with lemongrass which brings the benefits of lemongrass as well as a refreshing flavour
• Pure calamasi juice with blue pea flower (bunga telang) which adds more antioxidant properties

Cat’s whiskers (Misai Kucing)

Our dehydrated Misai Kucing tea is made from the leaves and flowers and can be turned into a drink by steeping in just-boiled water for at least 5 minutes.  It can be served hot or cold.  The many health benefits that have been reported include :

• It has properties that enables it to be used to regulate the blood sugar hence is used as an alternative treatment for diabetes
• This herb inhibits blood platelet from sticking together and has powerful hemolytics that can lower blood pressure thus making it an alternative treatment for high blood pressure as well as for reducing cholestrol, which is often used in traditional medicine.
• This herb has the ability to clean toxins within the blood hence it is also used in traditional herbal medicine in the process of detoxification and in removing metabolic waste within the body.  This in turn makes it a useful addition to weight loss efforts.
• It also has diuretic properties making it beneficial in the treatment of kidney stones and for flushing the kidney and urinary tract.  It helps to flush out the uric acid as well as block the production of uric acid.  This in turn also helps other conditions such as gout and inflammation of joints due to high uric acid levels in the body

Another health property of this herb is its ability to act as an anti-inflammatory hence its use in the herbal treatment for athritis and rheumatism

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Only in the last decade or so that this much maligned oil has been proven to be good for you.  It has strong antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as being rich in lauric acids.  Amongst its benefits are:

•  Improving the immune system
• Improving the brain cells regeneration 

It is often used in alternative therapies such as:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Viral infection including flus and colds

It can be consumed on its own or incorporated into you cooking and even in flavoring coffees.

Gingertorch (Bunga Kantan)

Gingertorch is a popular addition to flavor dishes especially laksa, asam pedas and various other local Malaysian dishes and a must-have for many in nasi kerabu.  

Sometimes it is hard to find and when fresh, doesn’t last long.  So I decided to produce dehydrated ginger torch flower which can be stored in the cupboards or for longer storage, in the refrigerator so that it is on-hand when you want it.

It has antioxidant properties.  In traditional or alternative therapy, it is used:

• as a blood cleanser
• to increase mother's milk during post-natal
• to reduce body smell

Lemongrass

A popular herbal spice which can be used to make a tea or in cooking which has been dehydrated to make a dried lemongrass flakes which can be stored in a cool, dry area or the refrigerator for longer term storage.  To make a tea, just steep in just-boiled water and serve hot or cold, sweetened or not.  It has high antioxidant , antiviral and antibacterial properties.  In alternative therapies, it is used for:

• Digestive system problems
• Treatment of certain types of cancers
• High blood pressure
• Rheumatism

Roselle

Roselle is rich in vitamins A and C and is good for the immune system.  Amongst its properties is it is anti-oxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.  Based on a study by Purdue University, it is high in calcium, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin C and iron.  It is also caffeine-free hence it can be made as an after-dinner tea for those who cannot consume caffeine after late afternoon or they have a hard time sleeping.  It has anti-hypertensive properties so it is also good for people with hypertension of high blood pressure.

We have 3 different types of products:

•   Roselle concentrate which also contains the calyces
•  Roselle tea concentrate which is made from the leaves
• Dehydrated Roselle tea which you can make a drink by steeping in just-boiled or hot water and sweeten to taste if desired.

The concentrates need to be stored refrigerated and can last at least 3 months.  It can be used in cooking to make jelly or in dishes that you want to have a sour flavor addition like assam pedas and singgang. 

The tea leaves should be stored in a cool dry place, just as you would store any other tea.  The drinks help chemotherapy patients as it helps to flush out the toxins from the body as well as helps to improve the immune system. It is a good alternative drink especially for children.  It has often to likened to Ribena.

Snakegrass

The snakegrass tea is produced by dehydrating mature leaves and crushed to form loose tea leaves.  It is prepared by steeping in just-boiled water for at least 5 minutes.  In traditional and alternative therapies it is used to treat:

•  Certain types of cancer such as lymphatic, ovarian, breast and prostate cancer
•  Kidney disease
•  Improving the immune system
• Lowering cholesterol
• Lowering blood pressure

Soursop

We created soursop tea by dehydrating it mature leaves and crushing them.  It is prepared into a drink just like any normal herbal tea, using just-boiled water and allowed to steep for at least 5 minutes.

Based on research by USDA:

•  It is an excellent source of vitamin C
• Has a high fiber content which can prevent constipation
• Contains half the potassium in bananas which can help prevent leg cramps
• Its high magnesium content can help prevent water retention especially for women who experience this in PMS.
• Good source of thiamin, the B vitamin needed for aerobic energy production, the process where oxygen is used to convert sugar into usable energy 
• Loaded with the trace material copper which is essential for healthy bones.  It also helps boost the effectiveness of vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium.
• A good source of niacin which studies have shown to have significant benefits on levels of HDL, the good cholesterol
• Good source of folate which is a mineral that is recommended to prevent deficiencies during pregnancy for pregnant women.
• Good source of iron, an essential element in the body producing healthy red blood cells
•  Rich in riboflavin where studies have shown can help prevent migraines.

With the iron and vitamin K, it promotes red blood cells production hence it is good for anemic but not for people with DVT and similar “rich blood” illnesses.  It is rich in antioxidants and is often used as either complementary or alternative treatment of certain types of cancer.

Our ancestors are clever: Coconuts beyond coconut milk

I remember when I was very small - and we won't say how many years ago, hahaha - in the kampong, my grandmother and aunty would gather very matured coconuts where the outer husk was brown, peel them, grate them and squeeze the coconut milk from them and start the process of cooking the
oil over wood fire.  It would take hours to cook the coconut milk until what was left was the oil and the brownish black solid clumps.  My parents would tell me stories of how when they were kids, the highlight of this process was getting to eat these coconut clumps with rice and how tasty it was.
Coconut oil was the staple oil and without them knowing the science behind this, this is virgin coconut oil which is good for them and now being touted for all the benefits.

Used to be that almost everyone in the villages would grow coconut trees and many produced their own oil.  Over the decades, some researchers and Big Businesses made coconut oil into the villain saying how it was bad for you because of the high fat content.  Bg Businesses were out to promote their own oils from corn and soya bean as examples.  Then GMO came into play and more corn and soya bean could be produced  albeit with chemical content and this made it cheaper (although you pay extra because it was imported and so-called branded) so our markets were flooded with it.  It was touted as being healthy for you and easily available.  Coconut oil began to die.

Fortunately, there were good researchers who did further research when they saw that people who relied on coconut oil didn't get heart attacks, lower brain diseases and were healthy.  This lead to the differentiation of fats and the discovery that coconut fats were medium-chain triglycerides or fatty acids (MCFA) and does not contain any trans fats.  Some medical researchers also found that coconut oil is not glucose-based but it converts to ketones which is easily used by the brain to rebuild or repair brain cells.  It was found that it could prevent or even cure, in some cases, Alzheimer's and reverse some effects of other brain nerve diseases.  No wonder my great grandmother had a good memory with no major diseases and we think she was at least over 90 (hard to say as those days there were no birth certificates).  Being the energy source is non-glucose base, it also doesn't provide food for cancer cells.  This makes it a good oil for some cancer patients as not only does it not promote cancer cells, it also provides immunity building benefits which is especially good for those undergoing chemotherapy.

The coconut water from young coconuts is a traditional way of cooling fevers as well as used for detoxification of the body system.  With our hot and humid climate, drinking fresh coconut water is a
healthy option and it tastes good.  The flesh from the coconut has a high fiber content as well as vitamin C, E. B1, B3, B5 and B6 as well as iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.  So guess what, those curry dishes that grandma used to make with coconut oil for sautéing the spices and condiments and then adding the coconut milk and then fish, chicken or beef was good for you.  So for guilt-free healthy curries, go back to the way that our ancestors made them.  Of course, be sure the protein you add is also good or as good as you can get them.  So when you think of it, most of our traditional dishes are healthy if we revert to how it was done then and going local is the best option.

In the old days, they didn't have freezers so producing coconut oil using cold-pressed permaculture method wasn't an option.  Nowadays, this is possible so you no longer have to stand over a fire for hours to make your own coconut oil.  The trade-off is it now takes days as you have to freeze, defrost, freeze and defrost before you can get to the straining part to produce the oil.  Needless to say, the uses of the oil produced is not only for cooking tasty dishes but also used in healthcare, skin care and hair care and makes a good oil base for for herbal infusions as well as in natural soap making.

From producing coconut milk, you get the so-called coconut flesh "waste".  To me, this is just another product.  In the olden days, you use this to feed the chickens and
without them knowing the science behind it, this is actually a super food for chickens as it contains antiviral, antibacterial, as well as other properties which keeps the chickens healthy without the need for all those antibiotic shots that are used nowadays.  It also promotes egg production.  See, our ancestors are clever.  In the autoimmune protocol diet as well as gluten-free diet, this grated flesh can also be processed into flour making coconut flour.  Just dry it and mill it and you get an alternative flour.

So do as our ancestors do, plant coconut trees :)
A related article to this is >> http://suria-helang-lui.blogspot.my/2017/05/evco-extra-virgin-coconut-oil-my-wonder.html

Our ancestors are clever: Beyond raw tapioca to Starch and flour

We plant 2 varieties of tapioca or cassava (ubi kayu) at the farm: Ubi kayu pulut and Ubi kayu merah.  This articles focusses on ubi kayu pulut.  I have heard stories of how this particular variety was planted during the Japanese occupation of the then Malaya and was the replacement for rice as all the rice was confiscated by the Japanese for their consumption.  This particular variety is soft and melts in your mouth.  It doesn't take long to cook it and cooks in less then 15 minutes when steamed and I find that it is best steamed as it has that fluffy texture.  Sometimes when we harvest I get tubers that are big wishing at 5-6 kg thus not popular among our customers as it is too big.  Some are scared to buy it thinking that it is probably hard like the root.  So we often end up with consuming it ourselves and since it is so big, we also share with the chickens and dogs.

Now I have found a solution for these big tubers as well as excess tubers: to turn them into tapioca starch and flour.  After researching and experimenting, I found that it is not difficult to make them.  I choose this variety because you end up with pristine white starch and flour - no bleaching, refining,  etc. needs to be done to make it white.  It would be a shame to contaminate organically grown tubers with chemicals to produce starch and flour.  What I end-up with is organic, gluten-free starch and flour that can be used in many ways.  Growing up, I remember my grandmother, great-grandmother and mother producing traditional dishes with tapioca both savoury and sweet.  In doing my research, I find it interesting in how it has been maligned as a prohibited food for diabetics in favour of the other Big Business commercial crops but it turns out that studies done in people with a high content of their diet being tapioca has negligible to low occurrence of diabetes.  It is now classified as a low glycemic index food.

First, you rinse off all the soil from the outer skin.  The tubers are coated with 2 levels of skin: (1) the brown grainy texture layer that you see and (2) the pink on the outside and white on the inside layer.  Both layers need to be removed to reveal the white-fleshed tuber.  I cut them into big chunks so that I can handle them easier when I grate them.  I just use a hand grater and grate them using the same size that I use for parmesan cheese.  Being a "soft" tuber, it is easy to grate them as they slide easily over the grater.

Once you have the grated tapioca in a bowl - you can use plastic, metal or
glass bowls - I will add enough water to cover the grated tapioca.  Be sure you use a large enough bowl to allow room for swishing the tapioca in the water without spilling.  I let it sit in water for about 10 minutes and then I swish the mixture or using a spoon stir them rapidly for a couple of minutes.  You will find that the water has turned chalky white.  Place the mixture in a cloth strainer and strain the liquid.  Be sure to squeeze the mixture well to get as much of the liquid out of it.  I tend to use a piece of muslin cloth which I will wring to squeeze all the liquid out of the mixture.

The end result is a chalky liquid and grainy, semi-dry lumpy solids solids.  The chalky liquid will produce the tapioca starch or in Malay tepung kanji ubi kayu  and the grainy solid will produce the tapioca flour or cassava flour or in Malay, tepung ubi kayu.  Place the grainy solids in a cool, dry area overnight covered with a cloth to prevent unwanted "visitors" or contaminants from entering.

Leave the chalky liquid in a container for a couple of hours and you will see that it has separated into two: a yellowish liquid on top and a white sludge at the bottom.  Pour away the liquid and retain the sludge which is actually the tapioca starch.  Let the starch dry overnight by leaving it in the container in a cool, dry area covered with a cloth.  The next day, you will find that whatever liquid was left in the starch will be at the top - remove this and you will find that the starch has hardened.  It is now ready for use.
You can break it up by raking with a fork and place in a container for storage.  I tend to keep it in the refrigerator as it does not have any preservative or additives.  I am not sure how long it lasts as I tend to use it all up within a short period of time.  The starch produced is a great binding agent so I use it when I make fish balls, prawn balls, squid cakes and meatballs and I do not have to worry when I serve it that anyone with allergies to gluten or nuts or grains cannot eat them.  Another great use for it is as a thickening agent to thicken sauces and gravy.  Unlike corn starch which is most probably made from GMO-corn, I do not have to worry about chemical contaminants using tapioca starch.

Using ubi kayu pulut, the solids that you obtained after straining is almost ready-to-use flour.  You can just run it through a grinder or food processor and you will get a fine flour.  For most of our local sweet dishes, you do not have to further process it.  As this variety is not fibrous, it really works well when just using it as is to make bingka ubi kayu (tapioca pie), lepat ubi kayu, and many other dishes. For people who have to be on gluten-free, nut-free or grain-free diets due to health and/or allergy reasons, this flour  and the starch flour is the flour of choice as it contains no gluten, not from grain nor it it from nuts or seeds.  It is also for people on autoimmune protocol diet.  The flour is high in carbohydrates, good dietary fiber and vitamin C, low in fat, sugar and micronutrients so is a good replacement flour for people who are diabetic and with high blood pressure.

Another of our locally-grown plant that serves as food in multiple ways which is easy to grow and can be added to you ground-based garden (it doesn't do so well in pots).