Shou Wu Chih or Essence

In my last post I wrote about dried Shou Wu slices which I bought from my regular herbalist. In this post I am going to let you in about a more convenient method of imbibing this herb especially if you find it tedious to boil your own brew.

I read about Shou Wu Chih or Shou Wu Essence and went to a Chinese medical hall (not my usual herbalist, mind you) and asked about Shou Wu. The owner, a man in his 60s, recommended that I try this product.

Here's what the Shou Wu Chih contains:

It is more than just Shou Wu extract. It also contains ginseng, dang gui, chuan xiong and other herbs.

The liquid is dark coloured and thick, a bit like cough syrup.

The medical hall owner told me that this Shou Wu Chih can be taken nightly, using that given "cup" (which measures about 30 ml).

Between me and the husband, we took about 7 days to finish the entire bottle of 300ml. We each took a 30 ml dose each night just before we went to bed. You can drink some warm water after you take the Shou Wu Chih. It's sweetish and palatable.

We actually felt refreshed and energized when we woke up the next morning. Once our bottle finished, we stopped for a week (the week that we stopped, I bought dried Shou Wu slices from my herbalist from the Lip Sin market to brew a tea).

This Shou Wu Chih product is made in Malaysia so I felt a little bit safer! These days I get quite skeptical about China products. I used to love eating tinned fried dace and luncheon meat but now what with reports of fake food in China and their unscrupulous methods, I am a little more wary if I buy China products, especially manufactured products.

Of course, Chinese herbs still come from China. That is why I try my best to buy herbs from reputable sources (as an aside, I once heard that white fungus is also bleached to make them look whiter and lovelier for sale!). Also, learn as much as you can about the herbs. And talk to your herbalist. Read up books (not just websites).

If you want to know why I was drinking Shou Wu Chih, please read this earlier post about my hair fall issues.

I managed to buy a second bottle of this Shou Wu Chih just last week but the medical hall guy told me that once my hair issues were resolved I should stop drinking this. Actually he thought Nic was the one with hair issues haha!

My hair stopped dropping. When I brush my hair, there is an occasional stray hair stuck to the bristle. When I shampoo, I don't see much hair dropping in the shower. In fact, if I may say so, my hair seems a little more healthy?

I am now waiting for the new hairs to grow, just to see if the white hairs are still popping out or will my hair be dark again! Ah, yes, vanity at 40. Then again, we're all vain, right?

Goji Berry, Chrysanthemum & Red Date Tea

I've been making this simple tea for a few times already. Not sure if I had shared this before but all it needs are 3 ingredients - dried goji berries, dried red dates and dried chrysanthemum bulbs. This sugar-less concoction is good for health especially if you want to maintain immunity. It's even more important these days what with the pandemic and Covid-19. But it is also a pleasant brew - no boiling needed. All you need is a handful of goji berries (washed and soaked for 5 minutes in water), 3-5 large dried red dates and a teaspoon of dried chrysanthemum flowers (these are the small heads of flowers, not the usual type for making chrysanthemum tea). Put all the ingredients in a teapot and pour in boiling water. Let it sit for 10 minutes and voila, you have made yourself a healthy tea without sugar. It has a natural sweetness from the red dates and goji berries. And once you have drunk all the tea, you can continue adding more boiling water for a second b...

The Remarkable Nut of Nuts

In this recipe, walnuts and dried red dates are combined to make a healthy and life-giving dessert. And with honey added, it packs a punch. A truly simple dessert which is used to prevent the usual flu magnets - colds and coughs. It helps too with your kidneys and with bowel movement. Walnuts are much revered in Chinese medicine, not least because the nut resembles the brain! Again, the Chinese believe that walnuts are good snacks for children as they help boost brain power which is true because of the high amounts of Omega 3 fats (good for the brain). Walnuts are of course a good source of essential omega-3 fatty acids and in Roman times, considered the food of the gods. Walnuts are a 'yang' tonic and useful for toning up weak kidneys. It also warms lung Qi while acting as a laxative, moistening the intestines (hence encouraging bowel movement if you are constipated). Walnuts are called Hu Tao Ren (juglans regia) in Chinese medicine. Walnut & Red Date Dessert 150 gm walnut...

Corn Silk That You Should Never Throw Away

The next time you buy fresh corn still in its husk, you should never throw away the corn silk. Most people throw away the husk and silk, thinking that they're useless but I can tell you, corn silk is great for your body. Save the corn silk to make a healthy tea. Just place all the silk into a pot, cover with 500ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and pour yourself a steaming cup of sweetish corn silk tea that tastes a little like corn. Corn silk or Yu Mi Xu is a natural corn fibre that is also used in Native American medicine. It contains flavonoids that give corn silks their colour and have antioxidant properties. I t is considered an important medicinal plant, able to induce diuresis and excrete dampness according to TCM. Corn silk is helpful towards Kidney, Bladder, Liver and Gall Bladder. meridians Therefore it clears damp heat, bloating, rheumatism, skin eruptions, gout, wasting and thirsting disorder, hepatitis, cholelithiasis, ch...

The Soup Queen

Search This Blog