Many irish moss recipes call for condensed milk and sugar which often means many calories! Instead of condensed milk, try a low calorie substitute such as almond milk or coconut milk. So Delicious makes a wonderful coconut milk you can use:
Cook a handful of dried irish moss and ground up flax seed in a slow cooker for a couple of hours. Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. When the irish moss is dissolved, add in the coconut milk or almond milk to cool it down quick.
Enjoy!
Chia Seeds — Tiny but powerful
Chia seeds are very cool. These tiny seeds pack a wallop of Omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants.
I get mine from VitaminShoppe.
A great way to eat these is to mix a tablespoon in a liquid. The seeds quickly form a gel. There’s a tonic from mexico that calls for these seeds in water with some lemon and honey. Strain the seeds if you wish for a refreshing tonic.
Another smart way to eat these is to mix the seeds with almond or coconut milk. Let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours for an awesome low calorie pudding. If it doesn’t gel enough, add more seed.
I’m forming a theory that foods that create gels like Irish Moss (Sea Moss), Sea Cucumber, Agar and now Chia Seeds are good for the joints and are an overall jing tonic. Of course, I have no scientific evidence for this observation, but it’s something interesting to note.
Try it and see what you think.
Natto notes
What’s Natto? Many of you have probably heard of nattokinase, an enzyme that reportedly clears blockages from our arteries. This enzyme is found naturally in fermented soybeans, a popular breakfast food in Japan. It smells and looks, well, disgusting:
It’s an acquired taste, I’m actually learning to like it.
Natto is a great source of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 can reverse calcification of our arteries. It reportedly takes calcium out of your arteries and puts them in your bones. It can make your arteries young again!
You can find this stuff in the freezer section of most asian supermarkets. It usually comes in packs of 2 or 3 in little styrofoam boxes. Some come with packets of mustard or soy sauce. Skip the sauces and try it mixed with rice. Not a bad way to start your day.
Copper Cups!
Here’s an idea for you. Try drinking water from a copper cup. You can find an example here at: Copper Cup example.
I became intrigued with the idea a few days ago after having modicum success experimenting with copper bracelets for muscle and joint pain. There’s a slew of anecdotal evidence linking copper intake via jewelry worn next to the skin and via supplements. In Ayurvedic medicine, one is advised to store water in a copper cup overnight and drink it in the morning.
Copper has been touted for great skin, restoration of hair color and to balance excessive zinc intake.
I’ve tried it now for a couple days and have noticed increased flexibility and reduced muscle pains. Very interesting! Try it and let us know what you think of this simple practice.
Offal is not awful
Most people consider offal to be pretty disgusting. Offal is considered to be anything other than the muscle and bones of a butchered animal. There are many cultures that eat this stuff on a regular basis or consider them delicacies. For example, tripe (intestine) makes a delicious anti-hangover remedy in Mexico called ‘Menudo’. Pork Skin is a skin beautifier in Vietnam. Tendon is eaten in china to build strength and as an arthritis remedy. Browse any asian supermarket and you’ll find an assortment of hearts, livers, kidneys and even uterus for your fine dining pleasure! I think in modern society, we miss out on these essential foods. It’s not natural to only eat fine cuts of meat — muscle. The human race was built on eating every part of the animal. As I think of it, frankfurters and sausages are probably a pretty good way to get these things in your diet. So is head cheese.
For anti-aging, I feel it’s important to get collagen in your diet. You can’t get collagen by only eating fine cuts of beef. You need to eat tendon, oxtail, pork skin. You can find some great recipes online or visit an authentic asian restaurant and try something new. One thing you can try is the famous vietnamese soup called ‘Pho’ or beef noodle soup. They often throw in tendon and some tripe. It’s considered very healthy and a strength builder in asia. Try it!
Irish Moss – Jamaican Power Drink
How does great skin, a strong “back”, virility and awesome taste wrapped up in one drink sound? Sounds great to me, so that’s why I’m introducing you to a little known Jamaican treat called Irish Moss or Sea Moss. Chrondus Crispus is a variety of seaweed that is found in coastal regions of North America, the Caribbean and parts of Europe. Many of you have heard of the thickener, Carageenan, which comes from this seaweed. It’s popular is Scotland and Ireland as the main ingredient in pudding. It’s high in Sulfur and other minerals and is touted as male performance booster. Here’s how you make it:
Ingredients:
- Irish Moss
- Flax Seed (aka Linseed)
- Condensed Milk (I use skim milk to lower calorie content)
- Spices–Nutmeg,Cinnamon,Vanilla
- Optional-Gum Arabic
- Optional-Isinglass (Agar)
- Optional-Sugar or Sweetener to taste
- Optional but recommended-Wray and Nephew White Rum
This is how one of the good Irish Moss packages looks like and where to get it.
How to Make it:
Note:I tend to shy away from listing exact amounts. Experiment, you can’t go wrong.
Some people recommend soaking the irish moss overnight first with some lime juice. I found it’s not necessary. Just rinse it and take off any particles. Put in a pan with water to cover and a bunch of the flax seeds and the optional agar and Gum Arabic. Bring to a boil and simmer until the Irish moss melts away (could be an hour or more depending on how much seaweed you’re using). I recommend starting small until you get the hang of it. Keep an eye on it because it can boil over and make a huge mess on your stove. You can use a fork or one of those hand blenders to speed it up. Put in the vanilla and spices with milk and sweetener. Add the Rum if you want an extra kick.
Be creative. Everytime I drink this mixture, my skin looks great for days afterwards. It must have some kind of nitric oxide, PDE-5 inhibition or related effect because this stuff is seriously powerful and works.
Ideas to enhance the effects:
- Boil in some peanuts or peanut butter. If using raw peanut, try to include the skin
- Add a Jamaican Root Drink (these are bitter herbs with reputed aphrodisiac and healing power)
- Try adding Carrot Juice
- Ginseng Extract is often added
- Various combinations of Banana and Oats are also often used
- Gingko extract is sometimes added
Take the time to make this drink and enjoy it’s tonic effect. You’ll be glad you did!