Home-Made Tea-Like Elixir for Colds, Flus and General Wellbeing

Here is the aforementioned tea elixir I promised I'd post.  It is derived from a recipe once given to me by my dear friend Mercy Santos which was passed down from his sister.  I have made it my own along the way.  It's a concoction I swear by to bust out toxins, especially from a common cold or flu.

Boil water with slices of lemon, serrano chile pepper, fresh garlic, fresh ginger root and if you are feeling extra spicy - add a dash of dried red pepper or cayenne.

Strain "tea" into a mug with a spoonful of honey.  Squeeze and add fresh slices of lemon.

You will feel better instantly upon drinking this hot elixir.  It may taste strange at first, but the more you drink it, you'll start craving it even on healthier days.

Raw garlic is a powerful antibiotic and also has been known to aide cardiovascular health.

Ginger root helps with nausea and aides digestion, circulation and arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Lemon and water both have clarifying actions in the body and help to flush toxins out of the system.

Serrano chiles speed metabolism, boost energy and give you a super dose of vitamin C.

Cayenne, and other red chile peppers, contain capsaicin which relieves pain and itching and is considered helpful for various other conditions as a result of their antioxidant properties.

Honey not only tastes good, but also has incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties as well as a beauty benefit—and it always helps to feel better when you look better!

You may have bad breathe for a day after drinking this home remedy, but you will definitely be feeling better in no time!  Tried and tested.

Day 3 - Three Kaeng Raeng Smoothies

Well I'll be quick(er) tonight as I don't feel much like posting. I have been having trouble sleeping the last couple of nights, particularly last night. This happens to me, so I can't attribute it to Kaeng Raeng but I wonder if I shouldn't drink the smoothies so late? It's likely just stress. Tonight it is 9:30 pm and I am debating whether or not to drink a third smoothie before my impending 12 hour pre-surgery fast. It will be the first time I've had three Kaeng Raeng smoothies in one day. I was planning on it, but about an hour ago, I suddenly didn't feel so well. I feel a bit feverish and clammy. I took my temperature which was slightly up at 99 degrees. So I'm a bit warm. I'm not sure if it's because I'm stressed about tomorrow's surgery, or what. So I decided for the moment to make my homemade elixir that knocks out colds and flus in a punch instead. I'll post this fabulous homemade tea-like recipe when I return from surgery and am feeling better. In the meantime, let me just say that I woke up feeling great today! So great, in fact, that I told my mom I was planning on continuing on the Kaeng Raeng cleanse post surgery. I mean I have extra pouches, I'm down 2 pounds, I don't feel gassy, I'm digesting well...and getting food down after fasting, anesthesia and surgery can be difficult. So my mom bought a bunch of fruit to go in tomorrow's Kaeng Raeng smoothies so that she could fix me some while taking care of me per my request. But now that it's late, I'm rethinking the idea and I'm bringing along some vegetarian organic soups and other options to her home just in case. I'm not liking the low grade fever and I'm wondering if it's just toxins pushing out of my body. So as I am writing, I just stopped to make my third smoothie of the day, the Blueberry one (with my usual mish mosh of fruit, water, ice and juice... although I did something very unorthodox this time for a detox...but good if you are trying to feel your best for surgery...I added a scoop of peanut butter. I thought some protein would be a good idea. Boy is it yummy.

Day 2 Kaeng Raeng In Review

I woke up this morning at 5:00am when the cat tackled my feet. I was hungry then. But since I went to bed at 1:00am (yet another thing I'm working on), I decided to go back to sleep...and I uh...er...slept in. When I awoke, I wasn't really hungry anymore. I contemplated skipping my usual coffee, but coffee won out-even with the cream and sugar. You know, I'm under enough stress with surgery forthcoming so I decided to skip the migraines this time. As a refresher, today is the day my doctor ordered me to go on a liquid diet by 1:00pm for the next two days. But since I started Kaeng Raeng yesterday evening and already splurged on coffee, I decided I would stick to the rest of the Kaeng Raeng diet prior to my 1:00pm deadline. I started the day with a fruit salad-pineapple, mango, strawberries, blueberries and banana slices. It was quite good. A half hour before my 1:00pm deadline I made another salad of alfalfa and clover sprouts, broccoli sprouts, cilantro, tomato, red onion, and avocado. This time I also added a yellow and an orange mini pepper along with a small amount of mixed baby greens. And instead of my new garlic concoction from yesterday evening as a dressing, I juiced half a lemon and poured it on there with a cap full of apple cider vinegar. It was good. For those not used to broccoli sprouts-I'd skip those. They are quite bitter.

A couple of hours later, I made my first Kaeng Raeng shake of the day. This time I grabbed the "Juu Juu-Into the Blue", a blueberry, blackberry, banana combination. (I would like to know what's up with all these strange names anyway?) In any event, I added one half of a banana, a handful of frozen strawberries, about 12-16 ounces of water and an equal amount of Simply Lemonade with some ice and blended in the Vitamix. The Simply Lemonade is not quite as sweet tasting as the Paul Newman's lemonade I had yesterday, so I was experimenting really. But oddly enough, it has 28 grams of sugar per 8 ounces, whereas Paul Newman's only has 27 grams per 8 ounces. Then again, Simply Lemonade lists "natural sugar" in their ingredients list versus Paul Newman's "sugar". I mean, the reality here is if you really want to detox, you should just add water here, but if it's your first time like mine, or you have unusual circumstances like mine - it certainly adds to the flavor. I had the novel idea of putting the remainder of my smoothie (still in the blender) into the refrigerator while I sipped part one. It really is better colder, and so I will continue doing this and making smoothies. Plus the added fruit really makes it taste good and you can really have fun with the flavors depending on what you add, making each "meal" that much more interesting. From this concoction, I did not enjoy it as much as my last, but it was still good. I sipped at it instead of sucking it down and I am telling you, it must have taken 2 hours of busy work and sipping before I was done. I thought to myself "Shoot, no wonder you are never hungry on this!" I was trying to find time to fit in my water, which I did the rest of the day.

As the hours passed on, on this beautiful Sunday in my beach town, I was invited to three different barbeques, all equipped with delicious food, wine and spirits - but I dutifully declined. Funny thing is, my doctor told me to go on a "liquid diet" and when I asked for suggestions, he added wine to the list. I gasped. He said, "It's liquid!" So really, I could have joined the festivities, but my thought was, "Why don't I try to do this at least half right, and go into surgery as healthy as possible?"

With all the turned down invitations, I was getting kind of angst and hungry. It was either that or my 2 hour beach walk in the sun that sparked my appetite. I also kept myself busy all day packing-yes I'm moving too, but that is another story. I decided it was time for another smoothie. This time, I tried the last of the three flavors, the "Glai Roong-Daybreak", a mango, peach, pineapple mix. I decided to add Tropicana Orange Juice with water this time. It sounded better. I also had the great luck of having some fresh mango on hand - oh it was the juiciest mango and it smelled so sweet! As I was cutting it and popping it into the VitaMix, I almost unthinkingly popped a juicy piece in my mouth! Just as I was about to, I remembered...liquid diet. Ugh. So I put the remainder in, added some fresh pineapple, and because I decided not to use banana this time, I put in a hefty spoonful of Fage 2% Greek yogurt. I know, I know, probably not the Kaeng Raeng way - but c'mon, I turned down BBQs for God's sake! And I just wanted something to make it smoother. And I'll say, it was the smoothest yet! And quite tasty. In fact, I'm still sipping it now. I've felt fine all day. No weird sugar lows. No migraines. No weird bathroom breaks. I know I will be able to do this another day tomorrow. In fact, I have yet to drink three shakes in a day. I don't know how I could! Maybe tomorrow I'll figure it out. At this rate, my Kaeng Raeng 3 day cleanse could last me almost 5 days!

Happy Accidents - A Kaeng Raeng Inspired Recipe

So last night's dinner on my first day of my Kaeng Raeng "easing-in" cleanse, inspired a new recipe. I chopped up a bunch of garlic, put it in the pan on top of some hot olive oil to crisp it up. I was about to throw in some edamame - a delicious, nutritious recipe I copied from Sea Fresh Restaurant in Oxnard, when I realized not only does Kaeng Raeng recommend "raw vegetables" (as opposed to cooked) while on the cleanse, but my edamame had also gone bad. Well, hey, I was easing in anyway - so had they been good, I might have gone with it. But seeing as they were rotten, I tossed them in the trash can and stared at all that beautifully fresh garlic I had painstakingly chopped and thrown in olive oil to no avail. I looked for other veggies in the fridge that I could saute, but all my staples (spinach, broccoli) that would work were absent. So I referred back to the cleanse I was suppose to be on and made a raw salad of broccoli sprouts, alfalfa and clover sprouts, cilantro, tomato, mushroom, red onion and avocado. I then took my crispy garlic olive oil mix and poured it on top. (Okay, I realize that raw garlic would have been more on point sans the olive oil to be truly strict to Kaeng Raeng's cleanse, but how can you go wrong with even cooked garlic-a rich anti-inflamatory that increases antioxidant levels, and olive oil, which is full of omega 3s?) Anyway, it turned out to be a delicious idea, even without the cracked pepper and sea salt I would have sprinkled on top on a "normal" day. I will definitely do this again. I love when a new diet truly inspires my kitchen, makes me create and try things I wouldn't have otherwise, and especially when it adds a healthy, delicious, nutritious recipe to my repertoire.

A Day of Firsts: Day 1 Kaeng Raeng Detox Cleanse, Gluten Sensitivity and Ovarian Cysts

So today is a day of firsts...first time blogging, first time doing a detox/cleanse...and so I've decided to blog about it. Okay to be honest, I have blogged before, but it was paid blogging...so it's not the same thing. This is the first time I will blog to rant about anything. I decided to blog because I thought maybe it would help me get through this detox/cleanse, keep my mind off of it, or perhaps even help somebody else who may be going through something similar. You may get tmi (too much information) from me as I tend to be long-winded, go off on a tangent, etc. That's just an upfront warning so you can stop reading now, otherwise, at least you will be prepared. I may or may not edit myself. So here is my story:

I have always thought to detox or do a cleanse, but any attempt at forfeiting food, or solid food, for any length of time, I have miserably failed. I seem to get hypoglycemic, or I get a migraine (I'm an avid coffee drinker) and it's usually one of those miserable feelings that have me giving up. Well, I was not allowed that option this time, as I am being forced onto a liquid diet by my doctor prior to having surgery. I am having a 10cm ovarian cyst removed, among other procedures, while they are in there. See what I mean? TMI. But I write it still because someone else may need to do a cleanse prior to an ovarian cyst removal and may be happy to have stumbled upon this blog. I hope it will help someone. You may or may not want to do this cleanse seeing how my next few days go.

I decided to try the Kaeng Raeng 3 Day Beginner Detox. Oddly, I had stumbled upon Kaeng Raeng after having read something someone else posted about it while researching endlessly on the net about God-knows-what. It could have been about ovarian cysts, but like my mind, and my writing, my research can also go off on a tangent. Anyway, I checked out www.kaengraeng.com and thought, "Now there sounds like a good detox to try--I think I might like to try that some time." It was only two days later at my pre-op appointment that my doctor told me I had to go on a liquid diet for 2.5 days and fast for the remaining 12 before my surgery. Before panic completely set in ("Oh my God, the headaches! The horror!"), I remembered Kaeng Raeng and I thought, "Now isn't that apropos." From the reviews I had read, others that had tried Kaeng Raeng had very good experiences, said it didn't leave them hungry and tasted good. I was also excited to find that it is gluten-free, vegan, provides all the nutrients I would need while on a liquid diet (versus the broth and Gatorade that was not-so-nutriously recommended) and doesn't contain any herbs (a no-no before surgery, at least my surgery anyway). Plus, you can eat raw fruits and veggies while on the cleanse. Well, you can if you are doing it Kaeng Raeng's way. Of course, if you are more of a die-hard and want more benefit, or if you are ordered, like me, by your doctor, liquid is the only way to go. I sent the "What's in it" list from Kaeng Raeng's website to my doctor and got approved! Suddenly this seemed doable.

I ordered the product on Thursday (from the very nice customer service rep), and it arrived Saturday. I am ordered to start my liquid diet on Sunday after 1 pm and completely fast (no food, no drink) beginning on Monday eve/Tues morning - at midnight, necessitating only a 2 day Kaeng Raeng cleanse. My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday at noon. So since today is Saturday (which would allow for a 3 day cleanse) and I have just received my product (sadly it was in the mail this morning but I didn't notice it until 5pm), I have decided to start my cleanse NOW, while I can still eat raw fruits and veggies, so that I can ease into going completely liquid tomorrow. I realize that most, if not all, will not do this, but hey-there may be some off-kilter person out there like me. Besides, Kaeng Raeng recommends you ease into your cleanse before going cold turkey. So this is my way of easing in.

Day 1- As stated above, I started my cleanse this evening. This morning I had my usual large cup of coffee (with half and half and Sugar in the Raw). Then I had two small (farmer's market) farm fresh eggs and two pieces of Udi's whole grain gluten free toast with Challenge butter. (Yum to Udi's for making a delicious gluten free bread - but I await the day they make one that is also without egg and dairy as a homeopathic doc told me I have sensitivities to these along with gluten.)

As an aside, if you are eating gluten and have ovarian cysts, or possibly any types of cysts really, please search online for terms like "gluten intolerance cysts". You may be surprised that gluten sensitivity or intolerance might very well be why you and I have cysts in the first place! (I will be getting a few blood tests in the near future (post surgery) to determine what food allergies or intolerances I may in fact have.) But it goes to reason that many are gluten sensitive or intolerant and don't even know it. They attribute their gas, migraine headaches, fatigue (the list goes on and on) to other things. And what most of these people don't know is that it can lead to even bigger problems like Chron's disease, cancer, and a multitude of other things you do not want. And no, it is not getting on the band-wagon. Do your research! The reason so many people are popping up gluten intolerant or gluten sensitive is not because it is some fad diet, but rather, because the way our wheat is currently processed, it has caused gluten (a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat) to become toxic to our immune systems. I found this article that does a good job of explaining what exactly gluten intolerance is and why it seems to be on the rise: http://www.foodrenegade.com/the-rise-of-gluten-intolerance/. And if you are sensitive to gluten, a cleanse might be a good way to start off your new gluten-free diet.

So back to my shake (I tried to tell you I go off on a tangent-but really, the above info could be very useful to many people who didn't know that they needed that information) ( ; Okay, I am just finishing my Strawberry Raspberry Pineapple (Reunn "Joyful") shake. Because it is my first day and I am easing in, I mixed it with approx 12-16 ounces of water and matched it with the same amount of Paul Newman's lemonade. (Probably not the best choice but I'm not trying to go sugar cold-turkey...I'm just trying this cleanse out while getting prepped for my surgery). I also added one half of a banana and about a cup of frozen blueberries and some ice cubes. I blended in my VitaMix for maybe 40 seconds. It tastes good. Like a smoothie...which it is, really. I'm sure the sugary lemonade helped. I think I will use less lemonade next time. I filled my Starbucks smoothie mug 2 and a half times already and now am at the final less-than-half fill. I will say that the bottom doesn't taste as good...probably because it's warmer now, and seems sweeter too. And while my stomach feels a bit bloated full (now I remember the recommendation was to sip slowly rather than suck it down), I still would like a piece of the pizza my ever-so-sensitive housemate ordered. But I won't. I will likely have a raw salad tonight before I call it a day. Maybe even another smoothie. So far I feel okay. This is coming from a real foodie. I think I'll be okay. Read on tomorrow and Monday for Days 2 and 3 and a wrap-up of Day 1.