Chinese herbs.

[Longhorn]

I, the skeptic, went to an acupuncturist last week. Dr. H has a PhD in oncology and specializes in treatments to help cancer patients with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Acupuncture actually makes sense to me and it's very important to me that I feel strong and well enough to continue teaching. The first session was amazingly relaxing to me and my first week after chemo went much better than I thought so perhaps the acupuncture helped.

Dr. H gave me some Chinese herbs to add to hot water and drink three times a day. Well, they don't taste as bad as I thought but they don't taste good and I was also feeling nauseous the first day I had them so now it's hard not to associate the smell and taste with that. However, I believe I should give them a try!

So yesterday, I made some regular tea (my former son-in-law brought me some Twinings tea from London awhile back) and I added the herbs and some sugar. It tasted great! I could barely taste the Chinese herbs.

But I'm wondering: first, is there any reason why it's not okay to do consume the herbs this way? And second, what's a healthier way to sweeten the tea without white sugar? Is raw sugar or honey more healthy?

Thanks! :hi:

[hippywife]

1. You might try

Stevia. It's a little spendy but supposed to be better for you and it is natural. They bind it up with some inulin fiber.

Hope you are feeling well today. :hi:

[Longhorn]

4. I'm feeling great!

Thanks! :hi:

[Warpy]

2. There's no reason at all you can't hide the herbs in Twinings.

I'm the original skeptic but I know firsthand that acupuncture works. Alas, it was much better on acute pain than chronic pain for me and 99% of my pain is chronic.

The one Chinese concoction that works for me is one I was given for asthma. It contains no ephedra and is the nastiest stuff I've ever tasted (and I'm a nurse who used to taste liquid meds to see what they could be drowned in to kill the taste). I understand the main ingredient is ground dried gecko. It tastes like it. However, it's a miracle in allergy season, stops the juicy cough and wheezing in their tracks.

If I knew something that would kill the taste, I'd use it.

[Longhorn]

5. I'll remember not to ask my doctor what's in these herbs!

Thanks! :hi:

[stellanoir]

3. I wouldn't have a living child if it wasn't for Oriental Botanical Medicine.

I found it best to refrigerate the liquid and mix it with fruit juice (either Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice or Paul Newman's Limeade).

I only figured that out after chugging my first dose (and promptly puking).

Hope you heal up really soon.

[Longhorn]

6. Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm not sure that I'll be wanting hot tea three times a day once summer gets here. :hi:

[htuttle]

7. Nothing you mix in the herbs will hurt them chemically, that I've ever heard of

The one thing you might want to watch out for with any medicinal tea is boiling water. Some medicinal herbs, both Western and Chinese, carry their active ingredients as volatile oils that will evaporate if hit with boiling water and not covered.

So, I'd generally heat the water just below boiling, and cover the cup while it's steeping.

Otherwise, mix it in with anything that tastes good. Sugar, honey, chai, whiskey (!!), whatever. I take some of my herbal remedies with a basic english breakfast tea, some with green tea and yet others with a sweet chai.

[Longhorn]

8. Good tips!

I'll ask Dr. H more about it when I see him again Thursday. I got my three times in today and actually enjoyed it! :)

[hvn_nbr_2]

9. Taste

Sugars:
The only difference between raw sugar and ordinary table sugar is that the good stuff (primarily minerals) hasn't been removed from the raw sugar. But all the sugar molecules are still the same and will still cause the same blood sugar spike. It's just that the calories aren't as empty.

If you take the sweetened herb brew with food, the food will slow down sugar absorption and thus lessen the blood sugar spike. However, you might want to avoid high fiber food. Absorption of some nutrients is hindered by taking them with fiber, so you might ask the acupuncturist if eating fiber with the herbs will have any negative effect.

Someone else suggested stevia, which is an option. I don't personally find the taste of stevia to be a good substitute for sugar but many people do.

Fruit juice or lemon might be another alternative for flavor enhancement. But ask the acupuncturist about that. If the good stuff in the herbs is alkaline, the acidity of fruit juice might neutralize the beneficial stuff before it even gets in your mouth.

You might try other flavor options than sweetening to mask the flavor. Someone mentioned chai tea. Possibly other cooking herbs or spices would help--cinnamon, cumin, ginger, rosemary-basil-thyme-etc.

One other possibility: Hold your nose to diminish flavor awareness, and chug it.

[Longhorn]

10. I've tried both raw sugar and Stevia

and can't tell much difference. I will ask Dr. H more about this to make sure I'm not reducing the effectiveness of the herbs.

Thanks for your suggestions! :hi: