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How did I lose that much weight and in such a short time? No, it is not by exercising until my butt hurts. To find out more read on....
One day, during my weekly massage session, my masseur told me about a male client of hers who was overweight and has high cholesterol. He started drinking Chinese Hawthorne water boiled with green apples for about a month and said to have lost more that five kilos. When he returned to see the doctor to check his cholesterol, the doctor was surprised to find that the level has dropped to normal.
After my massage ended, she gave me a glass of Chinese Hawthorne with apple water to drink since she has made some for herself to try. It smells, looks and taste like apple juice. It reminded me of Zapple, an apple flavored soft drink but without the fizz. There is a slight sourness, once it is swallowed.
Since the preparation was very simple and the ingredients were natural, I thought why not give it a try. The first thing I noticed after taking a glass is that my stomach feels soft, pliable and I am able to press my fingers in easily. Before this, my belly is usually bloated and stiff like a drum that I cannot even do a pinch test let alone press my fingers in. The reaction was quite immediate. I have been taking one glass a day since late March 2012 and my weight has not increased. Surprisingly , even though I haven't been doing regular exercises, since then, I did not gain back the weight that I lost and that is a good thing. However, the weight has not gone down further so, I think I will have to exercise regularly......eventually.
Anyway, I did some research to find out more and would like to share it with you.
In mandarin, the Chinese Hawthorne is pronounced as "Zhan Zha"(mountain berry) or "Hoong Guo" (red fruit). Round and fleshy, the berry grows on trees. The berry can be eaten raw, taste bitter, sour and tangy. (I have heard of "bitter sweet", "sweet and sour" but bitter sour?)It is also preserved in syrup, made into snacks, candies or Haw flakes. The dried sliced Haw can be made into a drink by adding hot water and sweetened with dates or used for cooking. It is grown mainly in China and Korea.
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| Chinese Hawthorne Fruit |
| Close-up of the berry |
In China, it is mostly eaten as a snack rather than as a fruit. Sometimes the seeds are removed and stuff with sweet red bean paste, and then put on a skewer. The whole skewer is dipped into melted maltose to give it a delicious coat of crispy sugar crust. To make it even more delectable, sesame seeds can be sprinkled on as well.
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| Hawthorne on skewers |
Around Spring Festival which is China's traditional Chinese lunar new year, hawthorn on skewers are one of the staple snacks that can be found in bazaars.
Hawthorn can also be made into a fruit preserve. Just add equal amounts of the fresh fruit with sugar. Add water just enough to melt the sugar. Bring to boil and simmer for one hour. Stir occasionally until the the hawthorn fruit falls apart. Discard the stones and store the preserve in glass jars to cool. Keep refrigerated.
| Haw Flakes |
Fresh hawthorn in not sold in our local markets. However, we do have preserved, pickled or candied versions which can be found in supermarkets or grocery shops.
In Malaysia, you can buy dried Chinese Hawthorne from any Chinese medicine shops. I recent bought RM5.00 worth of Zhan Zha and from the picture you can see that it is quite a big packet. The dried form is brown and the skin has a slight sour taste to it.
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| This packet of dried Hawthorn cost only RM5.00 |
To make what I call my Fizzyless Zapple drink
Ingredients
2 small green apples
8 pieces of dried hawthorn slices
3 cups of water
Step One
Step One
Peel apple skin and sliced into wedges(No need to remove the core)
Step Two
Put all the ingredients and water in a saucepan.
Step Three
Bring to boil and simmer for about one hour or until the water is reduced to one cup of liquid.
Step Four
It is ready to drink either hot or chilled after meals.
Put all the ingredients and water in a saucepan.
Step Three
Bring to boil and simmer for about one hour or until the water is reduced to one cup of liquid.
Step Four
It is ready to drink either hot or chilled after meals.
Tip
If you can't spare the hour to prepare the drink, use a slow cooker and set it on low. By the time you come home, the drink is ready to be consumed after meals. I note that the sourness level differs for every new batch of apples that I use. If you find it too sour, just add a drop of honey. If you suffer from gastric, try taking one tablespoon of virgin coconut oil before taking the hawthorne and apple drink.
Ingredients
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| This was taken in March 2012 before taking Zapple |
This was when I was the heaviest. My face was as round as the cake.
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| This was taken in April 18, 2012. Jawline not defined. |
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| April 18, 2012. Rounded chin |
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| This was taken on June 4, 2012 Chin is less rounded |
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| Side profile. Notice that I have a jawline now. |
Well, I am off to make my next batch of Fizzyless Zapple. I do hope that you will find the information helpful. Try it out and let me know if it works for you. Just remember to drink it after meals.
For my next topic of discussion, "What are the health benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil?".
My Art Corner
The original background was an old wooden door and a brick wall. I changed it to wooden windows and a stonewall with undergrowth. I hope you like it.
Thanks for looking and taking the time to read my blog. I welcome feedback and please feel free to share your experiences in relation to today's topic.
Until my next post, "Here's to your health!"
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CONSTIPATION CAUSES AND REMEDIES.
HOWS, WHENS, WHERES AND WHYS OF COCONUT OIL.
IS GARLIC A VEGETABLE, SPICE OR HERB?
DISCLAIMER
1st Photo credit: StockFreeImages.com
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