Kim Chi

While Kim Chi is not an herb if it's alright  I'd like to pass along this to anyone intrested.

I have found that the juice from Spicy Kim chi to have an effect on a sore throat. If you can catch it early when you feel a sore throat sneaking up on you I have found this to work quite well for stopping it in it's tracks.

It is not for the faint of heart tho......

But a couple of tablespoons full of Kim Chi juice  along with a small splash of raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar mixed together then slowly ,slowly swallowed can really knock out a sore throat if you catch it early........

The bad news is you will have terrible breath right afterwards....... so quickly brush your teeth.......... But despite the minute or two of the shock of drinking the mixture the results have worked quite well for me as well as others who have been brave enough to try it.

Just saw this post. I don't make Kim Chi (dh hates the smell of cooked cabbage, wouldn't eat it), but could something be substituted for kim chi juice?

kim chee is not cooked! it is eaten like a salad somewhat . it is fermented and kim chee (along with other fermented cabbage products like saurkraut as well as yogurt) that arent' cooked are good sources of pro biotics.  my sister in law makes the only kim chi I like. I tried the storebought stuff and it just wasn't the same.  I have recently aquired the same kind of korean pepper she uses and aim to have a go at making some myself again.

http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/KimchiHealthy.html

Here is a link with some basic's of the benifits of Kim Chi. Back in the mid 1970's I was working in a Tae Kwon Do ( Korean Martial Art ) studio
and several people there used to make their own Kim Chi....... That stuff was deadly hot ( Spicy ) .... those guys were tough !! But I was a teenager back then a hadn't yet learned how to deal with really spicy foods.

But Kim Chi can be made a zillion different ways and does not have to be spicy...... I am not a vegitarian but I actually prefer that over the various Kim Chi's without Shrimp Paste or any of a dozen different fish or meats in it....... that can also have a dramatic effect on the odor of the finished product.......  depending on how and what it's made from it can have very little to an amazingly strong .... uh ...." presence ".

  Leah , I have not  attempted to make any yet but one day most likely will.I have never made anything that was fermented and I dont yet have a good understanding of the process........ I hope yours works out well !

Well, I need to find a source for Kim Chi I guess. I'm sure I'd be the only one who'd eat it around here. I wonder what it's specific qualities are medicinal for a sore throat.

Gwen Lynn wrote:
Well, I need to find a source for Kim Chi I guess. I'm sure I'd be the only one who'd eat it around here. I wonder what it's specific qualities are medicinal for a sore throat.

As far as what I have locally for store bought Kim Chi , the Kings Kim Chi tastes the best to my taste buds..... This is a veggie type with the following ingredients : Napa Cabbage , Garlic , Green Onion , Hot Peppers , Sugar , Salt , Paprika and Ginger...... A 2 OZ serving contains 15 calories.

I fully admit that the store bought stuff is not as good homemade but I have yet to try my hand at making Kim Chi so the store bought will have to do for now.

http://www.kingsasian.com

With respect to why it seems to help a sore throat ...... I will offer a " GUESS " as I am not a doctor or scientist. The Hot Peppers contain capsaicin which is a natural pain relivier , Garlic & Ginger and the vinegar  contain antimicrobial , antibiotic , and antifungal properties that are applied directly to the throat area....... what properties the fermentation adds to this I do not know .... but I'm sure there is some benefit...... but somehow the combination seems to work for myself and others that have tried it,........ others results may vary.

Well, thanks! That was a handy link to find out where to buy & I will try it. I like spicy food & will keep you posted. 

AL is spot on, it definitely has some strong properties to help ward off infections...

Well, I am also not a doctor (for what ever thats worth...) but I am a Therapeutic Chef and I specialize in immune system disorders and Lacto-fermentation (ie Kim Chi, sauerkraut, etc...) And I can tell you definitively that what you've found intuitively is likely the best and strongest treatment for immune system offenses (ie, infections).

The benifits of the naturally lacto-Fermented Kim chi (not the store bought stuff) are many (I'll only share a few). Directly, the liquid from the kim chi in your tonic contains high amounts of Lactic acid, coupled with the Acetic acid and malic acid in the apple cider vinegar promote the natural balance of slight acidic environment on your mucus membranes. These acids help to break up excess mucus and directly kill some microbes and produce an uninhabitable environment for them. Coupled with the high concentrations of naturally occuring probiotics (beneficial microbes) in the Kim chi and apple cider vinegar (assuming its unpasturized/unfiltered) they work to establish colonies which crowd out and even directly attack other harmful pathogens.

So basically you are doing everything right, helping to reduce internal inflammatory responses of the immune system (sore throat) while addressing the external immune environment. I would also just add another few courses of treatment, Continue to eat nourishing simple foods like soups, stews, veggies, fresh veggie juices. And also practice a high level of hygiene in your other areas of focal infections (eyes, ears, nose and mouth), by preforming daily washes and protection of these areas (if practiced at the first sight of symptoms, or daily even when not sick, will drasticly lessen infection and symptom time). Here are some tips:
-Dilute sea salt and a few drops of Apple cider vinegar in a small bowl with a few ounces of clean warm water and use it to lightly rub you eyes, snort up your nose and q-tip out your ears.
-A few drops of Hydrogen Peroxide (Drug store, super market, etc...super cheap) in each ear daily until the fizzing stops, can clear up ear and nasal infections and prevent colds/flus.
-Make and eat your own Sauerkraut on a daily basis (super cheap, the best health food) especially when you are ill. (My theory is that the bugs that you have are transmitted to the kraut you make and the probiotics produce the antibodies and sufficient numbers to fight your infection...can you say external immune system, this is really high-tech health science!)
-Learn to use essential oils for your health (they are the strongest antimicrobial agents and the most cellular regenerating compounds). Try "Four Thieves" oil blend and rub in your nose, and ears (small amounts) and on your lymphatic areas of your body (under your jaw to lower ear down the front of your neck to your base of the collar bone, under your arms, breasts, etc...)

Hope this Helps...Kraut for Life!

Homegrown Evolution just covered a kimchi event in their area, and they included some recipes:

http://www.homegrownevolution.com/2009/10/kimchi-secrets-reveled.html

Bluejay ,

Wow... thanks for the explanation ..... At least we have a better idea of why the cocktail works.......

Not to change the subject but I suffer from arthritis in my neck as a result of an old injury...... For years I just lived with it but I found something that helps me..... Cod Liver Oil..... The propaganda says that it has large amounts of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and that they help support your bodies own anti inflammatory defenses. I can honestly say that I A/B tested using and then not using the CLO and found that for me it does indeed help.
Do you have any thoughts on the subject of inflammation and how to combat it ?

Polyparadigm ,

Thanks for the link...... I really do need to try my hand at making KimChi and maybe even Sourkrat.

AL wrote:Do you have any thoughts on the subject of inflammation and how to combat it?

My basic thought is, "Everything is connected."

Reducing your stress level, getting more exercise, and sleeping better all help your system not to overreact to irritants.

NSAIDS can be quite helpful.  Say, Ibuprofin or willowbark tea.  For chronic inflammation, regular low doses are better than allowing the inflammation to cause pain and then responding with a high dose...a grain of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Take care of your stomach lining, though.

I've heard very good things about capsaicin and arthritis.  There are topical creams availalbe.  They seem to cause your system to take inflammation-promoting signals less seriously.

There are lots of other ways to tip the balance of fats in favor of omega-3 and away from omega-6.  Walnuts, flax seed, purslane, pond scum (I've seen people take this from a jar as a dietary supplement; looked & smelled nasty, but that's just my opinion), more leafy greens and fewer grains, switching your laying hens from corn to millet and upping the ratio of forage to grain...cod liver oil is a very good shortcut, though.

One small change: if you drink coffee, consider using a paper filter.  I think the Swedish "egg drop" method of coffee brewing would have a similar benefit, but the only epidemiology I've seen was to compare drip coffee, on the one hand, with French press, espresso, and percolator on the other.  The notion is that the oils in coffee are bad for your circulatory system, viz. inflammation.  Paper absorbs these and is removed, but metal doesn't, or only removes oils from the first cup after a thorough scrubbing.

Wow, great info all around. I'm sold on the kim chi and fermented foods in general these days.

I second polyparadigm's comments about inflammation and omega oils. I didn't know about the oils in coffee though - that's interesting!

AL, for more info on combating inflammation, including possible food connections, see the krill oil thread started by Leah.

Ihad no idea about the coffee either. I have always used a paper filter just because that is the only kind of brewing machine I have. I would hate to give up my coffee! it is showing that it has some health benefits despite the attempts to villify it over the years. I wonder if those benefits are affected somewhat by the way it is brewed? I know that it appears that it significantly reduces the risk of parkinsons and diabetes.

Polyparadigm,

I think you are right.... it's all sort of connected. Changing my diet has had a dramatic effect on my well being for the past 6 years or so.... but thats a long story....

As far as the Cod Liver Oil goes I have been using the Carlson Labs product..... this is nothing like the stuff from decades ago that smelled bad and tasted worse..... Carlson's is very clean and has no fish odor or taste .... I used the Lemon flavored product.... but even the lemon taste is faint.

I A/B tested this product by using it and monitoring the result then stopped using it and monitored the result....... without question in "my" case the results have been very positive.I have had a much greater range of motion , that " snap crackle and pop " noise in my neck all but disappeared and the pain is nearly gone...... The product is not inexpensive but for me it works and it's been worth it..... I will say that since this is indeed a fat if anyone has any health issues concerning consumption of fats ( diabetes , colestrol ect ect ) one might do a fair amount of research prior to using this product.

http://www.carlsonlabs.com

Thanks Jocelyn , I have heard about Krill Oil but I haven't had the time to research the Krill Oil as much as I would like to..... I will look into this subject more tho. Thank you for the link !

As far as coffee goes I one of those 1 % people of the world who cannot drink coffee......3 times in my life I have tried coffee.... twice it hit my stomach and did an about face and came right back up..... the third time it almost did the same..... so I just obey my gut as it appears that coffee and me just agree to disagree ......... I know I'm weird when it comes to coffee ! heheheheh

I can attest to the difference krill oil makes but I can't compare it to CLO as I have little experience with it. I'm a believer in general in fish oils.

I actually have some pak choi that has so far...knock on wood....escaped destruction in my garden! I can't wait to make my own kimchi.......now just to pursuade my SIL to visit from washington so I can make sure I do it right  . I think my mom prudently wrote down the recipe as her best guess while we observed, so hopefully I can get close without her standing over my shoulder! (SIL uses no measurments, just her eye)

I might make some from store bought first so that if I totally screw it up I won't have wasted my 'special' cabbage!

What is the difference between bok choi and pak choi?

Gwen Lynn wrote:
What is the difference between bok choi and pak choi?

Different romanization system used to render the same words.  Not sure if bok choy is Wade-Giles and pak choi is Pinyin, or what...

Even just spelling out the sounds of English in the Roman alphabet isn't a straightforward task.  I can't imagine having the guts to write a system that purports to do so for Mandarin!