Sunday, November 13, 2016

how to cook chinese herbal decoction

The Kind of Container


The best container is ceramic. Glass is okay.
Materials to avoid include cast iron or metals. Chinese herbs can interact with these metals casing chemical reactions that can alter the therapeutic qualities of your herbs, or worse yet, have an unhealthy effect on whoever drinks the tea. 
Stainless steel is better than the other metals. Teflon coatings are not as good as ceramic coatings.
 It is important that your teapot has a lid. 

Cooking


step 1: Empty one bag of herbs into a saucepan and add 1.5 pints of cold tap water.

step 2:  Allow herbs to soak for 20 minutes(do not wash it)


step 3:  Bring water to a rolling boil.Cover the saucepan and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. 

step 4   Check occasionally until the liquid remains approximately 1 pint.



step 5     Pour the liquid into two even glasses.



drinking


Drink one glass in the evening while it is still warm and keep the other glass for the next morning.

Next morning, warm the other glass of decoction and drink it.

Generally, as a rule, it is best to take your herb tea one hour before eating, on an empty stomach. This provides the best absorption of the ingredients of the herbs.

Formulas treating ailments below the diaphragm are best taken one hour before eating. 
Formulas treating ailments above the diaphragm are best taken one hour after eating. 

Shen calming formulas (for insomnia) are best taken two hours before sleeping.
If the herbs cause a little stomach upset,
drink the herb tea one hour after eating, or

drink some fresh ginger juice before taking the formula, or
eat some fresh ginger before the formula.

Drinking the tea with some honey is sometimes acceptable.


note:

After taking the herbal tea, do not drink cold water and eat cold food, rest in bed to keep the energy for recovery.


This article should be secondary to the advice of your Chinese medicine herbalist. He or she can likely answer your questions better than a page on the web since each patient has different needs.