Blog | Marian Buck Murray

Clear Congestion with the Mighty Daikon

January 4, 2011 by Marian Buck-Murray 2 Comments

I caught a little cold over the holidays. Alas, all the holiday fare knocked out my immunity. (I tend to be a slight bit more sensitive than the average soul) My trusty friend Ume (umeboshi plum) helped me enormously, but I was left with considerable congestion.

Luckily, I had recently bought an enormous daikon radish at a Chinese Market near my home. Although I love daikon radish, I don’t use it very often. Daikon is smelly. As soon as you cut into it, shred it, or cook it, it releases its sulfur-like aroma. No one in my family likes the smell. So, I don’t use it often.

However, Daikon is FABULOUS for clearing out sinuses. (It’s a also a good digestive.) In Chinese Medicine, pungent vegetables such as daikon, garlic, horseradish, and onion are used to break up and dissolve phlegm. Grapefruit and orange rind are also very effective.

Here’s a quick recipe for Daikon Clearing Tea. It works! I drank the tea, ate the shredded radish, and my congestion cleared away within no time.

Daikon Clearing Tea

½ daikon radish, shredded

3-4 cups filtered water

Zest of ½ – 1 lemon

Dash of soy sauce to taste.

1. Put shredded daikon radish, lemon peel, and water into a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

2. Pour tea through a strainer into a glass or mug. Add soy sauce to taste.

3. Leave any remaining tea/daikon mixture on stove for later use.

4. Eat remaining cooked daikon radish.

Enjoy this beautiful New Year.

I’d love to hear from you. Leave your questions or comments below. And, always feel free to share this information with friends and family.

My friend Ume (u-mee)

December 15, 2010 by Marian Buck-Murray 1 Comment

Umeboshi plum paste, kudzu root and ginger make the ultimate winter power remedy.

It’s that time again. Ume (U-mee) time. Parties, cold weather, and seasonal change all weaken immunity. That’s why, when I wake up in the morning with the unmistakable signs of a cold, I immediately go for ume. I always have a stash in my cupboard.

Ume, short for Umeboshi Plum Paste, is my all-powerful weapon against colds, fatigue, and holiday over-doing.

Just a few years ago, when my immunity was completely shot from years of illness, I got colds ALL THE TIME. My husband always joked that I’m the sickest healthiest person he knows. Or was it the healthiest sick person. Anyway, not a compliment I like.

And then, I discovered my friend Ume. The remedy I have for you is a totally amazing funk-zapper. I honestly cannot count the number of times it has saved me. In fact, it is verboten in my house to EVER run out of the ingredients.

Umeboshi Plum Paste is made from fermented umeboshi plums. It is very sour , very salty. For centuries, it has been used medicinally in Japan. During the Samurai period, it was a soldier’s most cherished field ration.

Each ingredient in the Ume-Kudzu remedy has its own power. Antibacterial and alkalizing, umeboshi is the perfect system purifier and disinfectant. Powdered kudzu root is also very alkalizing, and soothes digestion. The ginger is warming, stimulates digestion and circulation, and promotes systemic cleansing. The soy sauce brings the flavors together.

And, if by chance, you do run out of kudzu, ginger, and soy, you can always do a dab of Ume. Just a teaspoon or so will help re-alkalize your system after too much of anything.

Ume-Kudzu

Good for relieving, overindulgence of sweets, acid indigestion, colds, diarrhea, headache, stomach pains, fever.

1 ¼ cups water
1 teaspoon umeboshi paste
1 ½ tablespoons kudzu powder (thickens like cornstarch)
1 tsp. soy sauce
Juice from 1 tablespoon grated ginger

Combine 1 cup water and umeboshi in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Dissolve kudzu in remaining ¼ cup cold water. Add to saucepan and stir constantly while returning to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir in soy sauce and ginger. Simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly. Allow to cool to body temperature. Sip throughout the day.

Marian

Have a question about healing remedies? Ask me in the comments below.

Authentic You

November 22, 2010 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

Seaweed will help you clear away the debris that's hiding the authentic you.

I went to Marie Forleo’s RHH Live a couple weekends ago – an event designed for female entrepreneurs. It was a blast!

The event’s major theme — the more AUTHENTIC you are, the happier and more successful you will be.

The weekend’s speakers included Marie, fiance Josh Pais, Danielle LaPorte, Kris Carr, Laura Roeder, Brian Franklin and Todd Herman. In addition to sharing their business expertise, each and everyone of them expressed the same message –

Be Who You Are.

This was not just woo-woo talk. Each of the speakers is extremely successful – financially, that is — even in “this” economy. And, they all appeared to be spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy as well.

Very inspiring – and hopeful — for all of us.

Which brings me to my point. You may wonder what a weekend packed with female entrepreneurs has any thing to do with healing foods. (Or, of course, maybe it’s obvious.)

For starters, all snacks and beverages served were junk-free. No sugary Danish or coffee. We were treated to organic fruit, nuts, coconut water, and herbal tea all weekend long. Alkalizing, mineral-rich foods. Crucial for vibrant energy and clear focus.

We needed it. In addition to listening, learning, and discussing, we danced – a lot. (Marie had a “wheel of dance” that she spun throughout the weekend.)

Strong, energized focus is what helps us navigate the quirky, sometimes treacherous bumps along the road. Clean, fresh, organic food is the fuel that sustains us. Dark leafy greens and sea veggies are among the most energizing, alkalizing, cleansing foods you’ll find. They help to clear out the built-up toxins which cloud your body, mind and soul.

So eat green and clear out some of the debris that’s covering up the real, authentic you.

Be clearly who you are.

We need you here.

Do you have a favorite energy cleansing food? Tell me about it below.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Golden Elixir

October 26, 2010 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

golden elixir

Vegetable stock. When I’m out of stock, I’m out of sorts. I use it for nearly EVERYTHING. A slight exaggeration, yes. But only slight.

My husband says that people at work comment that his food always smells so good.

It’s the stock.

A good vegetable stock does take time and effort. But please believe me — it’s worth every second you spend making it. And, if you make a large batch, you’ll have enough to last you a month or so.

In Fall and Winter, I fortify my stock by adding strengthening herbs and veggies – including Astragalus root, burdock, and gogi berries. It’s like a magical healing potion when used in a miso soup.

And, believe it or not, when you drink a glass of this potent elixir, you might just conquer your sugar cravings and bust your fatigue. All this, and so delicious.

Following is the recipe I use. Sometimes I can’t find all the ingredients. Sometimes I am lazy and I only use some of the ingredients. It doesn’t really matter. Just find a combination that works for you. Keep in mind that cruciferous and soft veggies don’t work well.

Use Organic veggies for your stock – it will taste better, and be better for you. ENJOY!

Energizing Vegetable Stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
6 onions, coarsely chopped, skin and all
8 medium-large carrots coarsely chopped
2-3 leeks, washed & coarsely chopped
1 head celery, coarsely chopped
2 turnips, coarsely chopped
2 parsnips, coarsely chopped
1 bulb celeriac (celery root) peeled & chopped (optional)
½ bunch parsley, washed and chopped
10 black peppercorns
2 strips Kombu seaweed
2 sprigs thyme
1-2 gallons spring water, or to cover

In a large stock pot, heat oil. Add onions, leeks and celery. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until vegetables have softened.
Add remaining vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 more minutes.
Add water, herbs and kombu. Bring to a boil and skim off foam.
Simmer, partially covered for 1 – 1 ½ hours. Let cool slightly and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Pour and store in quart-sized containers. Freeze most of it, refrigerating only what you will use in the next week. When freezing, be sure to leave a couple of inches of room in jar for expansion.

Questions or comments? Post your comments below.

Quinoa Power

October 7, 2010 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

Quinoa -- You'll love this ancient power seed. — Quinoa — You’ll love this ancient power seed.

I’ve been eating a lot of quinoa lately. It started when I cooked up a couple of extra batches for a gluten-free bean burger recipe I was testing for a client. I had plenty of leftovers to play with. So, I did.

I love quinoa. It’s so easy. The cooking method is similar to brown rice, but much quicker. I cook it in home-made vegetable stock instead of water. Delicious. Then, I use it pilaf-style, stir-fry style, or plain as a side dish.

My new favorite breakfast is quinoa, eggs, and kimchi. ( I’ll write about kimchi another time. )

Besides delighting my taste buds, Quinoa fuels my energy. It’s slightly alkaline – which means it’s not an energy drag. It’s easy to digest, and it promotes balanced blood sugar. And, it is considered to be a complete protein. So, it’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans.

A tiny little grain (actually a seed) – with so much to give. Ancient Incans considered it as valuable as gold. They used to increase the strength and stamina of their warriors.

So, you may ask, how do I make it? It’s easy, but there’s a trick to avoid the bitter flavor it can have. Here’s a basic recipe.

BASIC EASY QUINOA

1½ cups quinoa, rinsed with boiling water, drained in a fine mesh sieve
2 cups water or vegetable stock
Pinch of salt

1. Rinse the quinoa in boiling water. This will help remove the bitter outer-coating.

2. In a heavy-bottomed stock pot, bring water or vegetable stock to a boil.

3. Add quinoa. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer.

4. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork.

If you want my recipe for quinoa pilaf, email me at marian@goodfoodsolutions.com for a free recipe.

And, share this with anyone you think might want to try quinoa.

Questions about quinoa? Do you have a favorite quinoa recipe? Let me know. Post your comments below.