This recipe contains Goji Berries 'Gou Qi Zi' and Mulberries 'Sang Shen Zi', which both strengthen the body's resources of yin and blood, leading to better health (including hair, eyes, skin). Dark Chocolate also has many health benefits, including decreasing pain and elevating the mood.
Burdock root can be used to clean and detoxify the cells and tissues of the body. It is a great food to promote gentle cleaning from every day toxins. In particular, it is cooling and cleansing for the liver and for the skin.
Mung Beans clear and prevent 'summerheat' or sunstroke, for any of the following symptoms: aversion to heat, headache, thrist, dry lips, sweating, skin break-outs, scanty-dark urination and rapid pulse. Mung beans also are a good antidote to reduce food or drug poisoning and therefore can be used to detoxify the body.
In terms of Western pharmacology, mung beans possess antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, detoxicant and antimicrobial actions.
Mung Bean Dessert - Serves 10
The slightly toxic Brucea Fruit/Seed (Ya Dan Zi 苦參子) seed can be used externally to treat a variety of warts and corns.
For one application, take 5-8 seeds and carefully remove the black seed coating. This can be done with a mortar & pestle - just be careful not to crack the seed with too much force or the inner medicine will become smashed intermingling with the black seed coat.
Once you have obtained enough of only the white inner portion, mash for a few minutes to forms a paste. If you are using particularly oily seeds, the mixture may seem slightly sticky and ready to apply to the skin. If the paste seems a little dry, mix in a few drops of sesame oil.
In the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the United States government defined cosmetics as products for cleaning, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering appearance. They were not defined by their ingredients, but rather what they were designed to do.
Unlike drugs, cosmetics are largely unregulated. They are not required to be tested by the FDA or by any other governmental entity before they are released on the market. In other words, they are tested on consumers when we buy the product. The following is a brief discussion of five common harmful cosmetic ingredients.
