Umeboshi Plum It Up – Taste In Music Magazine 2013
So you had a big night? Music, food and a few glasses of great wine. How do you feel the next morning? Be honest! What happens is that rich foods and alcohol disturb your digestive system, resulting in sluggishness the day after — and the older we get, the harder it is to recover. Hydration is, of course, essential. Water is great, but so is organic carrot juice (for the liver), miso soup, or a green smoothie.
When you’re drinking alcohol I recommend drinking a couple of cups of water to every cup of alcohol. Also, the negative effects of the alcohol will be lessened if you drink high alkaline water; it hydrates better and counteracts the acid in the alcohol. Nature has provided a wonderful, safe remedy for hangovers, sugar blues, food poisoning, constipation and the common cold. The name of this mysterious cure-all is the Umeboshi plum.
Head in a vice? Stomach akimbo? Just feeling like crap?
Umeboshi are Japanese plums pickled in sea salt and shiso (beefsteak plant) with a sour-salty, fruity taste. They have traditionally been used to treat a wide array of ailments, from stomach aches to migraine headaches, but one Umeboshi plum is also known to cure a hangover. Umeboshi plums contain citric acid, which neutralises lactic acid and creates a more alkaline environment throughout the digestive tract. Umeboshi plum is also excellent mixed in with brown rice as morning porridge, used to spread on a corncob, mixed into homemade dips or sauces or as below.
The following is a macrobiotic remedy I’ve used for years that works beautifully. It’s not just for hangovers; it can be used for stomach upsets, headaches, travel sickness and general malaise, such as low energy. This remedy strengthens digestion, increases vitality, and relieves the general fatigue. Try this the morning after you’ve had too much to drink! The ingredients can be found at most health food stores, often in the macrobiotic section.
- Dissolve a heaping teaspoon of Kuzu (also known as kudzu) powder in 2 teaspoons water and add to 1 cup cold water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to the simmering point, and stir constantly, until the liquid becomes transparent gelatin.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce (shoyu), simmer a couple of minutes and add the meat of 1/2-1 umeboshi plum.
- Drink while hot, and eat the plum.
Like most things, the answer to your mood today is the life you lived yesterday. So be aware of what you are eating and drinking and remember that tomorrow is another day to enjoy life. Next time I’ll share with you another nutritious remedy — my famous Traditional Miso Soup. If you have any questions about using wholefoods as medicines, please drop me a line and I hope to answer you in TIM soon.
