cooking water effects

[upekkha793]

Hello everyone

I found out that my body responds strongly (positively) to drinking the water that I have cooked barley in (of course for this I have to add more water than I normally would). Sometimes I do this just to get the water, and regard the barley grain itself as drained of its energy after the cooking and dont use it.

Now I wanted to ask if anybody has experience with using this same technique on other food. I assume that it can be done on other grains, and naturally, vegetables, where it is maybe more common.
Today I have in front of me water that stayed over from cooking chick peas, and I don't know if I can drink it or not! Any tips?
If you have heard of, or used this kind of water or something similar in general or for any specific conditions I'd be very interested to hear about it, because I seem to respond very well to it.

[Klara]

upekkha793,

I LOVE the liquid from cooked chickpeas. I'm not sure what you mean that you respond positively from it - I certainly would be careful of concentrating only on liquids - I believe the beans or grains would still have alot of good value for you. I would also make wonderful soups with whatever you wish, the barley, or the chickpeas.

I know both black soybeans and adzuki beans are made into teas and used as remedies. The instructions for the teas as found in Michio Kushi and Alex Jack's The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health are as follows:

1 cup bean to 4 cups water (adzuki beans are recommended to soak 4 hours or overnight, with the kombu)

2 inch strip of kombu, soaked and finely chopped

bring to a boil, then simmer

adzuki beans - covered 20-30 minutes
black soybeans - simmered 30 - 45 minutes (didn't mention being covered)

Strain and drink while hot - beans can continue to cook til soft

Adzuki bean tea is for bone and joint disorders, hives, kidney cancer and other kidney problems

Black soybean tea is for bone and joint disorders, bronchitis, diarrhea, kidney and bladder problems, and generally to relax "


It's strange, as I remember being told that black soybeans are good for women's problems, tho that's not mentioned there.

But the relaxing part, well, who doesn't need that????!!!!!

I personally think most warm liquids would help with relaxing - that's just my guess.

btw, so much is in a name - call it tea and it sounds more substantial than cooking water. Ages ago, in the 60's, my first "health" book was Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss, and I was impressed then how he highly recommend oatmeal water to give to people who are weak or ill - and that has stayed with me.

also rice milk (sounds better than water from making rice, no??) is also recommended in the mb world for those who are very illl or have difficulties eating or digesting.

Again, these are remedies - I hope you are well.

Klara

Originally Posted by upekkha793

Hello everyone

I found out that my body responds strongly (positively) to drinking the water that I have cooked barley in (of course for this I have to add more water than I normally would). Sometimes I do this just to get the water, and regard the barley grain itself as drained of its energy after the cooking and dont use it.

Now I wanted to ask if anybody has experience with using this same technique on other food. I assume that it can be done on other grains, and naturally, vegetables, where it is maybe more common.
Today I have in front of me water that stayed over from cooking chick peas, and I don't know if I can drink it or not! Any tips?
If you have heard of, or used this kind of water or something similar in general or for any specific conditions I'd be very interested to hear about it, because I seem to respond very well to it.

[upekkha793]

Klara

Thank you very much for your exhaustive answer and recipes. I am going to prepare the beans for the tea right away.

2 things about this cooking water. (1), I think the reason I respond well to it is precisely what you mentioned: weak digestion. A friend of mine who practices Chinese Medicine told me that I have very low energy levels, and that I lack important kidney energy. The consequence is that the digestion doesnt get supplied with enough energy, and it can happen that it just - doesn't extract from the food what it's supposed to extract from it. So a lot of what I eat, good as it may be, cannot benefit me because I never even get to eating it with my stomach/ small intestine, just with my mouth! Raw foods is the best example for something that doesnt give me any energy at all.
And (2), the effects I have from drinking "barley water" are warmth, in varying parts of the body (else, i often feel cold), tingling sensations (positive), and because of these generally a feeling of increased activation and "enlivening" of the body.

Kind regards
Upekkha793