Collagen and Korean Ginseng

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Well, those who have enough money to take proper care of their skin, of course.

Face it, we all feel like punching our mirrors from time to time. Or, even worse, attempt to claw out our flaws. It has happened to Jello too many times… *shakes head sadly*

In my obsession, I have found the secret behind both health and beauty – collagen! That and vitamins, minerals, water and anti-oxidants.

For those of you who didn’t know what collagen is before reading this, collagen is a protein that makes up most of the connective tissues that keeps our skin (among other things) youthful, elastic and plump. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

There are three types of collagen. There is that which is found in plants – our bodies absorb these best when it is liquidized. Collagen in animals, particularly that of deer, are much more easily absorbed due to the similarities between human and animal tissue. Then there is your human collagen. Now, to avoid starting a massacre, there are foods and creams and cosmetic treatments available to improve your body’s own collagen produce!

Sica will tell you about kelp – a plant originating from the sea that is proven to have an anti-aging effect. For my version, I’ll advertise ginseng! Yes, I love Asian stuff – if you haven’t noticed yet. xD

Ginseng in it’s superior form is seven year old Korean (Panax) Red Ginseng. The red hue is caused by the fermentation process that is a natural preserving technique or art used with a variety of Asian foods such as kimchi, natto, soy sauce and yogurt. There are many different types of fermentation, but as far as I’m concerned – fermented foods are very healthy. If anyone knows why, please share your knowledge with us! (:

Ginseng is a root thing that looks like a miniature, slightly deformed, human body. Freaky? Pretty much! Delicious? When prepared correctly, yes!

However, I haven’t quite covered the collagen subject yet, so back to that. Collagen is made out of amino acids (proteins) combined with vitamin C. The dominant proteins are proline and lysine that, with the help of vitamin C, are converted to hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine.

We all know citrus foods are packed with vitamin C, but there is something even more delicious and more nutritious. It is called goji (wolfberry) berries! I had a packet a while back. Goji berries are normally consumed in the form of tea, but it’s fun to eat the berries just like that – dried and tasting like weird, red, pumpkinseed-carrots. It contains 100 times more vitamin C than oranges in weight.

Besides that and protein, you might want to include some omega fatty acids and anti-oxidants too. Foods recommended for this is salmon (or any fish, because salmon is a luxury), nuts, avocado, fruits, peppers, eggs (preferably boiled and not fried), berries, and foods containing anti-inflammatory agents. Remember that 8 glasses of water and green or traditional Chinese herbal tea!

All is good and well, but where does ginseng fit into the picture?

Have you ever noticed how absolutely gorgeous K-Pop idols’ skin is? It’s so unfair, right? Their secret is revealed! They eat kimchi and ginseng (both are fermented, by the way). Ginseng is especially good for people like me with bad circulation/blood-flow that causes icy fingers, toes and noses. It also prevents and fights against common illnesses such as the flu, cold and, surprisingly, cancer. It’s a great energy booster, so be sure not to eat or drink it right before bedtime. However, the best of it all is the scientifically proven fact that it rejuvenates the skin, speeds up the healing process, and prevents and banishes wrinkles and fine lines! It thickens your skin by improving your body’s own collagen produce. In high concentration ointments, it also reduces cellulite.

Who can use it? Anyone who is not an infant, people who have too much energy, people who are allergic, and pregnant and breast-feeding women. It is recommended for people over the age of 30 as it reduces the signs of aging effectively (not over night, but you do notice before and after results).

The most well-known dish in Korea that contains ginseng, I suppose, is ginseng chicken soup, also called samgaetang.

Here are a few links to recipes containing ginseng. I’ll be buying my own batch soon and I really want to try these out! I’ll tell you guys what I think of them (and whether or not my mother banned me from the kitchen forever because I only made an unforgiveable mess). If you have recipes, tips, and other things to add, please let me know in the comment section!

Recipe for Ginseng Chicken Soup: http://koreanfood.about.com/od/soupsandstews/r/Korean-Stuffed-Chicken-Soup-With-Ginseng-Sam-Gae-Tang-Recipe.html

I also found a Facebook Page that hosts more recipes: http://m.facebook.com/profile.php?fc=0&id=168336329865264&_rdr

I hope you found my post informative and enjoyable. Please comment and keep in touch! (:

xoxo

Jello

Edit: I bought Korean Ginseng tea today (15 Sept. 2012) and it tastes pretty good without sugar. It has a bitter, earthy taste and smell, but it gives you a slight glow right away. Even my sinuses have been slightly unclogged (I never noticed this with other tea, so it can’t be the hot water). It’s not as potent as I would have liked, but since you don’t soak a bag in a cup of hot water (the tea is in soluble granule form, packed in measured sachets) and I can’t reuse it, I’m going to go sparingly about it. I decided on drinking a cup every day, along with a cup of Rooibos tea or Korean Green tea and my 1.5 liter water. Oh, yeah. Before I forget, you won’t find heaven grade red Ginseng. Those are incredulously expensive, but I promise the lower graded ginseng is just as good. It still helps with all the above mentioned conditions. Just make sure it originates from Korea and not from anywhere else (Korean soil is extremely nutritious in comparison to other countries').