The Legendary Uncle CC

I mentioned in an earlier posting that Miang's Uncle CC was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, 3 years ago. He is still going strong after two courses of chemotherapy, with targeted monoclonal antibody drugs included, and some additional healthy activities, including a raw vegetable mix taken each morning. Several people have asked me about Uncle CC's recipe.

First, about Uncle CC Low himself. CC stands for Chang Chow. He lives in Singapore with his wife June, who is Miang's Dad's sister. He was an Editor of a Singaporean National Chinese Newspaper and is very well versed in Chinese history and culture. He ran a publishing business translating Chinese legends into English picture books.

Every day he practices Qigong in the local park. Last July Miang and I stayed with CC and June for a few days and learned about the juice and exercise regime. The raw potato aspect is a Japanese invention. I tried the recipe each day and joined CC for Qigong in the park.

CC's philosophy is to use the best that scientific medicine has offer but to supplement that with traditional Chinese medicine and other rational food and lifestyle remedies. For me, living in New Zealand, access to Chinese medicine is problematic, but I did try some for a week when I was in Singapore. I have taken up the vegetable mix as the preferred CC supplementary treatment. My idea is to be pro-active, contributing something myself, in addition to the scientific medical treatment. The test is that my contribution must not conflict with that treatment (as some herbal "remedies" risk doing), and that it must be independently benign and healthy.

So, in addition to Qigong and TaiChi classes which Miang and I attend each week, supplemented by TaiChi exercises each morning at the top of the Khandallah reservoir, we start with the following recipe on an empty stomach,

Into the blender goes

1 Tomato
1/3 diced telegraph cucumber
1/2 diced green apple (Granny Smith) or any apple that takes your fancy
1/2 diced stick of celery
1 medium sized peeled raw carrot diced or 1/2 large peeled carrot, diced
1 peeled raw potato, reasonably sized, say ~ 8 cm long, diced

(the order is important so that the most fluid elements go first, else the blender jams up)

Pour, scrape into large mug.

Mix in 1/2 teaspoonful of freeze dried Barley Green, sometimes called "Barley Life"

To find "Barley Life", go to the web. It is sold all over the world. The NZ distributor can be found at
http://www.natural4life.com/aim-new-zealand.html
I use the product on the left (juice powder of young barley plants with with brown rice and kelp). I haven't a clue what it does but Uncle CC says it should be included and that's enough for me.