Cooking for someone post-operatively is always a challenge, but especially so when they've had major abdominal surgery affecting the stomach and/or the bowel.
The last weeks I have found myself unexpectedly assisting an older American woman who lives here alone in Chiang Mai. What started out for her as a tummy ache, constipation and bloating rapidly escalated to a strangulated bowel with serious infection requiring life saving emergency surgery & the removal of several feet of her bowel . Her very, very limited finances meant she ended up in the local Thai public hospital in a special ward for displaced and poor people, and in that part of the hopsital very few people speak or understand English. Which is how I got involved in helping her, since I speak fluent Thai and the hospital is only 10 mins from our home here in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai. You can read more about that story here: Do YOU Have A Plan B If The Balancing Act Fails?.
But FFWD and she was discharged from hospital and back to her little house on the fringes of Chiang Mai with her cat. But she's too weak to cook for herself and not able to eat locally made spicy or stir fried foods; she's lost a considerabe amount of weight not eating at all for almost 7 days.
Since her home is only a 5 minute detour from my x 2 daily school run, I have been popping in to make sure she has food and is managing ok. And thus I started to cook for her, since her one banana a day wasn't adequate and the yoghurt someone bought her was seriously upsetting her stomach.
So what to cook for her??
My go-to recovery & high protein gut health food is Jobs Tears.
Jobs Tears are not a grain, per se, but the seeds of a tropical grass. Coix seeds to be exact - botanically Coix lacryma-jobi. They grow easily in South East Asia and require very little water to grow. Known as yì rén (薏仁) or yì mǐ (薏米), they are a Chinese medicine TCM staple and thrive in the more arid mountains of southern China. Originating in India, Jobs Tears are now commonly also grown in Japan, the Philippines, Burma and Northern Thailand. Jobs Tears are a gluten free seed and making quite a foodie comeback, often touted in expensive western health food establishments as an ancient grain.
Image credit: https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com
Jobs Tears are very similar to barley in look, taste and texture, but not the same. Some people do refer to is as asian barley. The seeds are distinctly plump and round, whereas a barley grain is definitely pointy on both ends.
So what's the big deal about Jobs Tears?
Allergies. Traditionally Job’s Tears are used to deal with allergies, including topical formulations for contact dermatitis. Research published within the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” in June 2003 discovered that extracts from the plant also suppressed allergy symptoms in laboratory mice and increased their immune systems. Source
Gut Protection. A June 2011 study within the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” discovered that Job’s Tears seeds inhibited gastric cancer cells in vitro and were also capable to reduce stomach ulcers in mice. Source.
High Protein. Jobs Tears are a brilliant alternative to grains, not only since they are filling and calming for gut inflammation, but becasue they are packed with protein.
One serving (50 g or 1/3 cup of uncooked Job’s Tears) has 190 calories, 33 g of carbohydrate, 7.5 g of protein, 5.7 g of fiber. Compared to long-grain white rice (which has 205 calories, 45 g of carbohydrate, 4 g of protein, 1 g of fiber), Job’s Tears is notably lower in sugar, higher in protein, higher in fiber, and higher in micronutrients; especially iron, copper and manganese. The higher protein levels may increase satiety, which means you will feel full for longer. Source
Bone health. A study published in 2008 in the “Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition” discovered that Job’s Tears improved osteoporosis biomarkers in the blood of the mice when compared with a control group. Source
Hormone Balance. Jobs Tears have been found to help regulate the body's levels of progesterone and testosterone. The December 2000 issue of the “Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,” reported that painful menstrual symptoms were decreased 90% by refular consumption of Jobs Tears compared to a control group treated with prescription drugs. Source.
Cancer Treatment.
A number of research teams in China have analyzed the effects of Job’s Tears on cancers of the colon, pancreas, lung, liver, breast as well as leukemia, along with promising results. One research, published within the “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” in September 2008, found extracts of Job’s Tears considerably inhibited fatty acid synthase activity within the liver. This is very important simply because human cancer cells consist of higher levels of fatty-acid synthase, an element associated with intense tumor cell growth. Source.
Did I mention Jobs Tears are absurdly cheap?
So how do I prepare them? In this coming week I'm going to do another recipe post about my way of making a hearty & filling tasty Asian salad based on Jobs Tears. But for my sick friend, I made a simple, nourishing soup.
I used my slow cooker overnight. 1 cup of rinsed Jobs Tears, a few leftover bits of veggies (tomato, carrot, celery & celery greens), a small chopped onion and some garlic. Salt & fresh cracked pepper and a teaspoon of dried thyme. Fill it up with water and go to bed. 😊
It was fragrant, thick & ready when I got up and still warm when I dropped it off at 8.30am to my sick friend.
Simple, soothing to the gut, filling, nutrious, inexpensive and a perfect natural medicine food.
Have you ever cooked Jobs Tears?
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My favourite ‘soup’, having this once a week!
All the smart clever women know what's good for us. right??!! 😆 I'm investigatng some new and different ways to prepare them and will post about it in the coming week.
!ENGAGE 15
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!ENGAGE 15
🙂 always...as much as possible...
ENGAGEtokens.Hola, muy interesante tu información sobre los Jobs Tears su valor nutritivo, aportes para la salud y el bienestar del cuerpo.
Thank you so much for stopping by to comment - appreciated! 😊
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ENGAGEtokens.I also feel like my gut has problems and certainly I am also lactose intolerant thanks to my Asian heritage @artemislives
But in my family it seems like it was only I and my mother are the only ones that are lactose intolerant and maybe gluten sensitive too :/
So I am a bit careful with what I eat now especially with my current health situation.
I think I read somewhere that about 40% of Asians are lactose intolerant. Yes, it's real. My daughter can eat icecream and cheese quite happily, but not on the same day and definitely not everyday. It is what it is.
I'm sure Jobs Tears are easy to find in PH too, and they're super cheap. Your mom can cook them in the sale way she would cook rice.
Hope you're doing OK this week.
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Thank you @artemislives
I just wished that I have a lot of access to a variety of foods but we are just having all the same foods everyday :(
ENGAGEtokens.That lady certainly is very blessed to have someone like you take her under your wings! I've never heard of Jobs Tears but it certainly ooks like plump barley, the soup looks so delicious, you're a real 😇
It looks like plump barley and tastes a little similar too, but being gluten free is a BIG win for sick people with gut issues. Cheap & filling & versatile? What's not to love? 😍 Going to work on my Jobs Tears recipes - this is one food I want to eat more than only in soups.
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That's great, I must see if we can order it here from some of our natural health online stores, I have a friend who is gluten intolerant.
Have yourself a wonderful Sunday @artemislives from a wet and cold Durban, it's like winter's back again;)
ENGAGEtokens.Are they the same as pearl barley? Or is that something different again? 薏米 is very refreshing as a summer cold drink when boiled with a water and a bit of sugar for sweetness
It's NOT the same as barley. Jobs Tears (as explained above) come from the Coix grass. But yes, in Chinese medicine they also make a drink from it not unlike barley water. Very nutritious, thirst quencing and healing.
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ENGAGEtokens.My greetings friend @artemislives, very interesting, I have never heard of this species of seed, you already say that they are not grains. But what spectacular characteristics it has, I already thought when I started reading, that you could be wrong in terms of the type of diet for a person who has just had stomach surgery, but when I continued reading I was surprised, with the healing qualities of this seed. On the other hand, I congratulate you for that beautiful attitude, I know that the universe should reward you for having the nobility to help that person in need. That is very valuable and they are the things that acquire a lot of meaning for one as a human being and also to know that one has a mission of love on the planet.
Jobs Tears line the gut and also encourage good bacterial growth - they come into their own for gut and bowel healing.
I'm not sure it's nobility - but thank you for that thought. It's simple doing what the spirit inside me feels is required by that same conected spirit in another.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
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ENGAGEtokens.Jobs tear....
I never heard of them before.
At my first glance,
I thought they were beans but as soon as I started to read the article I found otherwise.
@artemislives I think you're a wonderful person just like the Artemis I read about in Greek mythology
Aaaaw - that's the nicest thing I've heard in a while. 😍 Thank you. 😍
Embodiment of the Goddess is much more important than just intellectual knowledge. And lovely that you know something of Artemis and the energy she carries. Yes, I do aspire to be connected to nature and be one with the plants and the forest.
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ENGAGEtokens.Curated for #naturalmedicine by @justinparke.
Not 100% sure, but think I may have seen these in a dessert once upon a time somewhere. I have definitely seen these in dried form for sale in a Chinese grocery story in the USA many years ago. It does look very much like barley or lotus seeds, hope your friend is getting back on her feet and stronger every day.
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Appreciate the curation support @justinparke - thank you. Ask Sreypov - I'm sure they're used in Khmer food too - very common in Southern China and so easy to buy in Asia.
My friend is having her stitches out tomorrow - micro improvement and still only manages the dressing change and that's it for the day. Dr said 6-12 months for a complete recovery, and that's not certain given her age.
Hope you're doing well in Suriname.
You're welcome, and I will be sure to check with @Sreypov. I once translated for a German company that was hoping to revive forgotten edibles in Cambodia, but the business never became commercially viable, and I lost my job when it became a peppercorn wholesaler.
Hope your friend gets tip-top shape soon.
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I also feel like my gut has problems and certainly I am also lactose intolerant thanks to my Asian heritage @artemislives
But in my family it seems like it was only I and my mother are the only ones that are lactose intolerant and maybe gluten sensitive too :/
So I am a bit careful with what I eat now especially with my current health situation.