chiahuib68-Facial Mask

Near the end of October, my Poreishi Mushroom Reishi Facial Masks arrived in the mail.  The very first thought that came to me was:  Great!  Right on time for Halloween.

Unlike usual facial masks, this facial mask is not white, not gray.  It’s BROWN -- Very brownish brown.

I hesitated for quite a while wondering if I should put this thing on my face, since it’s actually not a very lovely color.  Would it stain my face brown?

Finally, after a couple of days, I gathered up my courage and gave it a try.

Just like I imaged—I looked like an UngaBunga: somewhat an ugly version of an UngaBunga.  Of course my son got a good laugh from me wearing this mask.

Despite the not very pretty look, I actually like the feeling of this mask on my face.  It doesn’t have any perfume in it, and I like that a lot.  Reishi itself doesn’t have much smell.  It smells somewhat like wood, the good kind of wood, very pleasant.  

The mask has just the right amount of moisture in it, so it’s not messy at all when taking it out of package.   The material of the mask is different than other masks—it’s stiffer which makes it easier to handle.  I have very sensitive skin, and this mask did not irritate me even a bit.  Thank goodness!

I removed the mask after 20 minutes just like the directions said.  The residue rinsed off very easily, and I do feel my skin looks brighter and feels smoother.   No kidding!

Later, I read some more information about Reishi.   I found out that, actually, in ancient times people believed Reishi could prolong human life and that if you took enough you could even become immortal.   Ancient people believed whatever they liked to believe, but after the first try of this mask, I believe it’ll really do this anti-aging job well.

I’m thinking next time I’m going to wear it when taking a hot bath.  My face can probably soak in more nutrients with hot steam.  When I am done with my face, I’ll just drop the mask in the tub and… Voila!  It’s my body’s turn to enjoy Reishi.  

What a brilliant idea such a frugal wife comes up with to make the best use of this precious Reishi facial mask.  What can I say?  It’s Reishi power!

jacob111 -tea

Should one choose to believe that good things come in small package, there would not be any disappointment with this little bag of Reishi. 

While the packaging itself is hardly a breakthrough in design with description a torture to read, the content speaks for itself quite differently.  However banal, from the point of utilitarian aspect, , besides user friendly, the translucent cubical pack clearly displays the ingredients in full confidence, making sure one sees what dripping down the throat.  As goodies eventually leak out into the brew, it resembles more like a consomme’ instead of tea-like mix.

Taste, though mostly subjective and hard to speak for everyone, but as long as one enjoys the musky organic aroma of wild mushroom and happy with the unique sting of bitter gourd, one should be at home with this product, and I for instance, find it quite enticing. 

Once tearing open the package, a faint scent of fresh mushroom drifts out; shaking the bag a couple of times, out permeates an aroma of earthy freshness of a forest after rainfall.  As this is the first time trying out this herbal mix, I hardly know what to expect.  After steeping in hot water for about three minutes, the first taste is rather startling.  Besides having an unmistakable scent of mushroom, it bites me with a subdue bitterness similar to quinine.  A couple of more sips afterwards and as taste begins to sink in, the bitterness turns quite pleasing, and soon afterwards it leaves an aftertaste like licorice on the taste buds. Plain cool.

Perhaps like hot chili, it takes some nerve to get used to, but once acquiring the sting, to do without it would be difficult.  Indeed, it is too early to vouch for its pharmacological effect, yet I am confidence it would out rank any mouthwash especially after a heavy and spicy dinner, because the brew leaves the mouth a very soothing odor and whispering close to my partner’s ear would raise no fear of bad breath.  On the serious side, I am a caffeine addict, but it suits me well replacing a shot of coffee with this bag of Reishi during the late afternoon.  No hang- over side effect or agitation from missing a dose of caffeine in this case.

Here again, this little package reminds me of an old Chinese adage, “where bitterness ends, sweetness takes over”.  Granted true, is it a mere coincidence the West also has an oxymoron known as “bitterly-sweet”; interesting thing happens where East meets West.  Perhaps, with this Reishi, our forefathers’ wisdom is put to test again in this silicon age.

jacob111 -toothpaste

I have yet to come across a kid enjoys brushing teeth, let alone with toothpaste and in this particular instance, a brown one.  Perhaps I was raised and indoctrinated with the idea the white equates with purity, clean and hygiene.  Or rather, it is the successful toothpaste commercial that caused me stay with white toothpaste for the last fifty years and counting. What ever that may be, it never occurs to me that brown color has similar or even better functions for that matter.

I am no connoisseur in tooth paste and doubt if one is out there at all.  Keeping one eye shut, I tried out a dab of this gooey brown during a morning routine.  Put aside the color, I was not sure what was ahead in this episode.  As its scent made the first contact, I thought it was one of those OTC (over the counter) cough syrup.  After procrastinated for another second, I finally gave in and start scrubbing.  Now, that’s strange.  Once made its landing, the taste was not bad at all, and in fact there was a mild menthol soothingness more subtle than the brand I used to.  The cough syrup scent was quickly replaced by taste like molasses, little sweeter and cool, and most of all, it last longer.  

Indeed, there is menthol as ingredient as well as a bunch of others with tongue twisting names, but to my utter relief and surprise, there is no triclosan in the gel.  Triclosan is a very potent antibacterial chemical and when in high dosage, it will terminate the user as well as the bugs.

So, in this respect, my hats off to it.  But of course, I cannot based on one finding and crown this toothpaste with all my heart.  There is still this color to battle with.  Imagine one has to go about his daily business with the wrong hand, his diary would certainly sounds like a combat log.  Such is also true with taste.  It certainly does not taste like Coke.  Summing this up, this Ganodenma Reishi Propolis Toothpaste would not be an issue should one get used to it.  And as a bonus, if used liberally after spicy meals, it certainly would enhance your personality from the perspective of the opposite sex. 

Despite of the health wonder it prescribes on the package, I would stay with my dental floss and rinse out thoroughly for the moment.  And hopefully one day, as I give it a squeeze, it is the white stuff my teeth have relied on for decades.

chiahuib68-Today, I just enjoyed my first cup of Sun Gertain Reishi.

Today, I just enjoyed my first cup of Sun Gertain Reishi.  Sun Gertain Reishi “tea” does not contain any tea leaves or caffeine.  Yet, it’s a tea in the sense that it’s prepared by steeping a bag of select ingredients in hot water.  Personally, I’m a fan of teas and I believe in the wisdom of consuming foods and drinks that are organic and health-promoting.  Reishi has been extensively researched and well-documented as having very powerful health-promoting properties; so naturally, I was eager to try Sun Gertain Reishi. 

Sun Gertain Reishi comes packed in a beautifully designed and aesthetically appealing box.  The perfect enjoyment of a quality tea always begins with the initial presentation, and Sun Gertain Reishi is attractively packaged.  Opening the box of Sun Gertain Reishi, I was delighted to see each tea bag individually sealed.  The most important reason to drink reishi tea is to benefit from the powerful healing properties of reishi.  With any organic product, from the moment the package is unsealed, oxidation begins and potency can begin to diminish.  Sun Gertain’s airtight packets grant the assurance that each bag will always be at the perfect peak of freshness and healthful potency when opened. 

Boiling water in my cup, I opened the first packet and dropped the bag into the water.  Immediately, I noticed how beautiful the tea bag itself is.  Traditional tea bags are made of cloth or paper which effectively holds the ingredients; however, the contents inside the bag are not visible.  Sun Gertain Reishi tea bags are delightfully different.  Each Sun Gertain bag is perfectly formed of transparent micro-mesh which allows clear viewing of the premium ingredients held within the bag.  Reishi steeping in cup, I admired the textures, colors and appearance of the reishi within the teabag.  A gentle scent arose which made me think more of a mild soup than a tea.  I began to sip.  The flavor was delicate and mild.  As the bag steeped longer, the flavor intensified with the distinctive, slightly bitter characteristics of the organic Reishi.  Once the full flavor had been released, the flavor was somewhat unusual and odd to me.  While I would not describe it as delicious, the taste wasn’t bad either.  Personally, I enjoy variety, and the flavor of Sun Gertain Reishi offers a unique, distinctive contrast with common leaf teas.  It’s a smooth-drinking beverage, and the experience is complimented greatly with the knowing that every sip is a practice in medicinal therapy for the body.   

As someone who loves teas and health-promoting beverages, I have long enjoyed the green teas of Taiwan’s pristine high mountains.  For generations, Taiwan has held the reputation of producing many of the best green teas in the world.  In addition, the thousands-of-years-old, profound Chinese wisdom and tradition of promoting health through organic substances is very much alive today in modern Taiwan.  Home to a rich world-class tea tradition as well as the ancient traditions of Chinese herbal medicine, Taiwan is also a world leader in high technology and cutting-edge production.  Thus Taiwan is naturally the perfect home of Sun Gertain Reishi – the union of nature’s timeless wonders and the highest standards of modern quality assurance.  I am delighted to discover Sun Gertain Reishi.  With its powerful, health-promoting reishi, Sun Gertain Reishi is a drink I consider worthy of evaluation for frequent consumption.     

CHEN-Ganoderma Lucidum soup

When the security of my community handed me the package that had just arrived, I wondered what was so heavy inside. Opening the package, I couldn’t help laughing out. To my surprise, the canned soup I was going to test (and taste) was such a huge can that I had to hold it with both hands.

      Unlike tomato or corn canned soup we usually see in a supermarket, Sun Gertain Ganoderma Lucidum Soup weighs 1.7 kg and is able to serve 6 to 9 people. Ganoderma Lucidum (a.k.a. Red Reishi or Ling Zhi in Chinese) started to be used in Asian medicine thousands of years ago. Numerous research has reported the benefits of Red Reishi. I’ve seen Red Reishi capsules used for supplement but never seen Red Reishi canned soup. The particular soup includes not only high-quality Red Reishi cultivated naturally by the Sun Gertain Bio Farm but also 28 natural herbs. Reading the clear description posted on the can, I couldn’t wait to ask my mom to cook a Red Reishi hot pot for dinner.

      I had to say the big canned soup came at the right time. On a cold, rainy day, nothing is better than a bowl of hot soup, especially when you know it’s good for your health! The soup actually tasted a little bit bitter, but it’s quite acceptable. To be exact, the mild bitterness made me feel that I was eating something beneficial for my health, and consequently, my body began to get warm, which I always need in winter. It’s amazing that all kinds of food materials seemed to go well with the soup.

      I like to enjoy a hot pot with my family in winter. There have been various kinds of soup or stock developed in market for a hot pot. In addition to chicken stock, kimchi soup, vegetable stock…, now I have a new choice: Red Reishi soup!

      When women are pursuing magic tricks to make themselves younger and prettier, drinking or eating something nutritious has become a trend due to its convenience. If you don’t know what you are having and are not sure about the effect, why not try the 100% natural, made by a high-quality ISO 9001 certified manufacturer in Taiwan, effective Ganoderma Lucidum soup?

Scott-toothpaste

For a lot of reasons, I hate brushing my teeth.  So it's nice to have found a toothpaste that's the opposite of everything else on the shelves.

Ganodenma Reishi Propolis Toothpaste is almost the Anti-Toothpaste.

Walk down the toothpaste aisle of a store and you're assaulted by an array of products that are essentially the same, though each of them screams to you that it is different. Special. Unique. Each brand wants you to believe that it alone will clean your teeth, freshen your breath, and invigorate your sex life.

I'm waiting for a toothpaste that promises I can learn to play the piano with regular use. 

Brushing your teeth is like shaving or cleaning your ears: it must be done so we do it.

But toothpaste makers try too hard to make brushing your teeth fun and exciting. They add all sorts of chemicals; fluoride I can understand because it's actually good for teeth, and detergents help it foam up. But the flavorings linger for hours and spoil everything else I enjoy.

Coffee, juice, milk, soft drinks all taste awful after tooth brushing.

So I was impressed with Ganodenma Reishi Propolis Toothpaste.

It doesn't try to entertain me while brushing, and it doesn't try to make me think I'm brushing my teeth with candy.

Instead, the stuff has almost no flavor and it doesn't howl with sweetness.

Reishi mushrooms have been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis as it helps renew living bone and cartilage. Teeth, too, are living tissue and benefit from reishi.

So, do I now love brushing my teeth? No. It's still a chore of personal hygiene. But at least when I'm done brushing I can enjoy a cup of coffee.

Scott-aroma therapy

When I was offered the opportunity to write about aroma therapy, I leaped at it. After all, I'm a big fan of aromas; the smell of good beef on an open fire is a delightful form of therapy just before dinner. I love the aroma of fresh-mowed hay, which smells like hard work that is well done.

The odors of oil, gasoline and wax combine to put me in mind of my racing days, going 250 km per hour in a car I built.

And I really love it when my wife wears the French perfume I got her three years ago: $200 U.S. for 60ccs at the duty free store in the Tokyo Narita airport.  My wife doesn't want to use it often because it costs so much. Instead, it sits there, slowly evaporating.

The way things smell is deeply ingrained in our minds, our memories and our emotions.

Funeral wreathes in America are usually made of carnations, so to Americans the smell of these flowers brings on feelings of sadness, grief and loss. My Taiwanese neighbors say the same thing about the odor of incense burned at Buddhist funerals.

What surprised me, therefore, about Poreishi Aromatherapy Skin Sauna Pack was the absence of any strong smell. Instead, there is a light, earthy fragrance from the reishi mushrooms, but not much else.

But the aroma therapy's effect was genuine and noticeable. As it simmered in hot water,  carried away by the steam throughout our home, everyone seems to get calmer and more focused. It was a rainy, windy day so we were all cooped up indoors. Our 14-month old son went from crabby to calm and happy as the aroma therapy spread.

It was a soothing, pleasant experience.

Like many modern homes in Taiwan we have a shower but no bathtub. My wife is already planning on trying this aroma therapy the next time we have a hotel with a tub. She plans to sink into the warm water and let the aroma therapy pack work its magic; as the warm water soothes her muscles she knows the reishi aroma therapy with soothe her spirit.

Maybe she'll come out so calm and happy that she can use her perfume without fretting about the cost.