Boost Collagen From Within

You may have been using all sorts of creams and masks to help boost Collagen in your skin. However, without good nutrition and rest our body cannot function to its best ability.

So today, let’s make a simple dessert that can help boost Collagen from within with 2 key TCM Beauty ingredients- Peach Gum and Snow Fungus.

Peach Gum has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its benefits and it’s relatively cheaper price compared to Bird’s Nest. Peach gum is actually an oil or resin that is secreted by the bark or branches of the Peach tree. It hardens naturally into a hard, translucent crystalline form looking like a gemstone. It contains collagen, amino acids, galactose and rhamnose both of which are rare sugars which are found in small amounts in natural foods. In TCM, peach gum is classified as a cooling food and hence it’s not suitable for those with a ‘cold’ body type or for children under 8yrs and pregnant women.

Peach gum is mainly consumed for its beauty benefits, however it has other health benefits too such as:

• Boosting metabolism and stimulating muscle repair and growth

• Amino acids found in Peach Gum also helps to repair and maintain our connective tissues, joints and bones and improves our eyesight

• Another protein, Proline, helps to reduce fat in our blood vessels and improves cardiovascular health

• Enhances sleep quality at night which is crucial for tissue repair and anti-aging

Collagen is one of the most important reason why we eat Peach gum. Collagen is found throughout our body as it is one of the major building blocks for our skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. As we age, our production of collagen decreases and our skin also becomes less firm and supple.

For skin, Peach Gum is known to:

• Improve skin elasticity

• Reduce wrinkles formation

• Reduce dry skin

• Slow down and reverse signs of aging

Add on another Top Beauty Ingredient- The Snow Fungus. It is especially beneficial for its skin beautifying properties. It has been used for thousands of years by royalty for TCM beauty purposes. It is a rich source of vitamins & collagen, it has superior water-retention properties compared with Hyaluronic acid. The particles are smaller than hyaluronic acid so it penetrates the skin more easily. It draws moisture & nourishes the skin. It stimulates skin renewal and even inhibits melanin production to reduce pigmentation and wrinkles formation. It also makes you even more beautiful by replenishing the collagen that we need to make our skin hydrated and bouncy.

The preparation for these 2 ingredients is as follows:

White fungus is commonly sold in its dried form. So before using, it has to be soaked, trimmed and washed thoroughly before used. Cover the dried white fungus with enough water (at least 3 to 4 times of its size). Depending on the variety, you shall see it double in size in 30-45 minutes or you can just leave it to soak overnight and it will turn from yellowish-white to semi-transparent.

 But its bottom or the stem part will remain firm even after soaking. Trim this part out with a pair of scissors. After the hard bottom is trimmed away, just tear the fungus into small pieces.  Then wash thoroughly and drain dry. Then, the white fungus is ready for cooking.

For the Peach Gum, rinse it and soak it overnight or for a minimum of 8hrs. Remove any impurities and dirt from the softened gum and rinse it till it’s clean. If you buy peach gum that’s of a better quality, there will be less impurities and dirt and makes the cleaning process easier.

Peach gum and Snow Fungus Collagen Double Beauty Soup

Ingredients:

• Peach Gum 50g

• Snow Fungus 25g

• Red Dates 6- 8pcs

• Pandan Leaves ( 5-6 pcs)

• Dried Longans (25g , adjust to sweetness)

• Rock Sugar (to taste)

Method

1. Prepare a pot of boiling water about 2 litres. Add in the snow fungus and pandan leaves and boil for about 1 hour. Once the snow fungus is soft or to your desired consistency, add in the dried longans.

2. Wash the red dates and remove the seeds and cut into half and add into the pot. Boil on low fire for 30mins.

3. Add in the Peach gum and boil for another 10 mins.

4. Add the rock sugar to your preferred sweetness during last 10mins. Remove & discard pandan leaves.

5. Serve warm or chilled. I like to store some in the fridge, for very hot days, it's a good way to cool down and replenish lost moisture and collagen for my skin.