I’ve got a thing for goji berries, I’m not gonna lie. I’ve been experimenting with new recipes and throwing in goji berries here and there. They work with everything. I’m going to list my favourites below but be warned, you may become addicted. Goji berries are, for us Westerners in North America, a bit of a luxury and exotic item. They’re certainly not from around here and grow most prevalently in China and Southeastern Europe. They come a long way to get here but our health is better for them. So I say bring ‘em on!
First, let me tell you some of the amazing health benefits of goji berries. There’s a reason they are one of the most well known superfoods out there. Ok, are you ready for this??
Goji Berries are:
- Well known for their effects on wellbeing and longevity. These delicious berries can help to enhance mood and increase positivity. This may seem like a far fetched claim but when you think about how much nutrition is packed into these little guys, there’s not question that they would have a positive impact on your emotional standing. As noted in the quote below, these berries have a synonymous relation to longevity and anti-aging. This is related to my next point.
- Jam packed with antioxidants to keep you healthy and young. Antioxidants are the nutrients that work together to fight off free radical formation. We are exposed to free radicals all the time through various chemicals, altered fats, exposure to pollutants, harmful drugs, and much more. Free radicals steal electrons and damage cells and the more you have floating around in your system, the more damage you will see. This damage leads to amplified aging and an increased risk of tissue and organ damage. Antioxidants work together to reverse the damage of free radicals and dampen their power to by giving up their electrons. A selfless act on their part
Goji berries are bursting with antioxidants to help keep you feeling young and looking youthful. - Mega mineral power. Gojis contain more than 20 trace minerals! Minerals are what keep our bodies in balance and help support an alkaline environment. With the introduction of the Standard American Diet (SAD – sad indeed!) we have all become very acidic inside. Increased acidity can increase the risk of many serious degenerative diseases. Goji berries supply very important minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, manganese, selenium, and many more! When we eat acidic foods like animal protein, fried foods, foods with high amounts of saturated fat (the long chain variety – see this article for more info on that), refined grains and sugars, and other processed foods, our body leaches minerals from our teeth and bones to balance out the acidity. As you can see, after a long period of time our bodies become weakened from the lack of available minerals – with a diet that is not supplying enough. Goji berries can increase your alkalinity, supplying minerals for your bones and balancing your body’s pH. There are many other alkalizing foods that are important but we’ll leave that for another article
- Complete proteins…in a fruit?! YES! Goji berries supply 18 different amino acids (of which there are 22) including all 8 (or 9 to some) essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins and the essential ones are the ones we cannot make in our bodies and therefore need to be supplied by the diet. Goji berries have got ‘em all! Actually, goji berries are at least 10% protein which makes them an amazing viable source of plant based protein! Whoda thunk…
- Immune support for increased health. This runs in line with the other points. Gojis have minerals and antioxidants which help support the body in many different ways. When our bodies are stronger so is our immune system and our ability to fight of infection, disease, and illness.
Isn’t that amazing?! There’s still more too but I would be here all day explaining it to you! So now, I have to share this with you because I think it’s fabulously interesting. I’m sourcing this from the Navitas Naturals website - which I am a super huge fan of! Their products are amazingly fresh and wonderful!
The discovery of the wild goji berry’s power to invigorate health is rooted in an ancient legend. During China’s Tang Dynasty, a renowned Buddhist temple flourished in a remote countryside, becoming a regular stop for members of surrounding villages. The temple’s community had developed extraordinary health: with fresh, bright complexions, and rich, dark hair even after the age of 80. Each time a peasant visited, he drank from the temple’s well before leaving, as it was believed the well was the source of youth. Indeed the well was special: it had been dug beside a wall that was covered with thick goji vines. Over time, many berries had fallen into the well, sweetening the water and embodying it with the properties of the jovial goji berry. [http://www.navitasnaturals.com/products/goji.html]
And now for some recipes!! I’ve made these in some of my cooking classes and they’ve been hugely successful! So try them out at home or even better, join me in my Cooking with Natural Ginger classes!
RAW GOJI BERRY JAM
3 Tbsp Chia seeds
½ cup Water
2 Tbsp Goji berries
1 Tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)
2-4 Strawberries
- Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
- Place in a container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight.
This jam will keep for at least a week if not two. Enjoy on toast, crackers, on its own, or on top of raw desserts! Yum!
MANGO GOJI DELIGHT SMOOTHIE
2 cups Mango, cubed and frozen
1 cup Almond milk
2 Tbsp Goji berries
2 Tbsp fresh Lime juice
- Juice ½ a lime and measure 2 tablespoons.
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender or container for hand blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into glass and sprinkle a few goji berries on top
- Enjoy! *THIS SMOOTHIE WILL BE FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING BOOK Smoothies for a Healthy, Happy You COMING SOON!
Do you have any stories you’d like to share about goji berries? Have a favourite recipe or use for them? Please add a comment below and share your stories. We love to read any comments you may have!
Thanks so much for reading!
Stephanie Ablett
Holistic Nutritionist
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I am eating Goji-Berries every day and I am facinating over how much nutrients they contain. They are my multivitamin/mineral.
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