Goddess Glow – The Berry of Long Life
The Chinese herbalist Li Qing Yuen is said to have lived for 250 years. He passed away in 1933 and records show he was born in 1677! One of his secrets is the fact that he ate gojiberries every day. When we heard this we definitely needed to know more.
Gojiberries – Unique Among Fruits
Goji berries are one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat. The berries are well-balanced for almost every body and blood type and are also a complete protein source and contain all essential amino acids. That’s a lot to pack in and say about a tiny little berry. In Chinese medicine, goji berries are known to increase the jing (nutritive essence) energy of the kidneys. This unique little red berry also contains natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds and its powerful antioxidant properties helps to boost the immune system. They are rich in iron as well as calcium, zinc and selenium – all in a red berry. No wonder that in traditional Chinese medicine they are famous for increasing strength and longevity! In Ningxia there is even a two weeks festival in August every year to celebrate and to pay homage to this miraculous berry – worthwhile we’d say.
How do you eat these bad boys?
The berries have been used for thousands of years in their native Tibet and China, both medicinally and as a culinary ingredient. They are most often consumed raw, made into a tea, wine or extract, or as an ingredient in soups. At Straits Canopy we love to mix our gojis with cacao nibs and nuts, for that perfect afternoon snack. Stick some in a ziplock bag and munch when on the go. Because of their combined antioxidant compounds we highly recommend that you bring this trail mix on all your air-travels. Sometimes we like to soak the berries in water and add this to make our super smoothies.
Gojis are now grown in many western countries as well and here in Singapore you are lucky to find them in any food and health store.
We head to Supernature when we need to stock up!
Written by Caroline Jarl
