Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A Handful of Gojis a Day, Keeps the Doctor Away - by Steph Martin
Article taken from Lifestyle Health Shop and Life & Style Magazine
Ok, so that’s not quite how they say it in Tibet or Mongolia where the Goji berry is grown, but its pretty close (and it rhymes!). Once you translate, the local saying goes more like; "to eat Goji in the morning will lead to smiles all day". This would explain their other popular name; the ‘happy berry.’
The reason, of course, for all the smiles and happiness is due to the incredible array of nutrients and antioxidants that are packed into this vibrant little berry. Eaten each day, goji berries literally make your body leap for joy at the sight of such a wonderful nutritional selection. Our bodies work hard each day to function at optimum levels, using vitamins and minerals from the food we eat in order to repair, heal and strengthen itself against the constant daily onslaught of viruses, bacteria and pollutants. So needless to say, when we eat goji, the body’s job of locating the necessary vitamins and minerals from our normal diets (which unfortunately are not usually that great) is made so much easier. And who wouldn’t be excited to take a break from such hard work!
And just to give you a quick idea of what goji berries contain; they have over 500 times more Vitamin C than oranges and far more beta-carotene than carrots. Added to this, they contain 18 amino acids, essential fatty acids, Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E, a high concentration of anti-oxidants, anti-carcinogenic and anti-aging compounds and about 21 trace minerals! A true superfood!
However, rather than write forever about how great Goji’s are (besides, a quick google search will supply you with mountains of information) I’d like to share some practical ways in which you can include them in your daily diet as well as those of your friends and family.
Definitely one of the best things about Goji berries is that they are so versatile. If you haven’t tried them the taste is a little hard to describe… It's not quite as sweet as a raisin and not as tart as a dried cranberry, but most people really enjoy them and I personally find them deliciously addictive! So because of their not-too-sweet-not-too-sour taste goji’s can be used in anything from smoothies and cereals, muffins and desserts to soups, sauces, chutneys and stews!
Below are a few of my favourite goji recipes and a couple of creative ideas that you can experiment with, as gojis start to become part of your daily diet.
Goji Juice
Blend equal parts Goji berries and water until smooth then either drink as it is or strain through a nutmilk bag (available at Lifestyle Health Ballito)
You can also turn this into a delicious smoothie by throwing in a banana together with your favourite fruit, yogurt, nuts, and/or green food powder.
Goji Grant’s Rooibos Tea
Ingredients
1-2 teaspoons of Goji berries
1 Rooibos tea bag
Simply brew a black cup of Rooibos tea together with the Goji berries, sit back and enjoy!
Oma’s Super Goji Chutney (taken from www.somama.co.za)
Ingredients
25 or more jam tomatoes
400g onions
400g green apples (granny smith)
250g SOMAMA goji berries
3 cups vinegar
900g sugar or xylitol
1Tbs salt
1Tbs mixed spice
1 tsp cayenne pepper
10 green chillies (can add more if you like a bit of a kick!)
Soak the goji berries overnight in water. Drain. Cut up (or preferably chop in magi mix) all other ingredients and boil together with the goji berries for +/- 2 hours until thick. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Bottle and refrigerate.
MAMA Coral’s Happy Salsa (taken from www.somama.co.za)
Ingredients
1 large chopped tomato
1 chopped red onion
Bunch of finely chopped coriander
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup SOMAMA Gojis
Chopped chilli (optional)
Mix all ingredients together and leave for at least 4 hours before using.
More great Goji Ideas!
• Add Goji berries to your normal blueberry muffin recipe.
• Add some Goji to your morning muesli, oatmeal or cereal.
• Make up a carrot soup (preferably raw) with oranges, turmeric and ginger and throw in a handful of Gojis.
• Gojis are surprisingly delicious in a lamb stew or red curry!
• If you have kids and they absolutely refuse to eat anything healthy, try hiding some Goji berries in their ice-cream and you will still be providing them with huge nutritional benefits.
• Add a handful of Goji berries to your trail mix. Mix them with raw nuts, cacao nibs and other dried fruits like raisins or mango for a quick and healthy snack.
• For a real treat and double antioxidant kick, try some dark chocolate coated Goji berries: Probably the yummiest way to enjoy this amazing superfood!
The possibilities really are endless! Have fun, experiment and make up your own Goji recipes. Share them with your friends and family, and share them with me; just email steph@lifestylehealth.co.za, I’d love to hear from you. And if you have kids, get them involved and teach them to get excited about healthy foods and happy berries! And most importantly remember that just a handful will keep you smiling all day.
Ok, so that’s not quite how they say it in Tibet or Mongolia where the Goji berry is grown, but its pretty close (and it rhymes!). Once you translate, the local saying goes more like; "to eat Goji in the morning will lead to smiles all day". This would explain their other popular name; the ‘happy berry.’
The reason, of course, for all the smiles and happiness is due to the incredible array of nutrients and antioxidants that are packed into this vibrant little berry. Eaten each day, goji berries literally make your body leap for joy at the sight of such a wonderful nutritional selection. Our bodies work hard each day to function at optimum levels, using vitamins and minerals from the food we eat in order to repair, heal and strengthen itself against the constant daily onslaught of viruses, bacteria and pollutants. So needless to say, when we eat goji, the body’s job of locating the necessary vitamins and minerals from our normal diets (which unfortunately are not usually that great) is made so much easier. And who wouldn’t be excited to take a break from such hard work!
And just to give you a quick idea of what goji berries contain; they have over 500 times more Vitamin C than oranges and far more beta-carotene than carrots. Added to this, they contain 18 amino acids, essential fatty acids, Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E, a high concentration of anti-oxidants, anti-carcinogenic and anti-aging compounds and about 21 trace minerals! A true superfood!
However, rather than write forever about how great Goji’s are (besides, a quick google search will supply you with mountains of information) I’d like to share some practical ways in which you can include them in your daily diet as well as those of your friends and family.
Definitely one of the best things about Goji berries is that they are so versatile. If you haven’t tried them the taste is a little hard to describe… It's not quite as sweet as a raisin and not as tart as a dried cranberry, but most people really enjoy them and I personally find them deliciously addictive! So because of their not-too-sweet-not-too-sour taste goji’s can be used in anything from smoothies and cereals, muffins and desserts to soups, sauces, chutneys and stews!
Below are a few of my favourite goji recipes and a couple of creative ideas that you can experiment with, as gojis start to become part of your daily diet.
Goji Juice
Blend equal parts Goji berries and water until smooth then either drink as it is or strain through a nutmilk bag (available at Lifestyle Health Ballito)
You can also turn this into a delicious smoothie by throwing in a banana together with your favourite fruit, yogurt, nuts, and/or green food powder.
Goji Grant’s Rooibos Tea
Ingredients
1-2 teaspoons of Goji berries
1 Rooibos tea bag
Simply brew a black cup of Rooibos tea together with the Goji berries, sit back and enjoy!
Oma’s Super Goji Chutney (taken from www.somama.co.za)
Ingredients
25 or more jam tomatoes
400g onions
400g green apples (granny smith)
250g SOMAMA goji berries
3 cups vinegar
900g sugar or xylitol
1Tbs salt
1Tbs mixed spice
1 tsp cayenne pepper
10 green chillies (can add more if you like a bit of a kick!)
Soak the goji berries overnight in water. Drain. Cut up (or preferably chop in magi mix) all other ingredients and boil together with the goji berries for +/- 2 hours until thick. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Bottle and refrigerate.
MAMA Coral’s Happy Salsa (taken from www.somama.co.za)
Ingredients
1 large chopped tomato
1 chopped red onion
Bunch of finely chopped coriander
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup SOMAMA Gojis
Chopped chilli (optional)
Mix all ingredients together and leave for at least 4 hours before using.
More great Goji Ideas!
• Add Goji berries to your normal blueberry muffin recipe.
• Add some Goji to your morning muesli, oatmeal or cereal.
• Make up a carrot soup (preferably raw) with oranges, turmeric and ginger and throw in a handful of Gojis.
• Gojis are surprisingly delicious in a lamb stew or red curry!
• If you have kids and they absolutely refuse to eat anything healthy, try hiding some Goji berries in their ice-cream and you will still be providing them with huge nutritional benefits.
• Add a handful of Goji berries to your trail mix. Mix them with raw nuts, cacao nibs and other dried fruits like raisins or mango for a quick and healthy snack.
• For a real treat and double antioxidant kick, try some dark chocolate coated Goji berries: Probably the yummiest way to enjoy this amazing superfood!
The possibilities really are endless! Have fun, experiment and make up your own Goji recipes. Share them with your friends and family, and share them with me; just email steph@lifestylehealth.co.za, I’d love to hear from you. And if you have kids, get them involved and teach them to get excited about healthy foods and happy berries! And most importantly remember that just a handful will keep you smiling all day.
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