Originating in China, tea has been regarded as a beverage linking good health and happiness for thousands of years. Recent studies have established that flavonoid compounds and phytochemical found in tea are good for the heart and can help bolster immune defences. Similarly, tracing back 2000 years for use in traditional Chinese medicine, goji berries are gaining popularity in North America as one of nature’s superfruits for their vitamin and nutrient rich qualities. Obtaining all the health benefits of the goji berry from drinking goji tea may be a good supplement to your diet.
Tea contains antioxidants just like the nutrients found in goji berries such as beta-carotene and other essential fats, minerals, amino acids and proteins, which studies have suggested help to boost health and energy levels. Early research has also found positive results for the health benefits of these berries that are rich in vitamin A, B complex, C and E, as well as calcium and fiber, such as helping to lower cholesterol.
Containing far less caffeine than coffee, drinking a mug of warm tea is a great way to relax and nutritionists seem to agree that any type of tea is beneficial. That’s why you should consider adding goji tea to your list of daily beverages. These dried red berries produce a mild tasting brew, which is simple to make and a quick alternative to regular tea. Just toss about 6 to 8 dried goji berries into a cup of boiling water. You can also add a teabag containing your favourite regular or herbal tea to the mixture for a refreshing flavour and nutritional boost. Allow the tea to steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the berries become plump in the hot liquid, the tea is ready to drink.
Improvement in eyesight, immune function and overall well being are some of the numerous health benefits attributed to goji tea, which is also fat free and low in calories, unless of course you decide to add milk or sweetener. There is no need to add more berries when you are ready for a refill, just top your cup with boiling water. When the liquid portion is finished, you can chew the remaining soft red berries to obtain all the antioxidant properties they provide.
Filed under Goji Tea by on Oct 24th, 2012. 
When the leaves begin to change color it not only signifies Fall and the onset of Winter, but it is also an indication of the harvest. With the harvest of fall produce comes a chance to make so many of those delicious recipes we all love so much.
Here at Goji Berries.us we love taking traditional recipes and including our nutritious, antioxidant packed dried goji berries to not only make the dish better tasting, but also better for you.
Here are 2 of our most favorite fall treats with a dried goji berry twist:
Apple Goji Berry Pie
INGREDIENTS
For the Crust:
2 cups flour
½ cup blanched almonds ground
16 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
For the Filling:
1-cup goji berries
2/3-cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp flour
¼ tsp allspice
2 ¼ pounds of apples
1 ½ tbsp brandy
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Egg Wash:
egg yolk from 1 egg
1 tbsp whipping cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. For the crust, combine flour, almonds, butter, salt and brown sugar into a food processor and mix. Slowly add water until mixture begins to form into dough and shape into 2 even amounts.
3. Roll out one amount of dough until it is 1/8 of an inch thick and a 12-inch circle. Press rolled out dough into a pie plate.
4. For the filling, combine goji berries, sugar, flour and allspice in large bowl. Mix in apples, brandy and vanilla extract. Once mixed, spoon in filling making it slightly higher in the center.
5. Roll out second amount of dough and place on top. Pinch dough rounds together and trim of any extra dough leaving a ¾ inch overhang.
6. For the egg wash, blend egg yolk and whipping cream into a small bowl and then brush the mixture over the top of the pie.
7. Place pie in oven and bake for 1 hour or until crust is a golden brown.
Pumpkin And Goji Berry Scones with Spiced Glaze
INGREDIENTS
For the Scones:
2 cups flour
7 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ cup canned pumpkin
3 tbsp cream
1 egg
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup dried goji berries
For the Spiced Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. For the scones, combine the pumpkin, half and half and egg. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder salt, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger and butter.
3. Fold pumpkin mixture and goji berries into large mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients, forming the dough into a ball.
4. Pat out dough until it forms a 1-ich thick round. Cut round into 6 wedges and bake for 16 minutes or until the scones turn light brown.
5. For the spiced glaze, combine all ingredients and drizzle over scones once cool. Allow glaze to set before serving.
Filed under goji, goji berries, goji berry, Recipes by on Oct 12th, 2012.
There have been many studies done to show the benefits of fresh fruit juice as an important part of a healthy diet. Consuming 100% fruit juice allows your body to absorb up to 80% more of the minerals and vitamins found naturally in dried fruit, making it an effective way to meet your daily nutritional needs. Add to these benefits the anti-oxidant components of the red goji berry and you can see why drinking fresh goji juice is a great way to optimize your health.
The convenience of purchasing store bought goji juice at about $20 for a 32-ounce bottle is offset by the price. Preparing fresh juice from dried goji berries offers top quality nutrition at a fraction of the cost. You make only the amount you need and there is no need to discard a product that has reached its expiry date.
Using a common blender, the simple process can be done in your own kitchen:
Ingredients:
2 cups filtered water
¼ cup washed goji berries
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups filtered water to ¼ cup washed goji berries and cover with plastic wrap for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the fridge. Pour contents from the bowl into a blender and blend until berries are completely crushed. Pour the berry mixture through a cheesecloth lined colander placed inside a large bowl. Dilute the strained liquid further with filtered water, and pour into a glass and drink.
You’ll enjoy a refreshing, healthy liquid that is rich in vitamins A, B complex and E, and contains more vitamin C than a serving from one orange. The remaining strained goji juice can be blended further with other fresh juices or simply poured over ice.
Since some of the healthiest juices taste more bitter than sweet, consider adding artificial or natural sweeteners like sugar or honey to lessen the tart flavor of the pure goji juice.
Experiment by adding some of your favorite fruit like apples, pears or blackberries to the strained goji mixture to naturally sweeten the flavour and create some exciting new tastes. Freshly made goji juice can be stored in a glass or airtight plastic container in the fridge for up to three days or up to one month in your freezer.
Drinking fresh goji juice everyday is an excellent way to boost your energy, improve your nutrition and experience better health.
Filed under goji, goji berries, goji berry, Goji Berry Juice, goji juice by on Sep 26th, 2012.
The Goji berry is quickly making an exceptional name for itself as both a nutritious and versatile food. In fact, since it was introduced here in North America, many people have combined their exotic foods and tastes with the Goji into some fascinating and interesting combinations. Here are just a few that you can run off or put in a file for future reference.
In keeping with the healthy theme these berries promote, Jewelled Basmati Rice mixed with these delicious imports from the Himalayas is just the thing for the discerning palate. This is a simple way to enjoy the added energy these berries supply. All that’s needed is a bowl containing brown rice and one tablespoon of dark sesame oil with some large dates and Goji berries tossed in. A few tablespoons of light soy sauce is optional, as are some raw broccoli florets or even a sprinkling of sunflower seeds. The result is a popular Asian dish that lends itself to exotic tastes.
There is really no underestimating the versatility of these Goji berries or the numerous health benefits they provide. In fact, some studies have shown these berries provide a rich source of antioxidants. All that means you can afford to cut a corner here and there and when you’re looking at exotic, popular and pleasing ways to eat the Goji, there’s no need to overlook chocolate.
Everyone enjoys a treat that tastes great and is good for you at the same time and that’s why Goji Berries covered with dark chocolate are one of the preferred ways to enjoy these berries. For the discriminating buyer, dark chocolate offers a healthy alternative by replacing the extra sugar found in milk chocolate. The nutritional value here is only enhanced by the sensual delight of this popular treat.
It goes without saying that people who love exotic foods and tastes are now recognizing the Goji berry. Remember that you can introduce these berries to friends and relatives in their pure form as well. With over 21 minerals and vitamins they are sure to attract lots of interest.
Filed under goji, goji berries, Goji Berries Clusters With Dark Chocolate, Goji Recipes by on Sep 19th, 2012.
When you’ve decided it is time to make goji berries a part of your diet to help boost your energy level, they are after all one of nature’s most nutritious superfruits, a quick search online will point you in the direction to various ways you can improve your eating habits and overall health with this little red berry.
Used in traditional Chinese medicine for 2000 years, North Americans are now catching on to the mild, tangy taste of these berries rich in Vitamins A, B complex, C and E. Sold as a health food and dietary supplement, eating these berries in their dried form is probably the best way to attain all the nutrients they provide. However, versatile goji products like freeze dried goji powder, energy drinks and goji berry juice are gaining popularity. The goji berry is also an ingredient found in some tea and cereals.
Looking similar to the raisin and described as tasting like a mixture of cherries, cranberries and raisins, these soft, chewy berries are delicious as a healthy snack on their own, or when combined with raisins and nuts, make a tasty and nutritious trail mix.
There are all kinds of ways to enjoy the antioxidant powers and cholesterol-lowering properties of goji berries. Sprinkle goji berries on cereal or hot oatmeal to start your day off right, or add some dried goji berries to other fresh fruit in your blender to make a more nutritious smoothie. Fat free and loaded with fibre and beta-carotene, these low calorie berries can easily be substituted for raisins and added to your favourite cookie and muffin recipes.
Dried goji berries, full of minerals and antioxidants, are delicious sprinkled on top of fibre rich soups like vegetable or lentil and pack a flavourful punch to the nutrients in a spinach salad recipe. Meanwhile, the antioxidant powers and cholesterol-lowering properties of these little red berries are a quick, healthy and colourful enhancement to a variety of rice and stir-fry dishes.
Whatever you decide are your favorite ways to eat goji berries, remember this superfruit is like any other healthy snack. It should always be enjoyed in moderation as part of a well balanced diet.
Filed under goji berries, Recipes by on Sep 12th, 2012.
If you are like a lot of people who want to grow their own Goji berries, you want to have a hand in the entire process from start to finish. Sipping that fresh Goji juice or even munching on those dried berries is always more satisfying when you know exactly where the food has come from; your own backyard.
That being said, here are the step-by-step instructions on growing you own Goji berries at home:
1) Getting The Seeds
You will need to start by getting some Goji Berry seeds. You can either purchase seeds that are all ready to plant, or you can get them from the Goji berries you have already bought. Just soak the berries and when they are soft, cut them open to remove the tiny seeds.
2) Germinating The Seeds
For the best results, the seeds need to sprout before they are planted. Although this process can be skipped, it is not recommended. You can either soak them or place them in a moist paper towel until they germinate. If you keep them covered, they should sprout within 10 days.
3) Planting The Sprouts
Small pots are needed when you are ready to plant. Place the seeds in an appropriate starting mixture and then cover lightly with more soil. Spritz with a spray bottle to avoid water logging. The next step is to move the pots to a place where they will get the most sunlight, while keeping the soil moist. Don’t forget to water the plants just enough so the roots don’t dry out during the first growing season.
4) Repotting The Plants
When the time comes and the smaller plants have outgrown their containers, they can be planted in larger ones. A layer of mulch on top of the soil is good to help retain the moisture.
5) Planting Outdoors
If you decide to plant outside, keep in mind that the leaves and purple white flowers that will appear within the first three years are appetizing to any number of rabbits, deer and birds looking for a tasty meal. Make sure to protect your Goji berry plants as much as possible, because it could take four to six years before any of the red fruit appears. So by protecting the plants with stakes and a solid wire mesh or chicken wire you will be able to stay one step ahead of any wildlife.
Filed under goji berries, goji berry, Goji Berry Plant, Goji Berry Seeds, goji plants, growing goji berries by on Sep 5th, 2012.
When people first learn about the health benefits of Goji berries, they want to know how to get a steady supply. When they find out these berries are an excellent antioxidant and are thought to increase your energy level, it’s only natural they want to know how to grow them.
The following are a few gardening tips that will help anyone grow and keep a steady supply of this nutritional food.
Start by making sure your soil will be receptive to any new Goji berry plants that you buy. For the best results, you should adjust the pH between 6.8 – 8.1. Sound complicated? It isn’t really. You can lower the pH with aluminum sulfate or raise it with lime.
If you don’t have lots of room to grow these plants, there is no need to worry, as they do great in containers on a patio or deck. The roots will stop growing when they reach the bottom of the container, and that means you will see the berries one full season quicker than if the plants were rooted in the ground.
Start out by putting roots in a jar that contains room temperature water for about 15 minutes to get them assimilated to their new environment. This is a great time to prepare the container. It should have drainage holes in the bottom and a drainage pan underneath as well.
Potting soil is the best choice to fill up the container and it’s recommended that you only fill to two to three inches below the top lip. The hole in the middle of the soil should be slightly deeper than the top of the plant. Next, you can put your goji berry plant in the hole and fill the potting soil back in until the crown of the plant is even with the top of the container.
Keep the soil moist but not necessarily wet and you should see new sprouts coming in around two weeks. Keep in mind that plants in containers are subject to weather conditions more than those in the ground. They could need more moisture in hot weather and protection from the cold.
We offer a full line of wholesale goji products here, from berries and juices, to chocolate goji clusters and even goji seeds to prow your own plants at home.
Filed under Goji Berry Plant, goji plants, growing goji, growing goji berries by on Aug 29th, 2012.
Some say they look like grapes or even grape-tomatoes, and with a slightly bitter taste that most people report is somewhere between cherries and raisins, high quality goji berries have become a versatile food that is being touted as a great nutritional supplement and a botanical medicine that can be served in a variety of different ways.
There are several ways to enjoy these berries in your home. Although they are often used in traditional Chinese tonic soups, there are other ways they can be prepared. Since these berries have been popular in Asian countries for many years, some of the best uses for the Goji berry come from that part of the world including rice conjee, which is a type of rice porridge. Meat and fish are often added for flavoring to this dish and the Goji berries can also be used as a condiment. In addition, there are blended Asian wines that contain these Goji berries and there are even breweries that use these berries as a primary ingredient in their beer.
The Goji berry is just catching on in North American and already there are many healthily recipes popping up in cookbooks and magazines.
For example, a delicious Goji berry smoothie is just the thing on a hot summer day and taking either the powder form of this fruit or even 2 cups of frozen Goji berries is a great health conscious starting point. To really ensure that you get all the benefits from this drink you can also add 1-cup of cranberry juice and 1-cup vanilla hemp milk to your morning smoothie.
How about using these high quality goji berries to make a health orientated candy bar everyone will love? With 1 cup of raw almonds, 2/3 cup of coconut flakes, 2/3 cup of dried cherries, and of course 2/3 cup of Goji berries, you’re on the way to making one of these tasty treats. Put the entire mixture into a food processor or blender and then place them on a baking sheet in the oven for about half an hour.
You can buy high quality goji berries here, and start making your own healthy recipes.
Filed under goji berries, goji berry, Goji Recipes by on Aug 17th, 2012.
Lactose intolerance plagues a large percent of American adults, forcing them to suffer through their own combination of symptoms that may include diarrhea, gas, bloating, stomach discomfort, or even extreme stomach pain. Some of the lesser symptoms may be ignorable, but often times people find it unpleasant and try to find other alternatives to dairy. Vegans may also attempt to avoid cow milk due to their eating preferences. In whatever case you may have, you may need some information on the choices out there so that you can find the choice that’s right for you.
Soy is the first obvious choice for a non-dairy milk, and often is the first choice for many people new to needing to make this choice. It’s popular and well known and is perfect for vegans and lactose-intolerant people alike. It’s naturally low in fat–and free of saturated fats, which are the bad ones–and it’s made of plant milk, which means there’s no cholesterol. The protein is complete and highly digestible, contrary to some belief, and there is 7 to 10 grams of it in every cup of soy milk. This makes it an ideal choice for vegans or vegetarians who need that protein. However, most cartons say “Fortified” on the side because soy milk doesn’t naturally have calcium. This means that, while it’s easy to make at home, it won’t have much nutritional value in the way of calcium. It is completely cook able, though, and people use it normally as substitute in many recipes.
Rice milk is another alternative that people turn to when they don’t really like soy. However, rice milk is a rather passive kind of milk–a lot thinner, doesn’t really hold up with thickening or cooking, and doesn’t really have much nutritional value when unfortified. Thankfully, it’s often pumped full of calcium, niacin, iron, and vitamins B, A, and D. It doesn’t have lactose or cholesterol, though, and is sweeter than milk so it can be a nice drinking milk for those that don’t enjoy the soy bean flavor. Shake the carton, though–it has a tendency to settle.
My favorite is almond milk–it’s got great flavor and is made of water and ground up almonds. It’s the perfect solution for people with lactose, gluten, and soy allergies, and is a good alternative for vegetarians and vegans. Nutritionally, it’s full of fiber, calcium, protein, flavenoids, and antioxidants, but also contains magnesium, selenium, manganese, potassium, zinc and iron. A low calorie alternative, it cooks just like cow milk. Watch what you cook it with, though, because it’ll curdle in acids.
Dairy is hard to avoid in America, so unless you’re going to live on sushi, check out these other choices in bad cases of lactose intolerance or if you’re a vegan avoiding a cow product. It may seem tough at first because nothing is exactly like what you’re used to, but with some experimentation you’ll find a favorite and happily forget the milk that conflicted with your diet.
Filed under nutrition and wellness by on Aug 1st, 2012.
Little stores like Jamba Juice and Orange Julius have been making fresh fruit smoothies a huge hit, especially here on the west coast, but I’ve noticed how expensive they seem to be. My family has been making them ourselves for years, and it’s so simple to turn a five dollar smoothie at the mall into a cheap drink at home. Better yet, you know exactly what’s in the smoothie when you do it yourself, and you can make it as healthy and tasty as you want. All it takes is three ingredients: Fruit, liquid, and a sweetener.
Of course the basis for a fruit smoothie is the fruit, and because we’re all about goji berries at Gojis and More, we’re going to look at fruits you can mix with goji berries. Strawberries are the easy solution, and are only 50 calories per cup. A cup of strawberries will pack your smoothie full of fiber, folate, manganese, and plenty of vitamin C. Bananas make a great thickener to give any smoothie better texture, and one medium banana has 105 calories. It will also provide fiber, manganese, vitamins B6 and C, and of course potassium. Pomegranate is 144 calories per cup, but will give your smoothie a great flavor and vitamins C and K. Finally, apricots are only 74 calories per cup and have fiber, potassium, and a lot of vitamins A and C.
Next, you need a liquid to make sure you get a smoothie rather than a thick sludge that’ll break your blender. Calling it a smoothie also implies that there’s milk in it. Reduced fat milk is the obvious choice, which is 122 calories per cup, and comes with vitamin D and B12, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and saturated fat. Certain fortified milks will also have different nutritional values. Almond milk is a nice choice for a non-dairy smoothie, and only has 40 calories per cup with calcium and vitamins A, E, and K. Getting a little tropical, you can also use coconut water, which isn’t to be confused with the high calorie choice coconut milk. The water only has 46 calories per cup, and has plenty of manganese, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamins C and B.
If you just mixed fruit and milk, you’d probably get something sour or bland, so I like to use just a little sweetener to brighten the flavors and make things more palatable–of course, I like to keep the sweeteners healthy too. I don’t even use normal sugar anymore, because sometimes that’ll give you a grainy texture, and there’s really nothing to sugar. Honey, however, is only 64 calories per tablespoon and acts as a nice anti-inflammatory. Agave nectar is 40 calories per tablespoon, sweeter than sugar, and has a much lower glycemic index. My favorite to use, however, is a vanilla whey protein powder. Every bag has a particular plastic scoop, and it’s usually 100 calories per scoop, but I tend to find a full scoop is too sweet. So, with at most half a scoop in your smoothie, it’ll be 50 calories and you’ll get a healthy dose of calcium and protein.
And there you have it! Mix and match whatever ingredients you feel will make the best smoothie and go for it. Remember to balance healthy and tasty, and add a handful of goji berries to give it that extra kick of nutrition.
Filed under goji berries by on Jul 28th, 2012.
Even Subway is incorporating avocados into their menu as their newest healthy choice, per the latest avocado boom in today’s eating world. This started around early 2011 and has continued into the new year as a huge healthy choice in many restaurants and menus. What is it about these oily fruits, though? Let’s see.
Avocados have plenty of nutrients that are broadcasted everywhere as reasons to eat. The most common reason I see is the antioxidants–everyone wants antioxidants these days. Well, they are high in these sought-after nutrients, which helps prevent signs of aging and cancers, but it also contains high levels of folate–more per ounce than any other fruit! Folate is healthy for the skin and tissue, but is also a critical part in a pregnant woman’s diet for developing the baby. It can also prevent stroke and heart failure. Other vitamins include vitamin E and monosaturated fats, which lead to an extremely heart healthy snack!
Not everyone enjoys sitting down and taking a spoon to a fresh avocado. Some people do, but others just don’t find the taste appetizing. It’s often too bland for people. In this case, using it as an ingredient makes it just as useful and twice as tasty. Avocados are great in sandwiches, used for a chip dip, and even blended into smoothies. Mixed with a little yogurt and honey, this fruit can make for a tasty dessert that’ll have your body thanking you. I like to make it into more of an avocado yogurt, using my lactose-free vanilla yogurt, an avocado, and some agave nectar. Just a little whey milk makes it easier to blend. Pour it into a bowl, and it’s a great lunch–and it tastes fantastic! Avocados can also be used in dinners such as an avocado-tortilla soup, or a fresh salad with raspberries, greens, avocadoes, and a vinaigrette.
Avocadoes may sound frightening to some, but they’re truthfully a tasty little fruit. Versatile in their uses, even people that sound like the texture or flavor can find a way to enjoy it somehow and reap its benefits to stay healthy and happy. Happy eating!
Filed under antioxidants by on Jul 24th, 2012.
When we go shopping, we’re bombarded with a million people saying, “Buy this product! It’s better than the others!” This happens especially often when we’re looking for food, because what we put in our bodies is a huge deal. Lately, a craze has overtaken American to seek out soy foods because “Asians eat it, and they’re so healthy!” and “It’s the best alternative to dairy products!”. This has happened to the point that everyone just assumes soy is a wonder-product and nobody thinks to look at long-term affects.
First off, we’re all told that we’re eating soy, just like the Asians, right? Wrong. In China, they may eat around 2tsp of soy, and in Japan it may get up to ¼ of a cup. Americans are trying to consume copious amounts of soy that is way beyond what any Asian country might deem fit. Secondly, American soy is completely unlike what they ingest in other countries; American soy is unfermented. Unfermented soy is not eaten in other countries because it contains anti-nutrients–toxins for the body. These anti-nutrients block absorption of all the good things for your body, and inhibits protein digestion, which completely backfires a vegetarian’s use of soy.
Another dark part of soy is the content of phytoestrogen–a plant estrogen. There has been copious debate about this topic, but the bottom line is that it’s there. Some believe phytoestrogen to be helpful during women’s menopause, but it has also been seen to lend to the development of breast cancer. Some even believe that large amounts of plant estrogen can lead to the development of breasts in men. Think about how this could happen, though. Vegetarians cut out meat completely, and most go to soy to substitute for their protein. In Japan, they typically ingest around 10mg of soy. A soy burger in America has 200mg. Now, imagine this on a somewhat daily basis. It only takes 30mg of this estrogen to harm a low-functioning thyroid–things can get scary fast for soy consumers.
Soy has become an integrated part of the American diet for the most part, though, and while it may be harming some of our diets, we won’t just give it up. If you do insist on continuing this part of your diet, consider regular thyroid checkups, monitor breast cancer signs, and take vitamin supplements to combat the anti-nutrients. Great ways to do this is to take Coral Calcium for the calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, and drink Goji Juice to get all that energy back in your body.
Filed under Protein by on Jul 9th, 2012.
Sometimes we get into ruts of cooking the same things over and over, living off staple foods. What if I told you that you can spice up these staple foods by incorporating easy recipes and ingredients? Fruit juices can spice up any sweet dishes, including desserts, breakfasts, and salads.
A great dessert that includes fruit juice is poached fruit. You can use apples, pears, or any solid fruit that you might otherwise have to crunch through. Boil a medium saucepan full of fruit juice and place the cleaned and pealed apple or pear into it, making sure to be gentle so you don’t splash the juice and hurt yourself. Let it boil for a while to poach the fruit. This allows the fruit to be infused with the juice, both in flavor and nutrients. So, let’s say you poach a pear in goji juice. This gives the vitamin C of the pear plus the anti-inflammatory benefits of the goji juice, not to mention a tag-teamed amount of antioxidants. In the end, it gives you a softened, juicy, delicious piece of fruit that’s sure to put a bounce in your step.
Fruit juices also make good sauces. They’re easy to make; just simmer the liquid to reduce it. If it’s not thickening enough, add a little corn starch to give it that little push it needs. Remember to mix the corn starch in cold water first, then add it to the hot juice; otherwise, it won’t mix. These sauces are good to create vinaigrettes for salads, syrups for pancakes, and sauces for cakes. Or, if you like sweet and sour chicken, add more savory seasons to the sauce to create a fruity, healthy dinner.
A home made jello is also easily done with fruit juice. Using store bought packages leave you with way too much sugar and chemicals, but adding gelatin to the fruit juice will give you a healthy, tasty bowl of jello. Tip to make it a delicious adult treat? Add cranberry vodka for a fruity jello shot.
You don’t have to drink juice in a cup to get the nutrients and the flavor, and after a while the same recipes start to get boring. Spice up your life with fruity recipes; using goji juice will spice things up for your taste buds and your body.
Filed under Goji Berry Juice by on Jun 30th, 2012.
Headaches plague the minds of the stressed and unhealthy, and the typical reaction is to reach for a couple of aspirin. However, this can be harmful to the body after time. Liver and kidneys are both organs that are affected by the use of medical drugs and may end up damaged. So if you can avoid the use of pain killers, why not? Headaches are, after all, curable.
The first step to being headache free is to be proactive about not getting headaches. Drinking water and eating healthy are some of the best ways to stay headache free. And even if you do get a headache, your first reaction should be to get a glass of water. However, staying healthy is a great way to keep from getting a headache.
When you do get one, though, and you’ve tried water, next try caffeine. Caffeine will ease headaches with addicts, and potentially assist even those who aren’t reliant on the drug to ease the restriction of blood vessels. Eat something healthy if your head hurts, too. Goji berries in particular can give you a burst of energy and protect your head from these pains. Exercise, water, food, and things that will keep your body healthy may all help for small headaches.
If that doesn’t work, you may want to try more homeopathic methods. A head massage may help, which can be done by pressing your hands firmly to your temples and rubbing them and the spot that hurts. Aromatherapy will help relax during this, by burning incense or candles that have a pleasing and relaxing scent. Chamomile tea also helps relax the body and mind, and may ease some of the pain. Finally, if all else fails, reflexology is a possibility. Take your hand and find the fleshy web of skin between our thumb and index finger, then simply rub and squeeze it to relax the nerves and muscles here. This method may not work for everyone, but some might find it just what they need to relax.
Medicine doesn’t have to be the answer to the headaches of every day life. There are natural ways to deal with your problems, including the ones in your head. So, consider it next time before you reach for a bottle of pills that you may be able to alleviate these pains without ingesting a capsule that you don’t fully understand.
Filed under goji berries by on Jun 30th, 2012.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not make it the healthiest as well? Starting your day with goji berries can get you energized and ready to face the day with a good mood–it may even supplement your need for coffee every morning! Just by adding a little fruit to your morning meal may help make the day a lot better.
Instead of coffee in the morning, why not wake up with a healthy cup of tea? You can try to find some specialized tea bags either in your health foods section or online, but you can home brew it too, and know exactly what you’re drinking. You have several options if you decide to home brew. Either drop a few dried or fresh berries into a cup of hot water and let it steep, or steep the berries in an already made cup of tea. Steeping berries in a cup of green or pomegranate tea will ensure double the flavor and double the health benefits. Green tea will give you twice as much antioxidant power, and pomegranate can provide a super fruity drink to wake up with!
You could also use these berries in a nice bowl of cereal. A handful of dried goji berries could supplement a bowl of corn flakes instead of raisins. Between the calcium and D-fortified milk, iron-packed cereal, and berries having more antioxidants than raisins, this bowl of cereal is almost guaranteed to improve the quality of your morning.
Sometimes all you have time for in the morning is a piece of toast, though. So why not spread that toast with something that can get your morning started? If you can’t find goji jelly, you could still make it yourself just the same way you might make other berry jellies. Dried goji berries soaked in goji juice should make the optimum berries for your jelly. Spreading this on a piece of toast in the morning will make a tasty, healthy breakfast that you can eat on the go!
Goji berries can be the best way to wake up in the morning and get you ready to face the day. Just think of ways that you can incorporate them into your normal breakfast choices, even by dropping them into a bowl of Greek yogurt. Just a handful of berries could give you the kick you need to make today a great day.
Filed under goji berries by on Jun 30th, 2012.
Goji berry is a plant that is grown in the area around the Yellow River in China, as well as in the area of Tibet and Himalayas. However, this plant can also grow in other parts of the world, that is, if you know how to take care of them. Goji berries could be used in various juices and healthy products, thus if you want to have such a plant in your own home, Beijing apartment or even in a Kiev apartment, this post will show you how to do just that.
The first thing to start with is the planting, which has to be done after the frost season. The plant should be placed in a spot with good drainage and you have to use some compost material to help it drain. It is important to note that the Goji berry plant does not need a lot of water on its roots, so you will to be careful not to over water. This type of plant requires a lot of sunshine, which will help it grow.
The next thing to be careful about is how to protect your plant, which is especially important in the beginning. The plant needs three years to give berries, thus before that you need to protect your plant with a gardening fence and with a net in order to protect it from the birds and other animals that can do it harm. The Goji Berry plants can become quite tall, so it is advisable for you to prune it and keep it in the form of a small bush. In this way you will get bigger berries and it will be easier for you to protect the plant.
You might be asking yourself, why should you even bothering growing your own Goji Berry plant to begin with? First and foremost, there are many health benefits that come from the goji berry. They are the only fruits that have all the important amino acids, as well as other good and healthy properties. This makes them quite nutritional. They could be eaten in many ways, from fresh, to dried, to even juiced. Furthermore, they can be added to all things that you cook, helping to add additional proteins and vitamins to your diet.
This small plant and its fruits can help you with various health issues. They have large quantities of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and so on. As with other berries, the juice made from them is very healthy. If you want to make most of your home grown berries you can prepare a home-made juice in your Zagreb apartment, rather than purchase the juices that are being sold in the supermarkets.
Goji berries are also often used in breakfast cereals, in teas and even in soups. Many people use them in their morning smoothies with blueberries and pomegranate. This antioxidant drink will have a very good effect on your body and the way that you feel.
Besides the Goji berries fruits, you can also use the plant’s leaves for preparing a salad, but you have to make sure that they are fresh and well cleaned. The Goji salads go well with walnuts and the fruits of the Goji berry plant itself.
Filed under Guest Post by on Jun 14th, 2012.
Various weight-loss solutions are being looked at and used throughout the American culture. Crash diets, low carb, low sugar, low fat–everything’s being looked at in turn. One diet style follows not what’s in the food, but how your body reacts to those foods. Looking at the glycemic index of things that you eat may help with weight loss by helping you choose foods that are more easily metabolized.
The glycemic index(GI) is fairly complicated with how it interacts with the body, but on a basic level, the index charts how food raises the glucose level in your blood, including how high and how fast the reaction occurs. Various factors can determine a certain foods index, however, such as the ripeness, how much it’s been processed, and how much it’s been cooked. A food at its simplest state will have a lower index than one that’s been cooked and significantly dealt with.
The GI is already in use for weight loss purposes with certain programs, including Nutri-System. You don’t need to join a program, though, to utilize the concept of GI–just keep a close eye on and track everything you eat. It’s recommended to eat mostly low index foods(foods with a GI of below 60). A healthy meal will consist of components that are primarily under 50 GI, which allows for higher index foods to be used as well. You don’t have to cut out on higher index foods, just decrease use of them. Lower index foods impact your blood sugar levels less, so eating foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low-processed grains will be healthier and more effective for your body to deal with. Goji berries have a GI of 29–that’s below oranges and apples! By regulating blood sugar levels, you can also help lower the risk of an insulin resistance that comes from extreme amounts of sugar.
Watching the GI in foods isn’t just for weight loss, though–it could be a tool in dealing with diabetes and hypoglycemia. Higher GI foods will put more sugar into the bloodstream to help deal with extremely low blood sugar quickly. Watching the GI levels in foods may also reduce dependency on insulin shots if regulated carefully enough.
Always remember that it takes numerous tools to create a diet or a healthy lifestyle. Using the GI system may contribute, but never rely on just one idea. Also remember that every body reacts differently to different things, and that consulting with a doctor is always the best thing to do when starting a new diet. Even though there are lists on the internet of GI levels in different foods, a doctor can give you a more accurate list, and a better one for you personally.
Filed under goji berry by on Jun 10th, 2012.
Learning about anything that interests you is easy on the Internet and getting all the correct info on the health benefits of goji berries is no exception. Of course when you hear about all the wonderful things these Asian berries can do for you, including the benefits of goji berries nutrition that can help with a variety of health issues and concerns, you’ll want to get a good overview of information.
Now while there is claims made online that seem fantastic, others seem quite reasonable and are supported by facts. For example, several different websites all state the goji berry contains more beta-carotene than carrots. There are other claims made on more than one website including the fact that these berries also have more vitamin C by weight than average oranges. Although there is some variance in the actual numbers, it’s clear this berry has enough redeeming health value to it that North Americans have embraced it and devised a few different ways to prepare the berry to get the most from goji berries nutrition.
Remember that while berry juices are all considered healthy to a large extent, the experts here recommend that to get the full health benefits of goji berries, home juicers are one of the best methods to use since there are none of the added sugars the store bought varieties have.
With the interest in the fruit has come innovation in the way that it gets prepared and used. People have become fond of using the berries in hot cereal, soup and even tea and there are a variety of other uses for this Himalayan berry due to the surge in interest it has spurred.
Now that the summer is fast approaching, one of the more popular recipes has these berries soaking for one hour, then added to a mixture of frozen blueberries and some pure pomegranate to make a smoothie that’s antioxidant-rich and great tasting as well.
The fact that goji berries nutrition is one of the benefits that you’ll get from this berry is clear. The health benefits of goji berries are varied and regardless of how you decide to prepare this fruit, you can rest assured you’ll reap health benefits from them.
Filed under goji, goji berries, goji berry, Health Foods by on May 29th, 2012.
Ever thought about what’s in your icecream? Ever wondered if it was seaweed? Seaweed gets used in a lot of things we don’t normally think about, including biofuel, cosmetics, and various daily-use objects, but it’s also used in our food as an additive, ingredient, and additive.
Seaweed is actually a fairly popular additive to food. Carrageenan, which is the name of a polysaccharide(sugar), is extracted from algae and gels up quickly. It’s highly reactive to water, so very small amounts are needed to create a highly gelatinous substance. A substance only needs 4% carrageenan in water to make it sturdy enough to walk on! It’s used often in chocolate and regular milk to keep the substance mixed rather than separated. Most other processed foods also contain carrageenan as well in order to keep a thick consistency.
Asian cultures especially favor seaweed as an ingredient, but even the Irish have delicious recipes that call for the slimy vegetable. It’s no surprise considering the large kelp that grows around the island. The same goes for France, who dries and pickles the sea-vegetables. Seaweed and kelp tends to be used in salads, soups, and even potato dishes. The green weeds are high in vitamin A, B2, and A, as well as having potassium and magnesium. Red weed has protein, magnesium, iron, and a vitamin that is necessary for the production of vitamin A. Kelp, used in dashi–a fish stock–has iron, magnesium, and vitamin B9. All seaweeds and kelps are extremely low in fat and calories, as well as needing little to fill you up.
A more well known use for seaweed around Gojiberries.us is as a fertilizer. Seaweed is a healthy way to nourish plants and prevent the production of vitamin-starved plants. It’s important to remember that plants don’t naturally grow all of the vitamins and minerals they provide–it’s a crap-in-crap-out situation. Plants need nutrients to provide nutrients. With the use of a healthy, natural fertilizer, your plants can be twice as healthy.
Just because it may sound strange, seaweed is used almost everywhere in the course of eating and living. You’d be hard pressed to go a day without using a seaweed product. But also remember just how good it is for your body, and how little you need to help yourself.
Filed under seaweed fertilizer by on May 28th, 2012.
Like a lot of other things that are making a name for themselves on the Internet, there’s no shortage of information on where to get goji berries and how to buy goji berries. However, the modern day consumer will want to have more information than that to make an informed choice.
For example, many people will want to know where these berries come from and how it is they wind up on the shelf in your grocery store. Used in traditional Chinese medicine for almost 2000 years, this fruit grows in both China and Tibet on low-lying plants that produce the berries in the summer.
Most of the berries that are commercially harvested are dried and used as a health food or in traditional Chinese medicine. By all accounts they taste like a mix between cherries and raisins and are slightly bitter. They are also commonly called wolfberries so it’s a good idea to know the other names these go by when you’re looking to buy goji berries. When you’re considering where to get goji berries, it’s always a good idea to start the search on the Internet where you’ll have a bevy of great information at your fingertips.
Several claims are being made about the health benefits derived from this berry and at the top of the list is the product’s antioxidants that work with the cells in your body to protect against the negative effects of free radicals that can damage your cells. These are also a healthy snack since they contain thiamin and calcium. Remember that thiamin is especially helpful for converting carbohydrates into energy. As well, this ingredient in goji berries also helps to promote healthy thyroid function. There is a relationship with health, as a thyroid that isn’t working efficiently will promote weight gain.
Having a good overview of the facts is a great idea beyond just knowing where to get goji berries. Knowing the places online and in brick and mortar stores to buy goji berries is only one step in what you’ll need to know to make the right choice and get the full benefits here.
Filed under goji, goji berries, goji berry by on May 10th, 2012.