Goji Berries: The Superfood Sweeties

I’ve discovered goji berries! Actually, it seems that goji berries have discovered me. These little superfoods have been on my ‘to try’ list for absolutely ages but I have just never had the opportunity and always seem to forget when I’m at the health shop. How could I have passed over these luminous red berries sitting on the shelf?

I found Hipster Health on twitter and just loved the look of their natural food products. After a brief chat they generously offered to send me some products to sample. To say that I am impressed is an understatement. Three large packs arrived with beautiful branding and packaging. I received the goji berries, milled flaxseed and chia coco. I was immediately curious to try the shrivelled gojis but sure that they were going to be bitter and a bit chewy. To my surprise, they were sweet, tangy, tender and delicious! They have a similar consitency to raisins but also remind me of those chewy sweets I used to love, superfood versions!

 What a discovery! I’m hooked.

Goji Berry Benefits

Gojis have a rich and intense red hue which means that they are crammed with antioxdants and have anti-inflammatory properties. They definitely achieve superfood status with this list of benefits:

• Keeps immune system healthy
• Rich in amino acids including the 8 essential amino acids
• One of the highest sources of antioxidants (anti-aging effect).
• Rich in Vitamnin A
• Contains B vitamins B1,B2,& B6
• Vitamin E – quite rare in fruits
• More Vitamin C per ounce than an orange
• Contains the anti-inflammatory agent beta-sitosterol which lowers cholesterol
• Essential fatty acids such as omega 6 linoleic acid that regulate hormones and promotes body fat loss
• 15 times more nutritional iron than spinach

Something that also stood out for me is that goji berries can actually improve mood and emotions. They seem to promote a sense of well-being and optimism and are known as the ‘happy berry’. I can imagine that this could be because of their bright colour and delicious taste but there is probably more to it than that.

These berries give your body a large dose of what it desperately needs, nutrients. They also stabilise blood sugar levels which helps you to be more even-tempered. It’s no suprise that you’ll feel good when you eat goji berries.

These benefits really compliment the MS diet and I would highly recommend that you have a handful of these every day.

Five Goji Meal Ideas

1. Mix them with nuts for a quick and filling snack.
2. Throw them in your morning smoothie for an extra boost.
3. Sprinkle them over your gluten-free oats.
4. Add them to your superfood salad.
5. Bake them at a very low tempature and watch them blow up like little balloons. Then add them to veggie dishes.

 I’m off to make my morning smoothie with my goji berries!

 Special Thanks

I want to send a big shout out to Hipster Health for allowing me to sample their fabulous products. You’ve got me hooked on goji berries!

 I also tried out their chia coco yesterday. I added coconut milk, mashed banana and a little maple syrup. It turned into a porridge-like consistency and was super-filling! Loved it.

 Hipster Health products are available at http://www.hipsterhealth.com