Gou Qi Zi. Goji Berries. Wolfberries.
I bought a small bag of goji berries yesterday. It's not a fruit I particularly crave. I'm more of a blueberry girl. However, goji berries, or gou qi zi as they are called in the Chinese Materia Medica, are superior for liver nutrition, healing, and protection.
Since according to Chinese medicine we cleanse the liver in the spring, it could be a good time to experiment with goji berries. This could be the precise reason I was having the goji berry craving. Goji berries are categorized as an herb that tonifies blood, particularly for the liver, kidneys, and lungs. They have been used as a superfood for about 6,000 years in Asian cultures and are revered as a food eaten for longevity. Gou qi zi is neither hot nor cold in property which gives it a neutral homeostatic property. This is as close to yin-yang balance as you can get within one food.
The state of the liver will manifest in the eyes. Therefore, gou qi zi should be taken to brighten the eyes in addition to tonifying the blood and nourishing the liver. Dosage should be between 6 - 18 grams per day, or one large handful. The individual berry is the same size as a raisin, but not as moist. They are mildly sweet and chewy. They can be eaten alone or with cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt. You may even want to put them in salads for a double dose of liver health. Remember from my last post that green foods nourish the liver. Check this out if you would like to learn more.
Fortunately, in Los Angeles gou qi zi is easy to find in health food stores, grocery stores, and Chinatown. It's not cheap, but easy to find. But as I always say, pay for your health on the front end.
Thank you for reading.
Tamara ZumMallen
My 4 yr old daughter craves berries - raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries. She has some issues with food refusal and self-regulation in general. Had some gross-motor and language delays. Has low-muscle-tone. What do you think is in berries that her body craves, or is not producing that she needs?
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Hello!
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Hi I was searching Gou qi zi in google and then I found ur blog very interesting!! Good on you.
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Thanks for the info on goji berries (or gou qi zi.) I'm a Californian living in Singapore and my reflexologist bought me a bag of these (good quality from Zhong Ning) to use to help with my dry eyes & leg pains, but my lack of Chinese & her English made it difficult to understand how to take them. Now I know & am enjoying my "snack" that will help. Thanks!
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