Cold and flu season is amongst us! Why is it that we give the flu its own season? I personally prefer to refer to it as "germ season." With the holidays around the corner, change in weather and our schedules getting busy, sometimes we forget to take care of our selves.
My focus around this time of the year is to make sure that we are keeping our bodies at optimal performace. Giving it that extra TLC and making sure that our immune system is fully supported so that when we do come near people who are sick, we can fight off whatever germs they have!
I want to start a short series, where every week, I share with yall some of my favorite products (food, supplement, oils, etc) to help keep your body strong.
Wolfberry:
In China, the wolfberry fruit is more often referred to as “goji” or lycii fruit. They are the bright red fruit of the Lycium barbarum plants. There are over eighty species of wolfberries worldwide that vary in antioxidant and nutritional value. Wolfberries support healthy immune system but they are filled with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. They provide a natural source of calcium and magnesium, Vitamin B, antioxidants and more.
Antioxidants protect our bodies against free radicals. Free radicals are harmful molecules that can damage your cells. Goji berries have a high oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) score of 3,290 (quantity of antioxidants in certain foods).
What's special about the goji berries is that they contain specific antioxidants called Lycium barbarum polysaccharides, which are thought to provide a wide source of health benefits. In addition, goji berries provide 11 essential amino acids.
As a rough guide, ¼ cup (85 grams) of dried goji berries has about:
Calories: 70
Sugar: 12 grams
Protein: 9 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Fat: 0 grams
Vitamin A: 150 percent of the RDI
Copper: 84 percent of the RDI
Selenium: 75 percent of the RDI
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 63 percent of the RDI
Iron: 42 percent of the RDI
Vitamin C: 27 percent of the RDI
Potassium: 21 percent of the RDI
Zinc: 15 percent of the RDI
Thiamine: 9 percent of the RDI
Antioxidants like those in goji berries may help fight aging by preventing free radicals from damaging collagen in the skin. Goji berry extract has been linked to anti-cancer activity in both animal and human studies. The potential tumor-inhibiting effects of goji berries are likely due to their ability to boost levels of antioxidants and reduce levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-5 and IL-8 in the blood. Consuming concentrated goji berry extract or juice has been linked to improved energy and feelings of overall well-being.
Ningxia Red:
NingXia Red wolfberry juice incorporates the benefits of Goji berry, yuzu juice, aronia berry and therapeutic essential oils into a powerful antioxidant and nutritionally balanced drink. This superfruit beverage combines whole Ningxia wolfberry puree; a superfruit blend of blueberry, aronia, cherry, pomegranate, and plum juices; natural stevia extract; grape seed extract; pure vanilla extract; and Orange, Yuzu, Lemon, and Tangerine essential oils. Personally, I drink about 2 oz of this per day. If I feel like everyone around me is sick, then sometimes I up it to 4 oz/day. I also like to make a Ningxia bomb: Ningxia red, Ningxia zyng and Ningxia nitro! I mix all three in a cup and add ice and sip on it throughout the day!
Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 1 fl. oz (29.5ml)
Servings per container: about 25
Calories: 15
Total Carbohydrates: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: <1 g
Sugars: 2g
Sodium: 1mg
Ingredients
Proprietary NingXia Red Blend: Ningxia wolfberry puree (Lycium barbarum), Blueberry juice concentrate (Vaccinium corymbosum), Plum juice concentrate (Prunus domestica), Cherry juice concentrate (Prunus avium), Aronia juice concentrate (Aronia melanocarpa), Pomegranate juice
concentrate (Punica granatum), Proprietary Essential Oil Blend: Grape seed extract (Vitis vinifera), Orange EO (Citrus sinensis), Yuzu EO (Citrus junos), Lemon EO (Citrus limon), Tangerine EO (Citrus reticulata)
Other ingredients: Tartaric acid, Natural blueberryavor, Pure vanilla extract, alic acid, Pectin, Sodium benzoate/natural stevia extract.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15053557
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/280160/1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17090411
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25552899
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20232121
