Goji Berries - a Natural Jing Tonic

What is Jing? In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jing is our basic vital energy, it’s kind of like the car battery - (where Qi energy is more like the petrol). We as humans need to have both strong Jing & abundant Qi to be able to function well & feel really good, like a car needs both battery & petrol in order to work. So what causes it to run low and how can we restore jing?

Our Jing ‘leaks’ away as we age, & this leaking of vital energy is exacerbated by:

illness
stress / fear / anxiety
inflammation
being stuck in toxic relationships
playing rough sports
ongoing sleep disturbance
emotional upheaval
extreme weather
excessive sexual activity
not drinking enough water
pregnancy / childbirth / lactating esp multiple consecutive pregnancies

…these all drain our vital energy, making us age quicker. We can help to restore ‘Jing’ & slow ageing by a) stopping the leaking / addressing the above aggravating factors; & b) incorporating more Jing tonifying foods, herbs & activities into our lives.

Signs your Jing is really running low & could use support:

burn out / fatigue
low libido & / or infertility
premature ageing
weakness
dizziness

How To Tonify Your Jing:

stress management
meditation
yoga
acupuncture
gentler martial arts (Qi Gong / Tai Chi)
recreation
hobbies
giving & serving
adaptogenic herbs (Astragalus, Rhodiola, Ginsengs, Withania & Goji).
good sleep habits
holidays / time out
ensuring good help & support in the period post birth & spacing pregnancies
eat more slow-cooked / wintery foods like soups & stews
black foods (ie black sesame, black beans)
bone broth
chlorella, spirulina, seaweeds
oats, quinoa, amaranth, millet, barley, rye
roasted nuts
watercress, celery, asparagus

So if you feel like your battery is dying from any of the aforementioned Jing - depleting things, you need to start tonifying ASAP! Goji berries are a nice easy addition into your diet - add to smoothies, breakfast, trail mix, salads, stews & curries, or just eat plain to help boost your Jing. The advice from TCM practitioners is don’t go overboard, approx 20 gojis a day (a small handful) is plenty. I can personally confirm that it’s best not to eat too many in one sitting - you may need to race to the loo after a few too many handfuls!! I literally had to run from the beach, across the street & up 3 flights of stairs to my unit at the time! You’ve been warned - as with anything, the difference between a poison & a medicine is the dose! If you’re interested in the western / scientific explanation, here’s a fairly comprehensive link to read on active constituents.