Exploring the health benefits of Goji Berries, touching on cultivation techniques, companion planting, recipes ideas and info on the rich cultural history of this medicinal-grade superfood.
You are a mine of information, Gavin! Thank you! It is lovely that Goji grows in some parts of America. I live in the UK and I dare say we could grow them but only somewhere like the Eden Project.
They should be able to grow in most UK climates I would think. One trick that helps is adding hard wood ash to the soil as they like their soil slightly alkaline compared to most other crops.
Hello my friend! :) Thanks I am glad you enjoyed what I put together here.
I usually use either our homegrown Trail Of Tears black beans, Runner beans or Hokkaido Black Soy beans for sprouting but perhaps in the context of that Goji berry infused taco mix I recently shared pics of sprouting is not the right term. I basically soak them for 24 hours and then rinse, and add new water, rise and repeat until I see them beginning to germinate. So they are barely germinated beans, not fully sprouted. The idea is better bioavailability, less anti-nutrients and a nice finished texture.
Yup you can use store bought organic black beans, I would just use the technique I provide on page 65and 66 of my book for sprouting in that case.
I like your term health sovereignty, Gavin, and the way that your natural ingredients enhance the body's ability to take care of itself rather than forcing certain reactions with chemicals. I think there's a parallel for how healthy community gov't should work, empowering families and neighborhoods to take care of each other.
And wow! I'm sold on the miracle berry. You gotta know that anything that could dye your whole wardrobe with one teaspoon is potent medicine! I'll leave the ghost peppers to you culinary skydivers, though.
I am 99% sure many other people have used that term before me (though they may have meant something completely different than I meant when they used the term) but thank you :)
When I say Health Sovereignty, I mean choosing to take on the role of a capable steward, provider, protector and venerator of the sacred temple that is the human body (and being capable of taking on that sacred role through embracing Food Sovereignty) while also respecting the body of our Mother Earth.
When I say Food Sovereignty, I mean to take on the role of a capable steward, provider, protector and venerator of one's garden, tending to that space with love, purpose and a clear intent to be capable of providing the human body we have been gifted by Creator everything it needs to not only be healthy, but also to achieve it's highest potential (while also respecting the body of Mother Earth).
I believe that consciously embracing these two roles (of embracing sovereignty in how we care for our body and how we access our food, as in, striving to be of service to our sacred temple and to the living Earth that provides our food) are pathways that enable us to become the living template for a metamorphosis for our communities and human family, like an imaginal cell a monarch chrysalis, becoming a catalyst for transformation.
The miracle berry (And the miracle leaves, shoots and roots too)! ;) :)
Yes the antioxidants in those Black Goji berries are very potent indeed. Wow now I want to try dying some cloth with ours, cool idea!
haha I love your fun description of creating in the kitchen with ghost peppers. It should be said that Ghost peppers can be extremely delicious in small quantities and/or if the heat is diluted with other veggies etc (and whether they are enjoyed in diluted form or straight up) they offer a long list of health benefits (with zero risk for a healthy person) if enjoyed in moderation. Also, if you like hot sauce and wanted to create a variation on the sauce I showed pictures of in the article above (with a more moderate capsaicin level) you could swap out the ghost peppers for some ripe jalapenos or even bell peppers for a mild version.
Thank you very much for the comment, I look forward to hearing how the Goji Berries do in your garden, please feel free to reach out if you need to do any trouble shooting while cultivating them :)
You are a mine of information, Gavin! Thank you! It is lovely that Goji grows in some parts of America. I live in the UK and I dare say we could grow them but only somewhere like the Eden Project.
I am glad you appreciate the info I put together :)
Yes Goji's are naturalized in some areas in the south of US (where the Chinese Railroad workers dropped seeds as they progressed over a century ago).
They grow easily here in our garden in Ontario (zone 6) but can also grow further north (down to zone 3).
I also found this: https://www.primrose.co.uk/blog/gardening/how-to-grow-goji-berries-in-the-uk/
They should be able to grow in most UK climates I would think. One trick that helps is adding hard wood ash to the soil as they like their soil slightly alkaline compared to most other crops.
Hey Gavin! Greats pictures and essay.
Whats your technique to sprout black beans ( starting from the dry state ) ?
And, does it work with store-bought organic black beans? Thanks have a great fall.
For more info: https://culturesforhealth.com/blogs/learn/sprouting-how-to-sprout-black-beans
Hello my friend! :) Thanks I am glad you enjoyed what I put together here.
I usually use either our homegrown Trail Of Tears black beans, Runner beans or Hokkaido Black Soy beans for sprouting but perhaps in the context of that Goji berry infused taco mix I recently shared pics of sprouting is not the right term. I basically soak them for 24 hours and then rinse, and add new water, rise and repeat until I see them beginning to germinate. So they are barely germinated beans, not fully sprouted. The idea is better bioavailability, less anti-nutrients and a nice finished texture.
Yup you can use store bought organic black beans, I would just use the technique I provide on page 65and 66 of my book for sprouting in that case.
Hope this helps and happy sprouting! :)
Great! Thanks for taking the tine Gavin.
I like your term health sovereignty, Gavin, and the way that your natural ingredients enhance the body's ability to take care of itself rather than forcing certain reactions with chemicals. I think there's a parallel for how healthy community gov't should work, empowering families and neighborhoods to take care of each other.
And wow! I'm sold on the miracle berry. You gotta know that anything that could dye your whole wardrobe with one teaspoon is potent medicine! I'll leave the ghost peppers to you culinary skydivers, though.
I am 99% sure many other people have used that term before me (though they may have meant something completely different than I meant when they used the term) but thank you :)
When I say Health Sovereignty, I mean choosing to take on the role of a capable steward, provider, protector and venerator of the sacred temple that is the human body (and being capable of taking on that sacred role through embracing Food Sovereignty) while also respecting the body of our Mother Earth.
When I say Food Sovereignty, I mean to take on the role of a capable steward, provider, protector and venerator of one's garden, tending to that space with love, purpose and a clear intent to be capable of providing the human body we have been gifted by Creator everything it needs to not only be healthy, but also to achieve it's highest potential (while also respecting the body of Mother Earth).
I believe that consciously embracing these two roles (of embracing sovereignty in how we care for our body and how we access our food, as in, striving to be of service to our sacred temple and to the living Earth that provides our food) are pathways that enable us to become the living template for a metamorphosis for our communities and human family, like an imaginal cell a monarch chrysalis, becoming a catalyst for transformation.
Charles Eisenstein also wrote some interesting things that touch on the concept of "sovereignty" at the end of this essay: https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-coronation/
The miracle berry (And the miracle leaves, shoots and roots too)! ;) :)
Yes the antioxidants in those Black Goji berries are very potent indeed. Wow now I want to try dying some cloth with ours, cool idea!
haha I love your fun description of creating in the kitchen with ghost peppers. It should be said that Ghost peppers can be extremely delicious in small quantities and/or if the heat is diluted with other veggies etc (and whether they are enjoyed in diluted form or straight up) they offer a long list of health benefits (with zero risk for a healthy person) if enjoyed in moderation. Also, if you like hot sauce and wanted to create a variation on the sauce I showed pictures of in the article above (with a more moderate capsaicin level) you could swap out the ghost peppers for some ripe jalapenos or even bell peppers for a mild version.
Thank you very much for the comment, I look forward to hearing how the Goji Berries do in your garden, please feel free to reach out if you need to do any trouble shooting while cultivating them :)