Goji Berries – the newest health food trend – are they all what they are cracked up to be? Will Goji Berries really help fight my liver? improve my memory? sleep better? What are Goji Berries?

Knowing and having an understanding of any health food trend is important when determining whether or not it is something that you need to add to your daily food intake. In order to make the decision you need to know what the goji berry is and what the benefits are to your body.

What are Goji Berries?

Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, have been a part of the Chinese culture for centuries. The goji berry is a red berry grown in the Himalayan valley. Goji berries are a dark-red fruit with a sweet taste that have been known to have exceptional healing powers and is considered to be one of the world’s most nutrient-dense foods.  For thousands of the years the Goji berry has been proven to improve various ailments and health conditions – such as liver, kidney or eye diseases.

The Chinese have been consuming the goji berries for centuries, whether combining them with their tea, drinking goji berry juice, or eating the dried fruit itself. They believe that the dark red color of the goji berry helps to keep them young and healthy.

Health Benefits of Goji Berries

• Goji Berries Improve Immune System – Without getting too technical the presence of polysaccharides in the goji berry help to enhance the immune cells – therefore fighting off disease.
• Increase and Support Energy Levels – Goji helps to increase energy without the use of stimulants such as caffeine.
  

  

• Improve Memory – The abundance of nutrients in the goji berry helps to increase brain function – improving memory.
• Improve Liver Function – Goji contains betaine, cereboside, and pyrroles, which have been proven to help protect and support healthy liver function.
• Extend Life - The hundreds of nutrients in the goji help to protect your body’s natural defense mechanisms. The cells in your body are under constant attack by daily toxins – the goji helps your cells fight these toxins and prevent premature again of the cells.
• Fight Cancer – The polysaccharides in goji can stop and prevent the genetic mutations of cells that turn into cancer. Even if a patient has cancer, the goji berry has been proven to help the healing process when combined with a cancer medication.
• Improve Sleep Patterns – Many people who have had difficulty with sleeping have found the goji berry to improve their sleeping patterns. Scientists have attributed this to the effects of the goji berry on the pineal gland.
• Increase Weight Loss – Polysaccharides in the goji berry have been found to help people lose weight. The goji helps to increase the conversion of food into energy instead of fat – thus increasing weight loss.

As you can see the benefits of the Goji Berry are endless.

Who knew that one little berry could offer SO many benefits. So – to eat the goji berry or not to eat the goji berry? Honestly – that is something I can’t answer for you. You must keep in mind your own body and how you feel. Look at these benefits and your diet and from there you can decide if the goji berry is a necessary part of your diet.

Making sure you eat every few hours ensures that your metabolism is revving and the pounds are coming off – even when you aren’t at the gym.

Think of eating every few hours like putting a log on the fire to keep it burning.

Just like a fire needs energy (or a log) to keep burning strong – your body needs nutrients to keep it burning strong. Eating every 3-4 hours helps to keep the fire in your tummy going strong. Well, you don’t really have a fire in your stomach – but your metabolism is the fire that gives you energy. When you don’t eat every few hours the fire starts to go out and you have less energy. Less energy to focus at work. Less energy to workout. Less energy to even make dinner.

How can you keep the fire in your stomach stoked?

Try one of these Three Flat Stomach Diet snacks

Sliced Apples and Natural Peanut Butter – I’m sure we all remember having apples and peanut butter as a kid for an after school snack. Well, the benefits of this snack are STILL as good for you. The good fat in natural peanut butter helps to fill you up, while the apples give you a sweet treat to fill your sugar cravings.

Almonds and Goji Berries - The health benefits of goji berries are endless – from helping fight cancer, to helping you lose weight and give you energy to make it through the day. Don’t think that you are only going to get health benefits from the goji berries – almonds hold their own when it comes to nutrients. Almonds are full of nutrients such as vitamin E and fiber – while helping to lower blood pressure and heart disease. When you combine the goji berries with almonds you get a snack PACKED with nutrients.

Hummus and Veggies – Adding a snack with hummus is a great way to increase the fiber in your diet. The fiber in hummus helps keep you fuller for longer and avoid those unhealthy treats. Eating the hummus with veggies is a great way to add green vegetables to your diet and avoid extra carbohydrates (if you chose the alternative bread to eat with your hummus).

Any of these three flat stomach diet snacks will not only fit into your flat stomach diet, but they are quick and easy. You can grab them at the grocery store and throw them into your lunch, without much time or preparation. Once they are in your lunch bag you’ll be more inclined to eat them – keeping your fire stoked and giving you the energy you need to make it through the day, while working towards your fitness goals.

Want more Flat Stomach Diet Snack Recipes? Check out these:

Healthy Snack Options to Lose Weight

Four Healthy Snack Options