HEALTHIER DAYS AHEAD

Energizing Goji Berry and Jujube Wellness Tonic was recently recommended to me by my naturopathic doctor. She provided me with the below recipe to support my stamina and provide lasting energy. The ingredients provide an antioxidant-rich punch, aiding in digestion, lowering blood sugar, and tonifying your blood.

In this blog post, I go in depth about the importance of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a full guide on tonifying your blood: A crucial step I didn't realize was missing from my gut healing journey!

When to Make this Wellness Tonic

1. On your gut healing journey

When on your gut healing journey, you may find at times you are fatigued, have low energy, and are just overall tired and weak.

For me, I felt this way after three months of antimicrobials and starting the second phase of my SIBO protocol. I started to feel very fatigued, experienced weight loss, and was often dizzy every time I stood up. These were red flags for my naturopath. We shifted my diet and added some additional supplements to support my body.

One thing she introduced to me was this wellness tonic. Its nourishing ingredients would bring me energy, nourish my blood, and support my immune system.

2. If you are experiencing die-off symptoms

Another reason you may make this tonic is if you are struggling with die-off symptoms.

“Die-off” is what practitioners refer to as symptoms you may experience when ridding of bacterial or yeast overgrowth. This could be through diet changes, like the Candida Diet, or antimicrobials.

Basically, you may feel worse while the bacteria/yeast is “dying off”. The increased amount of toxins in your body is temporary, but can make you have flu-like symptoms, more digestive issues, skin flare-ups, sugar cravings, and body aches. This should only last for a few days, before you start feeling immensely better.

This tonic would be a great addition to your routine if you think you are experiencing die-off symptoms!

3. If you have afternoon crashes

If you find that your energy severely dips mid-morning or late afternoon, this energizing tea could be the perfect replacement to your second cup of coffee, or highly-damaging energy drink.

Energy crashes could come from a variety of reasons: Not getting enough deep sleep; having a poor diet; thyroid issues; bacterial overgrowth like H. Pylori or SIBO; Candida Overgrowth, etc. I would recommend working with a trusted practitioner, to find the root cause of your fatigue.

Whenever you do have that energy crash or general fatigue, this warm, tonic drink will replace your second, third (or fourth!) cup of coffee and give you long-lasting energy guaranteed!

The Ingredients

• Goji Berries - Sweet and tart, they not only add a fruity flavor profile but are antioxidant-rich and have anti-inflammatory properties. They also have 20+ vitamins and minerals to support overall health.

• Jujube Dates - Otherwise known as "red dates", they are high in fiber, promote digestive health and offer a rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A and potassium. They have a natural sweetness and bring a hint of caramel taste to the tonic.

• Ginger - The warm and spicy kick of ginger helps combat nausea and aids overall digestion.

• Green Apple - Adds a crisp sweetness to the drink. Green apples are packed with fiber and antioxidants and can help stabilize blood sugar levels (they won’t spike your blood sugar as much as red apples, which contain more sugar). Great for a quick energy boost!

  
  

I love this recipe as is, but if you want to make modifications, I would recommend the below.

• For more sweetness, add one green apple, sliced up, instead of half of one.

• Longan - For a greater antioxidant punch, you can add longan the same time as the jujube dates. It is rich in potassium and has a calming effect on the body. It also supports digestion and adds a nice flavor profile to the drink (similar to that of a lychee). You can find it at traditional Chinese markets or food-health stores.

• Lemongrass - Would also be a great, herbal addition to the tonic. Similar to longan, it has a calming effect and is proven to help with digestion, especially bloating and indigestion.

This tonic drink is best warmed up, and I would recommend reheating it on the stove. Enjoy up to one cup a day, any time of day, but in between meals is when I love to have it. Store the rest in a glass bottle (or any reusable, glass container) for up to a week.

Let me know your thoughts on this energizing, wellness tonic!