TCM Blood and Energy building drink

Ever feel like you're exhausted no matter how much you sleep?
You've tried iron supplements, eating more red meat and resting more but its not helping. 

Often correcting nutrient deficiencies and addressing lifestyle factors improves energy levels, but in the occasions it doesn't, a little help from Traditional Chinese Medicine can make a big difference. 

Red dates, or Chinese jujubes, are considered 'blood-building', being traditionally used to treat blood deficiency/ loss after giving birth or during a woman's period. Alleviating symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness and pale complexion. A 2020 study found that jujubes stimulated erythropoiesis, the production of red blood cells, that can compliment the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia. This fruit has a warming constitution to it, even more so with the seed included however I recommend removing first as it's too "drying" - helpful for those who often feel cold (but if you often feel hot, don't over eat these seedless). 

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Goji berries tonify the kidneys (where the adrenal glands that produce cortisol and adrenaline sit on), enhance hemopoiesis, the production of red blood cells and platetes, and neutralise free radicals with it's high antioxidant content (less inflammation means the body can focus on producing energy). Goji is not as warming as red dates so can complement each other. 

Together, this naturally sweet drink is high in antioxidants and blood supportive nutrients - recommend eating the fruits.

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Serves 1
Ingredients

3 dried red dates, rinsed, with seed removed

1 Tbsp dried goji berries, rinsed
2 cups filtered water

 

1. In a small saucepan, add water, red dates and goji berries. Bring to high heat.

2. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes

3. When red dates and goji are rehydrated and water has darken in colour, turn heat off. 

4. Serve in a large mug or heatproof bowl dividing the fruits eventually.

5. Allow to cool and drink warm.



 

Precaution:

These medicinal fruits are not suitable for everyone such as if you already have iron overload or the body struggles with excess heat. Additionally, if theres underlying nutrient deficiency or thyroid condition untreated, fatigue and tiredness symptoms will likely return. Talk to your Chinese Medicine Practitioner and/or primary healthcare provider. 
 

I can find organic goji berries from Costco in Melbourne, but have yet to source organic jujubes - let me know if you find any!

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References
Chen, J., & Tsim, K. W. (2020). A review of edible jujube, the Ziziphus jujuba fruit: a heath food supplement for anemia prevalence. Frontiers in pharmacology, 11, 593655.

Shahrajabian, M. H., Sun, W., & Cheng, Q. (2020). A short review of goji berry, ginger, ginseng and astragalus in traditional Chinese and Asian medicine. Black Sea Journal of Health Science, 3(2), 36-45.
 

Ma, Z. F., Zhang, H., Teh, S. S., Wang, C. W., Zhang, Y., Hayford, F., ... & Zhu, Y. (2019). Goji berries as a potential natural antioxidant medicine: An insight into their molecular mechanisms of action. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2019(1), 2437397.

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Skenderidis, P., Leontopoulos, S., & Lampakis, D. (2022). Goji berry: Health promoting properties. Nutraceuticals, 2(1), 32-48.