We are often told that it is important to include foods that are high in antioxidants into our daily diets. However, this is often difficult as these foods are often hard to find and sometimes taste pretty bad. One source that is very high in these antioxidants are goji berries. But unlike a lot of other foods, goji berries are actually very nice as well as being so nutritious.

Goji berries are also pretty versatile. In Asia, goji berries are often consumed in teas or soups. This is less common in Europe and USA where goji berries are more often eaten either by themselves or in a multitude of recipes (even including things like Goji berry mince pies!)

This is clearly one of the reasons why goji berries are becoming so popular in the west… they are not only super nutritious, but they can also be consumed in a multitude of different ways.

Goji Berries are grown far up in the Himalayan Mountains and are grown on the border of China and Tibet.

The quality varies greatly depending upon where you get your goji berries from, so it is important to do your research. Make sure you get berries that are grown in areas of Tibet or in the mountain regions of China (not from low land areas). Organic certified Goji berries are also recommended.

I get my Tibetan Goji Berries from one of the best online goji websites (just do a Google search for “buy goji berries online” and you will find several) - you can be assured of the quality and the fact that they are tested and proven radiation free. Why not try out goji berries and get yourself into living longer now?

Goji Berry berries also come in 2 types of mediums one being a hard and dried Goji berry and then there is the soft Goji berry. There is no known difference between the effects on the potency of the Goji berry in which ever form, its all down to personal preference and intended use.

Another form of Goji Berries is Goji Juice and Goji drinks. These are particularly popular in USA and Canada (mainly due to a company called Freelife). This could well be worth trying if you feel you might prefer the juice to the actual berries themselves.

Other “superfoods” that are often mentioned in the same breath as Goji berries are that such as acai, spirulina and mangosteen. But companies promoting these sort of products often do so in a very aggressive and misleading way, so act with caution and don’t pay attention to too many medical claims.

Usually about two and a half litres of water is needed each day for a reasonably sedentary adult to replace the total water loss that occurs through skin, lungs, faeces and urine, unless they are in an unusual environment.

Just under half of this should be in the form of drinks such as water or cold herbal teas and just under a litre from food. The remaining 300ml is created by the body from its own metabolic processes.

If you don’t drink enough water, this is what happens.

1. The pulse rate goes up and there is an increase in the rectal temperature

2. Respiration increases

3. Numbness and tingling are experienced in the extremities

4. Increase in blood concentration

5. Reduced blood volume and more difficult circulation of the blood

The difficulty and inadequacy of the circulation of blood under these conditions leads to:

1. breathing problems

2. gastro-intestinal upsets

3. nauseousness and loss of appetite

4. if it carries on for an extended period it will cause problems with muscle movement and unstable emotions

In an animal study, where water was restricted the animals were highly irritable and in some cases bad tempered.

Thirst

It has been demonstrated that under intense physical activity a male will only drink voluntarily around 50% as much water as what is required to replace losses from urine and sweat. Only after rest and food do the cravings for the required amount of water return to replace the fluid deficit.

Hot Drinks

Ingestion of hot drinks may cause internal body temperature to rise, which will result in sweating in order to cool the body down. Hot drinks are sometimes used in medical practice when it is desired either to temporarily increase body temperature of induce sweating. Therefore cold or cool drinks are preferred to hot drinks to replace fluid during the day, especially if the hot drinks are the only fluid daily intake.

Sugary drinks

During physical activities lasting less than 90 minutes, water is generally the beverage of choice, however, the inclusion of small concentrations of carbohydrate (6%-8% carbohydrate) have been shown to better sustain power output over water alone during physical activities that produce fatigue in 60 minutes or longer.