If you’ve ever heard of David Wolfe, then you know his latest passion is talking about the importance of eating colorful foods and, more specifically, what those different colors (and those colors’ shapes!) can mean for your health.
For example, I recently heard an interview where he discussed how eating orange foods can offer anti-inflammatory compounds, consuming green foods can offer detoxing and liver benefits, red foods are prized for energy, blood, and qi (pronounced chee) health, and black foods are associated with adrenal/kidney health and jing.
I dig it.
I think it’s cool to eat by the rainbow, and when I made my beautiful Qi and Jing Boosting Elixir, I was enamored by the idea of how it could be benefiting those specific areas David mentioned.
What is qi? What is jing? They’re thoughtful concepts with origins in Chinese philosophy. Qi is the energetic fire you have inside that flows through you; a “life force” if you will. You know when you’re lifting weights and you’re trying to bust out that last rep as you come to failure? You’re calling on your qi to push you through. Jing is our vital essence; our primordial energy for growth and development, including the notion that aging can deplete our jing. Qi and Jing have a close relationship in traditional chinese medicine so it’s gratifying to have a recipe that honors them both.
Organic cranberries and black raspberry powder are special ingredients that can support both qi and jing. Their combined color is so vibrant that I feel replenished just looking at it. Seriously.
Recipe: Qi and Jing Boosting Elixir
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup frozen organic cranberries
- 1 tablespoon raw honey (David’s Noniland honey(s) are exquisite)*
- 1 tablespoon Brain Octane MCT oil
- 1 tablespoon black raspberry powder (special stuff!)
- 1 pinch sea salt
Blend everything. (For extra credit, add a drop of ginger essential oil.)
*I keep it lower in sugar so it’s more tart than sweet, but feel free to add more sweetness if desired.