Blood Building Oatmeal recipe | with He Shou Wu, Goji Berries, Ground Almonds

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This is a hobby blog and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

What is “blood building”?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, blood building means strengthening the body’s blood to support energy, emotions, and organ function. It focuses on supporting the Spleen and Liver, since they produce, store, and circulate blood. Blood deficiency often presents as fatigue, dizziness, pale complexion, dry skin or hair, and trouble concentrating. Emotionally, it can show up as anxiety, poor sleep, or feeling mentally unsettled. For women who naturally lose blood through their cycle monthly, blood needs to be adequately replenished through rest, nourishment, and low stress.

The main components of this recipe - the oats, He Shou Wu, goji berries - are all blood builders in TCM. The oatmeal also has ghee, which in Ayurveda is considered one of the most nourishing substances for the body, helping to lubricate tissues and support healthy digestion (drying is dying). The ground almond and date powder sweetens this porridge and adds a little bit of protein. As does the soy milk. I used soy milk because my sister got me into the Yuka app and oatly oat milk(my go to) got a terrible score (sigghhh.) I’ve tried replacing it with almond milk, coconut powder, cashew milk etc, but those didn’t give me a creamy porridge. The Silk soy milk is perfect though! I stopped using soy milk for such a long time because of all the stuff I was hearing about soy but it’s actually a good milk alternative and offers 8 grams of protein per serving!

The ingredients from an eastern wellness lens:

• Oats - In Ayurveda, whole grains build strong dhatus (tissues) and are grounding and calming making oatmeal perfect for breakfast.

• Goji berries - When an acupuncturist heard my symptoms (which pointed to blood deficiency), the first thing she recommended was goji berries. Besides being esteemed longevity tonic, it treats blood deficiency, particularly by nourishing Liver and Kidney Yin and building blood.

• He Shou Wu - Now for the star of the show. In TCM, He Shou Wu, also known as Fo-Ti, is revered as the ultimate longevity herb. Providing resilience and supporting the Liver and Kidney to restore vitality, strengthen essence (Jing), and counter fatigue, premature aging, and weakness. Over time rebuilding depleted blood.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup soy milk

• 1/3 cup extra thick oats

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp He Shou Wu (I use 1 tsp but this might be an acquired taste so start small)

• 1/4 tsp vanilla

• Dash nutmeg

• 1 tbsp goji berries

• 1/2 tsp ghee

Topping

• 1/2 a medjool date

• 2 tablespoons almonds

• Pumpkin seeds or nut of choice (optional)

• Drizzle honey (optional)

Instructions

1.

Blend the date and almonds into a powder )30 seconds using the beast blender.) Set aside.

2.

In a small saucepan over low to medium heat, combine ½ cup milk and the oats, stirring continuously. When the milk warms up, add cinnamon, vanilla, He Shou Wu, nutmeg. Continue stirring, slowly adding the remaining milk as it is absorbed. Cook until most of the milk is absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy, about 10 minutes (less if not using extra-thick oats).

* Continuous stirring is how i avoid that milk “skin.”

3.

Reduce heat to low and add goji berries. Stir until well combined and cover for another five minute. (Whole nuts can be added here as well.) Turn off heat and stir in ghee.

4.

Pour into a bowl and top with blended almond and date powder. Top with nuts if using, drizzle honey to taste.

Enjoy! 🌷