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There are studies out there for everything.  I believe it was Mark Twain who said there are three kinds of lies – lies, d*#n lies and statistics.  Sorry about that – he said it – not me and that’s as close to coarse as I’m gonna get.

I hear people all the time say that they don’t go by anecdotal evidence.  They claim, in a superior sort of way, that they only abide by clinical studies.  To that, I say, “Poppycock, balderdash, fiddle-faddle!”  And I might be so bold as to add, “Piffle!”

Suppose you went to a specialist and described your health concern.  After extensive tests, he diagnoses you with spotsarashitchitosis.  He hands you a prescription for toximoxadislow and gives a full explanation of this drug as the latest, greatest and safest and cites multiple studies in which the victims of your condition are transformed from depressed and mere shells of their former selves into lively specimens who dance in the streets while strewing roses from their hats.

Elated, you head home, planning to make the pharmacy the last on your list of errands.  At the gas station, you meet your friend, Flow, and tell her about your doctor’s visit.  With alarm in her eyes, Flow tells you that she took the same drug and had a reaction that nearly killed her.  You listen, but pass this off as a rare case.  And besides, Flow gets worked up about things.

Next, you run into Cousin Rudy at the grocery store and again you share your experience.  “Dunno,” says Rudy, rubbing his chin, “Larry took that stuff and tells me things haven’t been the same between him and the missus ever since.”  You give him a “Wow!” accompanied by raised eyebrows and head for the bank.

Inside the bank, you find Mary Ann and do some catching up while you wait in line.  As soon as you mention the drug, she clutches your forearm and says, “Oh my, before you take that stuff, call Peggy.  Of course, you’ll have to wait till she gets out of the hospital first.”

Guess what?  By the time you’ve driven home, you’ve just thrown all clinical studies out the window along with the prescription because of the anecdotal experiences of people you know whom you don’t consider to be nut jobs.

All that to say, I love a good study!  I do research all the time and sometimes base health decisions on that research.  I’ve had some health issues that demanded that I take charge and learn a lot.

I also listen to the Trim Healthy Podcast, which is full of valuable rock-solid science and personal stories.  Sometime last fall, Pearl Barrett shared her own story about her eyes on “The Poddy”.  She said that she’d been needing reading glasses for a while and now had reached the point where she felt like she needed to increase their strength.  After some research on goji berries and their benefits to eye health she decided to include two tablespoons of them into her diet every day, most often in her morning oatmeal.  In two months time, she had begun to notice that there were times when she didn’t need her readers.  Before this, the only times she could go without them were if she happened to be out on her porch which is flooded with natural light.  Now she found herself going without readers in other situations as well!

Goji berries seemed like a simple thing to try.  I looked at my calendar and realized that I had just a little over two months till my next checkup with the optometrist, so I bought a bag of dried goji berries and got started with my two tablespoons a day just to see what might happen. 

Well, what happened was life and my appointment ended up getting postponed so that I’d been consuming goji berries daily for around three and one half months before I got checked.  I actually started with a small bag from Natural Grocers first, just to be sure that they weren’t so disgusting that I couldn’t get them down every day.  I found them to have a completely neutral flavor so I ordered the big two pound bag you see in the photo from Amazon in order to get a better price.  Considering I was only experimenting with two tablespoons a day, this is affordable.

When my eye appointment rolled around, I got the news that my eyes were just that partial step better than they’d been on previous visits!  I thought I’d been noticing that recipes seemed a little easier to read and now I realized I wasn’t just wishing and hoping.  Needless to say, I bought another bag and am still doing my two tablespoons a day. 

Thanks much, Pearl Barrett and the Trim Healthy Podcast for always having good info and great ideas that are natural and safe!

Note:  Goji berries do not dry soft like raisins.  They dry hard.  When I plan for oatmeal in the mornings, I soak my half cup of old-fashioned oats overnight in the bowl and in the morning I place my hand over this and pour most of the water off.  Then, the oats go into a small saucepan with all the other flavorings and protein I like, including the goji berries.  By the time the oats are hot and bubbly and I’ve gotten all the other things stirred in, the goji berries are softened and ready to eat.  However, if I am planning on something that does not get heated, like 0% fat Greek yogurt with raspberries and sprouted grain toast for breakfast, I will put the goji berries in the bowl on the counter the night before with just enough water on them to soften them overnight.

That’s my goji berry story (so far) and I hope it helps you or perhaps you can pass it along to someone who needs to hear it.

Here’s another thing to shout about – It’s spring, folks!  Yes, it’s warm one day and rainy and chilly the next, but I’ll take it any way I can get it.  How about you?

If you need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom page on Facebook and Mewe and let me know.  I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis.  Private coaching can be done in person or by phone.  Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!

The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight if you need to do that. 

Leave a comment and let me know if you plan to experiment with how goji berries might help or tell me about other ways you’ve taken steps to change your health for the better through clean eating. Thessalonians 5:11 reminds us to encourage one another and build one another up.