by Dr Rachael Woo (Acupuncturist)
This recipe is inspired by my Tai Chi Master’s wife who in her forties suffered from spinal injury due to a bad car accident. She was told that she would never be as mobile as before. But then she started practicing Tai Chi and martial arts for a few hours every day and now in her seventies she can still do the splits. Once she told me that she even reversed her prematurely greying hair and the secret was with black sesame!
These Blissballs contain sesame seeds, red dates and pumpkin seeds. Traditionally, sesame seeds have been used to tonify the blood and Jing (essence) and to build stronger bones. And red dates are often taken to build blood. According to TCM, when blood and Jing are rich we have luscious hair and strong bones! And this is backed by modern nutrition as sesame seeds are a good source of calcium. Together with pumpkin seeds they are a good source of iron, magnesium, protein, fibre and healthy fats. In addition, red dates are high in vitamin C.
I first de-seeded the red dates, then lightly roasted the sesame and pumpkin seeds. After that I blended all the ingredients in a food processor with a little coconut oil. You may add maple syrup, however I find that the red dates give it enough natural sweetness. Finally, roll them into 3-4cm diameter balls and store them in the fridge.
I recommend taking one to two blissballs per day – this is enough as they are packed full of nutrition.
Enjoy!