Somewhere in the birth of a warm Spring morning, gestating among birdsong and sweet Jasmine aroma wafting through the kitchen window, triggered by a craving for figs…..came this recipe. This is a vigour boosting recipe for large herbal ‘pills’ that are pretty much medicines parading as bliss balls. They contain herbs that enhance stress response and physical energy, lifting your health potentials in a broad way. Between the fruits, nuts and powders, there’s a whole lot of nutrition and goodness in them. I explain why I called them Goddess Tonic Pills in the video, and show you step by step how to make them so without further adieu, let’s step into our healing kitchen….
Photo: Sulin Sze
What’s so Goddessy about this recipe
Fig | Strawberry | Pomegranate
Most of the ingredients in this recipe help to cultivate feminine hormones, harmony and flow. The figs are the base of the recipe, being a fruit that is formed from not just one ovary, but many ovaries. Most foods we call fruits like oranges and tomatoes, form from one ovary of a flower…but not figs. Sorry, that’s the botany geek in me coming out. I explain more in the video, but I think the mythological associations between figs and goddesses and fertility aren’t just about creating pleasing and romantic stories. When you eat a fig, you really are eating something that at one stage of its life, was a cluster of many ovaries that swelled when fertilized to produce this delicious fruit. That’s many ovaries, many ovules (eggs) creating a dose of abundance! One more health-based fact about figs: their peels (technically their epidermis) are rich in anthocyanins, plant compounds known for their antioxidant activity. This will benefit your cardiovascular health and have an anti-ageing effect. (Backes et al, 2020)
We also have the powders of strawberries and pomegranates in here, and you can find those online and buy in bulk. But if you prefer, use Maca, or cacao, and make these to suit you. I used strawberry and pomegranate because the taste blends well with the figs, so you won’t find these pills overwhelming (as sometimes happens with date-based bliss balls which sit quite heavy in the stomach), in fact you’ll actually find them light and easy to digest. Sound good?
Strawberries are another type of fruit with lots of surprises, they’re actually an accessory fruit, meaning that the red, swollen, heart-shaped flesh that you call a strawberry is really the swollen flower base, and on the outside of the strawberry are lots of lots of tiny fruits called achenes. Little yellow/brown seed-like creatures – they’re the real fruit. And then we have pomegranates which, when sliced in half, provide a clear indication of their female reproductive system boosting potentials because they look like an ovary with lots of ripening ovules.
So from that theme of feminine abundance we get the ties to the Goddess in this recipe.
They may not last long…just saying :)! Photo: Sulin Sze
These pills are tonic medicines
The concept of a tonic in herbalism is a plant that boosts your vigour and lifts your potentials. To do this, you’ll find a couple of fantastic classic tonic herbs in this recipe: Ashwagandha and Shatavari. Read all about Ashwagandha (its chemistry and therapeutics) here. https://herbalwell.com.au/the-tonic-medicine-of-ashwagandha/ These plant medicines both have a many thousands year history of use in classical Indian herbal medicine (Ayurveda). While Ashwagandha is warm and soothing, Shatavari is cooling, bittersweet and pungent, but they both tone and nourish the adrenals to build stress resilience. That’s a very appropriate medicinal action in todays world. Can you feel the stress?! I’m sure I’m not the only one here who has a shaky day here and there. These are the herbs I call on when I need that extra support. And they’re great for both male/female. Herbs don’t discriminate 😉 Let me tell you a little more about them…
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an adaptogen and sedative herb that can help calm you down (body and mind). It’s a fertility boosting herb too, used to protect egg and sperm from oxidative damage and preserve their fertility potential. I have to admit, it’s in my daily ritual somewhere or other, even if I’m just visualizing the lightly yellowed, horsey-smelling roots of this plant I feel stronger! I do like it as a latte. As I write this, its Day 1 of the Navaratri – the festival of Durga goddess, and today Maa Shailputri (her name meaning Daughter of the Mountain) is honoured and celebrated. Tonight I’ll be indulging in some mantra chanting to Maa Shailputri with other women, can’t wait! She’s an incarnation of Goddess Durga also known as ‘Parvati’, and sits atop her white bull holding a Lotus flower. She symbolizes the strength of a mountain, the steadfast will of a bull and detachment. So as you take your first bite of your Goddess Tonic Pills, welcome those qualities in.
If you’re interested, this ebook has all the stories on the many manifestations of Durga goddess celebrated in each Navaratri. The images was beautiful and it explains all the symbolism.
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) is a revered tonic plant that enhances adrenal and reproductive health. It’s wonderful for women from the mid forties onwards, being a hormone supportive herb and sexual tonic. This plant also offers some support in depression, fatigue, nervous tension and infertility. I love the taste of Shatavari, it’s one of those bittersweet herbs that is perfectly fine on its own in lattes and smoothies so that makes it extremely versatile in our healing kitchen. Both Shatavari and Ashwagandha are thought of as female tonics, but that might be because they’re not as overpowering as some other herbs that are thought of as male tonics. It’s more about what fits you personally when it comes to prescribing. So if you’re feeling a bit wired, or your energy’s running thin and words like ‘overwhelm’, ‘stressed out’ and ‘exhausted’ resonate with you, these herbs restore your nervous system.
Here’s the recipe for you now, may it seed abundance and vitality within you!
Time to get your kitchen tonic bar happening now, complete with a warm, nourishing herbal latte and a couple of Goddess Tonic Pills, made in the old traditions! I love it. I hope you enjoy these and please go ahead and share your thoughts and feedback below. How did you find them? How long did it take you to roll them? 😉 and all that jazz!
Until next time,
Love and Light,
Sulin
Thanks for reading! Photo: Sulin Sze
References
- Thomsen, M (2020) Phytotherapy Desk Reference 5th ed. Michael Thomsen, TAS
- Sze, S (2021 July 26) The Tonic Medicine of Ashwagandha. Herbalwell. https://herbalwell.com.au/the-tonic-medicine-of-ashwagandha/
- Backes, E., Leichtweis, M. G., Pereira, C., Carocho, M., Barreira, J. C., Genena, A. K., … & Ferreira, I. C. (2020). Ficus carica L. and Prunus spinosa L. extracts as new anthocyanin-based food colorants: A thorough study in confectionery products. Food Chemistry, 333, 127457.
