Powerhouse. Superfood. A handful a day keeps almost everything at bay
– yes, we’re talking blueberries nutrition here. These delicious little
purple-blue berries have it all. They’ve got more disease-fighting
antioxidants (ellagic acid, flavenoids and carotenoids) than any other fruit or vegetable.
And what are antioxidants? Antioxidants fight those free radicals which
cause cell damage, disease and ageing. Blueberries help prevent macular
degeneration and will boost eyesight. They also help reduce the risk of
cancer – they contain pterostilbene which can actually heal liver and
colon cancer – and cardiovascular disease. The soluble fiber in
blueberries helps lower bad cholesterol and raise levels of good
cholesterol – and just like cranberries, they can prevent and relieve
urinary tract infections by inhibiting bacteria from adhering to the
walls of the bladder.
Researchers have recently found that blueberries
nutrition can help reverse short term memory loss which comes with aging
– they preserve the nerve transmissions in the brain, thus helping to
prevent Alzheimer disease and improve motor skills. It seems too, that
eating wild blueberries is better for you than the farmed ones as they
have 50% more of those antioxidants in them – but don’t let that stop
you from eating commercially produced berries. You can buy frozen
blueberries nutrition as this wonderful little fruit can safely undergo
the freezing process without losing any of the vitamins, minerals and
trace elements – essential for a healthy body.
What other
miracles can blueberries nutrition perform for you? Well, because of all
the vitamins, blueberries can strengthen your immune system against
colds, bacterial and viral diseases. They can help reduce belly fat –
which can lead to heart disease; eating blueberries regularly will help
get rid of that flab. And blueberries nutrition is also an extremely
effective anti-depressant; eat them every day and after a month or so,
you may find that you can stop taking that expensive medication with all
its side effects.
Blueberries
nutrition is available all year round but their harvesting time is
mid-July to the first frost in North America. Choose plump, firm berries
with a rich purple-blue color – they’ll keep for several days in the
fridge. The darker the color, the better. Don’t wash them until you’re
ready to use them on your cereal, with ice-cream or blended with other
berries into smoothies or juices. Of course, fresh ones are usually
available in the winter months too as they’ve been kept in cold storage -
but if you’re craving berries in January, you can always buy frozen
ones – just shake the bag to make sure they’re loose and separate from
each other. If they’re embedded in ice, they may have been refrozen.
Blueberry
pies, blueberry crumble, blueberry jams and jellies, cheesecakes – try
warmed blueberries on your French toast or waffles, toss a handful in
your salads – mix them with other berries because they taste of summer
and sunshine. Blueberries are delicious to snack on while watching TV –
and take them to school or work. They really are a magical fruit with so
many health benefits – make sure that blueberries nutrition is a part
of your everyday diet too. You can grow blueberry bushes in pots on your
deck or in your backyard. You can pick your own, home-grown blueberries
just minutes before you use them; your blueberries nutrition is fresher
than fresh. And you can freeze them too; just wash and dry them,
double-package them in freezer bags and enjoy them all winter.