1. Blueberry Season is Here!!

 

Yes!....those beautiful little jewels are back and in season!!!  Not only is it the best time to buy them for their best peek flavor, they are also at their least expensive price!!!  

 

In case you haven't already heard all of the great benefits your body and mind can receive from these little gems...lets talk!! 

• Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant contents among all fruits.  What does this mean for you??  It means that they can optimize your health by fighting all of the "free radicals" that enter your body and damage your cells on a daily basis.
• New exciting evidence now suggests that blueberries can help improve memory, prevent Alzheimer's Disease, and may even reverse some memory loss due to aging.  Anthocyanin, which give blueberries their rich blue color is the powerful antioxidant found in blueberries.
• Not enough time to eat all of your blueberries right away...no problem!  Just freeze them...studies show that by freezing your blueberries, you will not damage their anthocyanin antioxidants.  Yay!!
• Blueberries function as a Low Glycemic Index fiber rich fruit in terms of their effect on your blood sugar.  What this means is that they do not have a big impact on your blood sugar level.  A subject we can talk about in more detail in the future!!!
• 1 Cup of Blueberries provides only 84 calories, 3.6 grams of dietary fiber, and 24% Daily Value of Vitamin C based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Repeated studies have shown, consuming 1-2 cups of blueberries per day and over a period of 3 months can improve blood fat balances.  This means a reduction in total cholesterol, increase in HDL cholesterol (the good stuff!), and a decrease in triglycerides (the bad stuff!). 
• Studies have shown that routine blueberry intake can also support healthy blood pressure.  In people with high blood pressure (Hypertension), blueberry intake has been shown to reduce both systolic (the top number..tells you the pressure on the walls of the artery when your heart is pumping)  and diastolic (the bottom number.. tells you the pressure in your blood vessels between heart beats, at rest)  blood pressures. 

How do we choose the best blueberries in the supermarket??? Just make sure they are firm and if you shake the container, they should move freely.  If they do not, this may mean that they are too soft or moldy.  The blueberries should also be free of moisture and have a lively hue.  Blueberries can range in color from deep purple-blue to blue-black.  Don't be afraid of the silvery sheen called a bloom.  This is just a natural protective shield also found on apples and pears.  It is safe to eat and helps preserve the fruit longer.  Blueberries will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator if kept dry.

 

Some great ways to include blueberries in your healthy eating lifestyle (notice I didn't say diet!!) is by adding them to smoothies (see previous recipe), cold/hot breakfast cereals, or yogurt.  They are also great over your morning pancakes or waffles.   A great dessert that I have made for both kids and adult parties is I buy the wooden kabob sticks and place fresh blueberries on them (think BBQ style).  I then melt dark chocolate and spoon it over the blueberry kabobs (cover them completely)  and then place them on a wax paper lined tray and place them in the refrigerator.  Delicious!!!!  It's so easy and the kids even love them!!!

 

So the next time you head to the supermarket with your GalsShopper in hand, make sure blueberries are on the top of your list!!!