The Boastful Blueberry - A Super Food With Bragging Rights

The Boastful Blueberry – A Super Food With Bragging Rights


Growing up, we always had fruit in our house. My mom was great about buying fresh fruit in season. To this day, and I believe it was due to my mom, I love fruit! My favorite though, has to be blueberries. My grandmother and I especially loved blueberries. We would buy fresh blueberries, clean them and put them in the freezer for a bit, then sit and eat them ALL! It was a great day when we could go out and pick our own, put them in a bowl and eat them right there fresh from the bush. As much as I love these little berries, little did I know then about the power of the blueberry.

Blueberries are one of the super foods we hear a lot about, and with good reason. These delicious, deep blue summer berries are well-known for their antioxidants, containing the highest amount of any other berries. However, blueberries have some other specific health benefits that are worth talking about. Let's take a look.

Big Benefits In A Sweet Little Berry

The list of health benefits from eating blueberries is stacking up, and there aren't many parts of your body that couldn't benefit from a little extra blueberry goodness.

If you're looking for a low-calorie, high-fiber fruit with lots to offer your health, blueberries may be just what you need. One cup of blueberries has less than 100 calories, and offers one-quarter of your daily requirement for Vitamin C.

Loaded with vitamins and minerals, blueberries can boast about nutrients that are significant in keeping your brain healthy. Specifically, scientists claim that blueberries maintain and restore a healthy nervous system, prevent the death of brain cells that lead to health concerns like Alzheimer's disease, and keep your memory sharp for a long time. That's a lot of brain power.

Better vision is another benefit associated with consumption of blueberries, due to the fact that they contain compounds called anthocyanosides and flavonoids, which can slow down visual loss, as well as help prevent macular degeneration, myopia, and cataracts. Blueberries also have some heavy molecules which can help prevent urinary tract infections by washing away harmful bacteria.

Another important antioxidant is anthocyanins, known to benefit the prevention of heart disease and good cardiovascular health. Blueberries have been found to contain even more anthocyanins than red wine, long thought to be one of the better sources of this defender against free radicals. Even hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and peptic ulcers can benefit from the antioxidants found in these super berries.

A couple interesting cautions regarding blueberries are coming to light. Apparently, the protein in milk depletes the antioxidant power of the acids contained in blueberries. One study suggests eating blueberries either one hour before or two hours after drinking milk. So, blueberries on your morning cereal may not be, nutritiously speaking, the wise thing to do. Instead, choose blueberries as a high-energy late morning snack or to top off a green salad.

Another interesting aspect of blueberries is that they contain oxalates, which can become concentrated and crystallize, creating some concern for those with a tendency for gallstones or kidney stones.  As with other life choices, do all things in moderation and pay attention to allergies and other health concerns before indulging. But, for the vast majority, blueberries offer a wealth of nutrients that will benefit our health and well-being.

How to Select and Enjoy Blueberries

With so many health benefits, the question is not whether to eat blueberries, but how to eat them. First, you need to pick good specimens. Choose blueberries that are firm and uniform in color, not dull-looking or watery.

In fact, water will cause the berries to spoil more quickly, so they should be kept in dry containers in the refrigerator. For this reason, you'll also want to dry blueberries thoroughly after you wash them.

If you can't buy fresh, buy frozen. Blueberries freeze nicely and can be purchased whole or smashed. When you want to eat them, just thaw and enjoy. If frozen blueberries are used in cooking, you can thaw them or throw them into the recipe frozen and just adjust your cooking time slightly.

You'll find blueberry recipes in every section of a cookbook. From breakfast to breads, salads to sauces, and desserts to drinks, blueberries can be enjoyed from morning to night. Even without a cookbook handy, you can eat blueberries very simply as a 'one ingredient' super-food snack.

If you're looking for an easy to eat super-food that is loaded with not only nutrition, but flavor and versatility, get to know this beautiful berry. Perfect as a snack, a dessert, or any number of dishes, blueberries definitely earn their place in your kitchen, and your healthy diet.

Now that I know all this about that little blueberry, I love them even more!


Here's a recipe you may enjoy.

Blueberry Crisp

This blueberry crisp recipe is awesome! Wonderful blueberries and a crunchy top with oats and pecans. Mouth watering!


Ingredients
1) 6 cups blueberries
2) 1 tbsp cornstarch
3) 1/4 cup sugar
4) Pinch salt
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5) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6) 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
7) 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
8)
1/4 cup sugar
9) 1/4 tsp cinnamon
10) 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
11) 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
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12) 4 tbsp room temperature unsalted butter, cubed
13) Whipped cream and/or ice cream for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a bowl, combine the first group of ingredients (1-4). Place in a 2 quart baking dish.

Set aside.

In another bowl mix and sift together the second group of ingredients (5-11).

Then with your hands add butter pinching it into the other ingredients together, making a crumbly consistency.

Sprinkle crumb mixture over the blueberries evenly and bake for 40 minutes.

Cool slightly and serve with whipped cream and/or ice cream for topping.

Enjoy!

New Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Many Conventional Cleaners

You don't have to purchase products that are hazardous to you and your family's health. Go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann and find out how you can be safer and healthier.

New Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Many Conventional Cleaners
Contributed by Seventh Generation

Call it another nail in the coffin of conventional cleaning products: A new study has found that literally dozens of popular household cleaners contain undisclosed toxins that have been linked to asthma, fertility and other problems. The research points out something most consumers still don't realize. Namely, that the household products they think are safe really aren't.

The new report, from Montana-based non-profit Women's Voices for the Earth, examined Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for dozens of top-selling conventional cleaning products and found that most of formulas they studied contain one or more chemicals linked to any number of negative health effects.

MSDS are chemical information summary sheets whose use in manufacturing and commercial settings is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These standardized forms provide varying degrees of additional data about the chemicals, products, or formulas used by a specific facility or in a specific product. They must be prepared for the employees of any company that handles the chemicals or products in question so that everyone can better understand the hazards associated with the materials with which they're working. Since federal regulations do not require cleaning product manufacturers to fully disclose all the ingredients their formulas contain on product labels, an MSDS for a particular product is usually the best and often only way to figure out what hazards it contains.

Even so, MSDS do not necessarily list all the ingredients a cleaner contains. The law requires that only those hazardous ingredients present in levels above one percent (or one tenth of one percent for carcinogens, neurotoxins, and teratogens (chemicals capable of affecting fetuses) need be disclosed even though many chemicals pose a clear and present danger in lesser amounts. In addition, MSDS' need only list materials that meet the agency's official definition of hazardous. If a chemical has not yet been formally placed on OSHA's lists of known hazardous materials, it doesn't need to appear on an MSDS.

In studying cleaning product MSDS, Women's Voices for the Earth found that a number of chemicals linked to asthma and reproductive disorders kept appearing, including:

• Monoethanolamine (MEA), a solvent that appeared in laundry detergents, and all-purpose and floor cleaners.

• Ammonium quaternary compounds, disinfectants used in disinfectant sprays and toilet cleaners.

• Glycol ethers, like 2-butoxyethanol, solvents added to glass cleaners and all-purpose spray cleaners.

• Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs), surfactants used in laundry detergents, stain removers, and all-purpose cleaner.

• Phthalates, fragrance carriers that were discovered in glass cleaners, deodorizers, laundry detergents, and fabric softeners.

Scientific studies have linked EGBE to reproductive problems like testicular damage, reduced fertility, death of embryos, and birth defects. People exposed to high levels of EGBE for a few hours experience nose and eye irritation, headaches, vomiting and a metallic taste in their mouths. A 2006 California Air Resources Board study on indoor air quality and cleaning products found that people using common products that contained EGBE could be exposed to amounts up to 12 times higher than that state's one-hour safe-exposure standard.

Because manufacturers rarely offer complete ingredient disclosure on their cleaning products' labels, there's really only one thing consumers can do to protect themselves and their families from any hidden hazards those products contain: Only buy products whose labels tell you everything they contain. Don't rely on promises of safety or environmental benefits. Even products marketed as earth-friendly can contain toxic ingredients. Where cleaners are concerned, ingredients labels speak louder than claims. Knowing what ingredients are in the products you use, and keeping your family away from any that keep secrets is the healthiest advice a person can receive.

To find out more about conventional cleaning products, obtain a free on-line copy of the new study, and learn about the Women's Voices for the Earth Safe Cleaning Products initiative visit http://www.womenandenvironment.org/.

[To find cleaning products on OTA's searchable directory, click here]

To find products that are safe for you, your family and the environment that are made without the toxic chemicals go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann