Want to keep your mind sharp, lower your cholesterol, keep your bones strong and prevent hardening of your arteries? Then blueberries are for you! They’re sweet taste may make you pop them like candy, only they won’t enlarge your waistline. Blueberries are a new super food – packed with power from their rich blue color loaded with antioxidants. This berry contains a number of compounds that researchers believe have many medicinal properties that can be applied to treating various diseases.

New research is discovering how phytochemicals from blueberries protect healthy cells from damage and slow the growth rate of pre-cancerous cells keeping cancer at bay. Research has shown that, as with cranberries, blueberries can help ward off urinary tract infections by preventing infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Blueberries can also help make blood platelets less sticky, lowering the risk of blood clots and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Want to learn how to make this super food part of your healthy lifestyle? Then check out the tips below.

What Types Of Blueberries Should I Eat?

• Fresh, frozen, dried and as juice – all types of blueberries are packed with power
• Wild blueberries contain 40% more antioxidant potential than cultivated varieties.
• If choosing blueberry juice, try to avoid the brands with added sugars or mixed with other juices.
• Frozen blueberries taste great, cost less and can be enjoyed all year round.
• The darker the color the more anthocyanins and the higher the antioxidant potential. Anthocyanins are the anti-oxidant coloring compounds that make blueberries blue.

  How Much Do I Need To Eat?

• A 1/2 cup serving 3 to 4 times per week to help maximize your body defenses.
• To keep your antioxidant levels high, try eating smaller amounts of blueberries throughout the day.

What Are Some Tasty Blueberry Treats?

• Home-made baked goods, jams, pies, whole grain pancakes, smoothies and as a topping on low fat frozen yogurt.
• Briefly microwave frozen berries, remove and gently mix them together to spread heat evenly. Add to vanilla or plain yogurt, topped with whole grain cereal, walnuts* and cinnamon to start your day the antioxidant way.
• Instead of a mango or peach salsa to accompany fish or chicken, try experimenting with a blueberry base salsa.
• Chop dried blueberries in a blender along with almonds and raspberry jam to make a fruit chutney – tastes great on top of a sweet potato or with ricotta on toasted whole grain toast.
• Blueberries make a great snack for toddlers or preschool aged children, for infants try cutting them in half, or use the smaller wild variety also available frozen.
• Pack them for your child’s snack or in their lunch box in a small re-usable plastic container to keep them from getting squished.
• Blend frozen blueberries with a frozen banana, a tablespoon or orange juice and a dash of cinnamon to create a delicious frozen sorbet.

How To Choose Them

• When buying fresh berries choose those that are firm, uniform in size and indigo blue with a silver, powdery look.
• Rinse thoroughly just before serving. While best eaten right away, they will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Halas-Liang, MA, RD, CDE, CNSD is the Program Coordinator for the Online Certificate in Nutrition for Optimal Health, Wellness, and Sports. This program is offered in partnership with Colleges/Universities throughout the nation and can be taken anywhere. To learn more, go to http://www.efslibrary.net . She is also founder of http://www.superkidsnutrition.com , where she is “saving the world, one healthy food at a time (TM).”

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has just released results of a new nationwide public opinion survey that looked at nutritional trends in the US, called Nutrition and You: Trends 2008 that lends hope to the idea that Americans might be getting the message about eating, and living, a more healthy lifestyle.

The survey, conducted by Mintel International for ADA, involved 783 U.S. adults and results were presented at the ADA’s annual meeting, held this year in Chicago.

The main findings include:

• We’re eating more whole grains, veggies and fruits overall.
• We’re eating less trans fat, beef, pork and dairy.
• We’ve got a better attitude toward diet and exercise.

Those who took part in the survey listed five foods or nutrients that they’ve increased during the last five years.

The survey found that:

• 56% are eating more whole grains
• 50% are eating more vegetables
• 48% are eating more fruit
• 48% are eating more low-fat foods
• 38% have added omega-3 fatty acids

Better yet, according to the survey, we’re cutting out some foods that might taste great in the moment, but are truly bad for our bodies. These include:

• Trans fat: 56% say they’ve cut back
• Beef: 41% say they’re eating less
• Pork: 33% report eating less
• Dairy: 23% say they’ve cut back
• Low-sugar foods: 20% say they’ve cut back

Experts caution against eliminating any single type of food from a healthy, balanced diet.

Dairy, for example, contains important nutrients like vitamin D, that though easy enough to get (10 – 30 minutes of sunshine is all it takes), a surprising number of American’s are turning up in doctor’s offices with deficiencies of this vital nutrient.

Low fat choices like skim milk, low fat cheeses and yogurt are all healthy dairy foods that you won’t want to eliminate from your diet.

Lean meats, especially meats like pork tenderloins, can provide vital nutrients without the bad fats you’re trying to avoid.

When it comes to meats, look for cuts with all visible fat removed, and limit your portion sizes to 3 to 4 ounces.

The public opinion survey, conducted over the phone, also pointed out a more positive attitude toward being healthy and what has to be done to get there that’s slowly but surely taking hold.

Participants were offered three options when it came to rating their healthy lifestyle choices, here’s how things broke down…

I’m already doing it: 43% (up from 38% in 2002)
I know I should: 38% (up from 30% in 2002)
Don’t bother me: 19% (down from 32% in 2002)

Progress to be sure… but leaving a good number of participants who could be doing more to stay healthy.

Of course those of us who don’t eat well or exercise have lots of reasons.

These were reflected in the ADA survey and include:

• 79% say they’re satisfied with the way they eat.
• 73% say they don’t want to give up the foods they like.
• 54% say it takes too much time to keep track of their diet.
• 52% say they need more practical tips for healthy eating.
• 41% say they don’t know or understand diet and nutrition guidelines.

The positive results of this latest ADA survey is certainly good news, notes ADA spokeswoman Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, PhD, RD, the presenter of he survey results at the ADA’s annual meeting. "It was encouraging to see those findings," Gazzaniga-Moloo says.

So, this encouraging view of the nutritional trends goes to show that the message is getting through and the more we all talk about our health and wellbeing, the more people change their ways for the better.

Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more health tips including more on nutrition trends for the new year and get 5 free revealing health reports.

It is important to know how to select the right nutritional supplement for your diet and your lifestyle. There are numerous nutritional supplement products available on the market. Knowing which one to purchase can be a tough choice. The good news is that there are some handy tips to know how to select the right nutritional supplement for your body.

The first thing to consider is what do you eat in a normal day? It is easiest to keep a food journal. Be honest in your food journal so that you can take the most advantage of knowing what foods are typically in your diet. You will need to look at the food pyramid and determine what areas of your diet are lacking the types of foods you should ideally be eating on a daily basis.

Once you have kept a food journal for at least a month, you will need to look at. What are some areas that you can easily change and are committed to changing in your diet? Do you need more green vegetables? Are you eating too much protein? Making changes in your diet to eat more healthy and nutritious is the most important step you can do for improving your nutritional intake.

Remember that nutritional supplement products are just that a supplement. You should not try and receive all of your nutritional needs from the various products. It is important to eat healthy and change your habits instead of completely relying on nutritional supplement products. A well balanced and varied diet is going to be not only the easiest, but also the best to maintain for a healthy lifestyle.

Once you have determined what changes to make in your diet and figured out what areas you might need nutritional supplement, it is time to take the list to your health care provider. Your provider can then go over the food journal and the notes that you made to determine how to improve your nutrition. More than likely, a nutritional supplement of some sort is going to be recommended by your health care provider. They might even have sample packs that you can try.

It can be easy to forget things, so write down the recommendations from your health care provider for the nutritional supplement needs that will benefit you the most. Read the label carefully to make certain that the various supplements are offered in the product. For example, if you need a B complex supplement to your diet and the nutritional supplement product does not have any B complex in it, then you are not choosing a product that is going to do you any good.

At the same time, you do not want to double up on nutritional supplement products because that can be dangerous for your body. You would not want to purchase a multi-vitamin for your gender and then a different multi-vitamin for your age to end up taking two multi-vitamins per day. Our bodies are not designed to handle that type of overload on the system. Also, the nutritional supplement products are not designed for you to be taking two multi-vitamins.

The key is to know what you eat. Purchase and use nutritional supplement products sensibly, and you will make the best choice for your body and your health.

Zach Thompson is a Glyconutrients Representative. His clients range from actresses to pro athletes. You can get a free Glyconutrients consultation by visiting the site.