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).”

Being told to eat your greens, and in particular spinach, is now a much more important expression than ever before. In the past food has been linked to both helping and hindering your body but now there are clear connections between what you eat and your brain remaining youthful and healthy too. Each and everyone of us requires protection and preservation of the brain, especially if you are involved in studying and relying on your brain power to get the results you so want to achieve. You will discover here in this article, information about which foods are good for the brain.

Blueberries, usually by way of delicious pies, muffins, and desserts, are renowned for their leadership in food excellent for the brain. They are full of antioxidants which help to better your memory and coordination. They also contain chemicals which lower the blood pressure and can decrease the chances of having a stroke. It is said that eating wild blueberries is the best option to make use of these healthy ingredients.

The wild bears of Alaska have always favored salmon and you should really make it one of your favorites too! It contains omega-3, known to protect the brain. With particular amounts this fatty acid in the bloodstream, it has been shown in studies that higher levels of serotonin occur and this acts as a natural mood enhancer. However, putting a smile on your face is not the only reason to eat salmon. Serotonin encourages the brain’s nerves to communicate more, thus augmenting the ability of the brain in relation to learning and memory.

On a cold winter’s day most of us enjoy the goodness of a cup of hot cocoa or hot chocolate. An added incentive of this already delicious drink is that scientists have found hot cocoa to have five times as many antioxidants as most other drinks such as black tea. These antioxidants are especially important in their work to help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s and other mind shifting diseases. For the best results you should avoid the variety available from the store of ready mixed and not so healthy ingredients and opt for 100% cocoa to make up your drink.

The perfect choice when eating out in a restaurant is to order a blueberry fruit salad as an appetizer, salmon for your main course and a glass or cup of hot cocoa for your dessert. You will definitely be smarter and healthier for making these choices.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of My-Personal-Growth.com, a site that provides information and articles for self improvement and personal growth and development.