Make Your Food Work For You...Blueberries!!

Genesis 1:11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so."

God created lots of vegetation for us to enjoy. Blueberries are a wonderful creation.  They are a Super food!!  They are delicious, low-calorie, and can be used in many different ways.

What makes them super???   They are packed with anti-oxidants, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C.
They are also low in calories with respect to the amount of nutrients.  Blueberries have the most antioxidants per serving than any other fruit.

Benefits:

Blueberries may improve memory loss. Studies have found that blueberries have an effect on your brain. Compounds in blueberries known as flavonoids may improve memory, learning, and general cognitive function, including reasoning skills, decision making, verbal comprehension and numerical ability.

Blueberries may help decrease belly fat. Studies have found that blueberries may help diminish belly fat, which is good news since having too much abdominal fat has been linked to conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Blueberries aid in digestion. The tannins in blueberries help decrease inflammation, particularly in your digestive system, so eating blueberries may help reduce acid indigestion and relieve stomach ulcers. (Another bonus: they also promote urinary tract health.)

Blueberries are disease-fighters. Don't forget about blueberries cancer-fighting properties! The dark berry is known for having a vitamin-packed punch, and for good reason — blueberries contain high levels of phytonutrients, which act as antioxidants.

Blueberries help vision. Antioxidants are believed to help improve night vision and maintain overall eye health.

 Blueberries are an anti-aging food.  Antioxidants and in blueberries are often mentioned when discussing anti aging because they combat free radicals, renegade cells in our bodies that are said to wreak havoc on our immune systems, skin, digestive systems, and much more.

Blueberry Tips:

1. Buy them organic, they are on the dirty dozen list.
2. I recently learned this trick for strawberries and it turns out it works on all berries.  To increase shelf life for your berries, mix one part vinegar to ten parts water.  Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted I find you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge.  The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! You have fresh berries much longer!
3. Carry them in a baggie and eat them for a snack.
4. Mix them with ice, Truvia, milk, and protein powder for a wonderful smoothie.
5. Top your steel cut oatmeal with them and some walnuts. (I eat this many times a week)

Here is a recipe I found, that has almond flour instead of wheat flour. Almond and coconut flour cause less health problems than wheat. That's just a whole other discussion for another day.
If you choose to eat wheat, you may substitute whole wheat flour at 1:1 ratio here.

 
Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups of assorted berries: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or a mix (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil or butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• optional: Stevia, organic honey or maple syrup to taste
• optional: organic whole cream, whipped with vanilla (for topping)

How to Make Berry Cobbler:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 8×8 or larger baking dish with coconut oil or butter.
3. Place berries in baking dish.
4. Combine almond flour, coconut oil/butter and vanilla with your hands until it makes a crumbly topping. You may need to adjust the almond flour up or down slightly, depending on the texture of the brand you use. If using Stevia, you can add a small amount to the topping at this point. I like the Truvia brand the best.
5. Using your hands, sprinkle/crumble the topping over the berries.
6. Put dish into oven and cook for about 20 minutes (fresh fruit) to 30-40 minutes (frozen fruit).
7. When done, drizzle with organic honey or maple syrup if using (optional)
8. Top with whipped organic cream/vanilla if using.

Enjoy!

Brandy Kisner
Health & Wellness Coordinator