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Berries - Health Essentials

 

Pigment is the component in berries that gives them their bright color, as well as providing their powerful natural health effects.

That's because those vibrant, pigmented colors contain phytonutrients and flavonoids, which have been linked to the prevention of some types of cancer. 

Berries can be purchased fresh, frozen, canned or dried.  When choosing fresh berries, make sure they are firm, colorful and ripe, but not mushy or moldy. 

Tip:  if berries have a bright, sweet odor, they are ripe and ready for purchase.  (You can usually find the freshest berries at your local farmer's market or berry farm.)

Berries are easy to prepare and are naturally sweet.  They can make for a healthful snack as well as a deliciously divine treat for dessert. 

 

Quick Serving Tips:

• Mix fresh berries into a fruit salad
• Mix with a dollop of whipped cream 
• Blend into a smoothie 
• Add some to cereal or oatmeal
• Stir into a serving of yogurt 
• Try a sprinkle of dried berries on a green salad
• Add dried berries to a fresh trail mix 
• Enjoy fresh strawberries or raspberries drizzled with chocolate syrup – yum!

 

Health Benefits of Popular Berries

Strawberries:  As these are highly perishable, they should be used within a few days of purchase.  Strawberries do not ripen after picking, so choose medium-sized berries of a deep red color, and look for those that are firm and mold-free, with an attached green cap.  With 45 calories in a one cup serving, strawberries are high in vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, iodine, potassium and folate.  Strawberries are also a rich source of phenols which protect cell structure, and they have properties which inhibit the enzyme cyclooxygenase that can cause inflammation in the body.

Cranberries:  Fresh cranberries are best when harvested from October through December which makes them a popular choice for holiday meals.  One cup of cranberries contains 50 calories and is a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese and vitamin K.  Consumption of cranberries helps prevent urinary tract and kidney infection, reduces the formation of kidney stones, increases the level of HDL (or good cholesterol) and enhances blood vessel function.  Also, cranberries contain anthocyanidins which inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Blueberries:  The blueberry, which is a cousin of the cranberry, is in season from May to October.  Blueberries range from deep blue to maroon in color and feature a white waxy cover.  Containing 80 calories in a one-cup serving, blueberries are high in Vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber and vitamin E.  Like cranberries, blueberries are packed with anthocyanidins which help to neutralize cell damage from free radicals.  Blueberries may also help shield the brain from oxidative stress which can reduce the effects of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Raspberries:  These delicate bramble berries with a hollow core are a member of the rose family and should be purchased only a day or two prior to use.  One cup of raspberries measures 60 calories and is high in manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate and vitamin B2.  Like other berries, raspberries are very high in antioxidants, containing 50% more than strawberries, and freezing does not seem to affect these numbers.  Raspberries may also contain compounds that protect against age-related macular degeneration.

 

 

Fresh Berry Alternatives

Berries are delicious and nutritious.  For a naturally-sweet snack or side dish that is chock full of healthy goodness, make berries a part of your daily diet.

For those who struggle just to get their 5 daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, berries can be a bigger challenge to get into their diet on a regular basis. The natural health formulators at Institute for Vibrant Living (IVL) have addressed those nutritional needs by creating Berry Essentials.

Just one tablespoon of Berry Essentials superfood drink mix provides the following:

Black Cherry (fruit)

Black Raspberry (fruit)

Cabbage Palm Fruit (acai berry)

Beet Powder (root)

Blackberry (fruit)

Black Currants (fruit)

Blueberry (fruit)

Lycium Fruit (goji berry)

Cranberry Powder (fruit)

Mangosteen

Elderberries (fruit)

Acerola (fruit)

Bilberries (fruit)

Camu-Camu (fruit)

Purple Carrot (root)

Tomato Powder (fruit)

Banana Powder (fruit)

Fruit & Vegetable Blend of the following:

(Green Tea Extract, Quercitin, Blueberry, Cranberry, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Strawberry, Broccoli, Carrot, Kale, Resveratrol, Spinach, Tomato, Wild Blueberry Extract, Maltodextrin, Corn Starch, Lecithin, Cane Sugar, Natural Blueberry Flavor.)

Green Tea Extract (leaf)

Guava (fruit)

 

(To learn more about Berry Essentials visit IVLProducts.com)

 

We can all agree that berries are delicious as well as nutritious.  For a naturally-sweet snack or side dish that is chock full of healthy goodness, we encourage you to make berries a regular part of your daily diet.

 

And when you just don't have the time for fresh or frozen berry gathering, taking a natural berry supplement makes perfect sense - to help keep your body in tip-top health!

 

About the Author

David Flores is a natural health researcher for Institute for Vibrant Living, a leading source for all-natural supplements, vitamins, and minerals for many health and nutrition challenges.  To learn more about the products offered by the Institute for Vibrant Living visit http://www.ivlproducts.com

 If you found this helpful you might like to visit http://www.theivl.org where you'll find more free healthy living articles to help improve your health today.

How would the crowds be at knotts berry farm this coming thursday on july 2nd?

I am going to knotts berry farm this thursday, july 2nd, and I'm wondering how the crowds and lines will possibly be... If anyone has any answers, please help. thanks.

Hi

I work at knotts and the lines arent really long especially throughout the week but if its the weekend the line will be like medium length so you wont exactly have much to worry about it will pass fast with your friends with you =) have fun at knotts

Rick Bishop and Mountain Sweet Berry Farm