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Eating a Rainbow Part 5
 We have come to eating the color Blue in our Rainbow Journey. July is the perfect month to be talking of this yummy color…remember picking Blueberries in the summer? Blueberries are considered on of the top foods to eat for their nutritional benefits.
Blueberries are a North American berry used by the Native Americans as a power food to give them vitamins and minerals. They gathered them and dried them to provide food in the winter. They would mix dried buffalo meat, blueberries, and fat…this mixture was called pemmican and provided perfect nutrition…protein, vitamins and minerals from the blueberries, and fat for calories to provide energy.
Blueberries have been used for medicinal purposes to help calm coughs, as a relaxant during childbirth, and to combat digestive distress. They contain anthocyanins…powerful antioxidants which also have a mild antibiotic effect against E-coli which in an intestinal bacteria that causes diarrhea.
Blueberries have 2 times more antioxidants than spinach and 3 times more than oranges. They are ranked #1 in antioxidants. The anthocyanins, which means "plant" and "blue" are what gives blueberries their beautiful color. These antioxidants help to decrease heart disease by cleaning out arterial plaques and helps prevent cancer, especially cervical and breast cancer.
Chlorogenic acid is another antioxidant which helps to slow the release of glucose into the blood making blueberries a beneficial food for diabetics and combating insulin resistance. Most of the processed foods we eat and the simple carbohydrates lead to too much glucose floating around in our blood. Eating foods that are lower on the glycemic index, foods that slow the release of glucose in our blood, is a much healthier way to eat and helps promote healthy blood glucose levels. Eating lower glycemic index foods also encourages weight loss.
Another compound in blueberries is ellagic acid. Ellagic acid has been shown to bind to cancer causing chemicals in our bodies and also blocks the metabolic pathways of cancer cells. They are very powerful cancer fighting compounds.
Catechins are phytochemicals that helps dimish the formation of arterial plaques. Blueberries are a great food for fighting heart disease.
There is a lot of news about the benefits of resveratrol. Resveratrol is found in red grape skins and therefore found in red wine. It is also found in blueberries. Resveratrol is a powerful anti-cancer, anti-viral, neuroprotective, has powerful anti-aging properties, an anti-inflammatory, and also lays claim to prolonging our life.
Eating blueberries has been shown to improve cognitive and motor skills, improve short term memory, increase balance and coordination, help improve eyesight and night vision, prevent urinary tract infections, decrease cholesterol, protect against macular degeneration, and improves cardiovascular health.
A caution to those with kidney or gall bladder issues. Like spinach, blueberries contain oxalates which binds to calcium. This can cause kidney and gall stones. Eat blueberries separate from calcium-rich foods.
Look for blueberries that are firm and have a silvery grey surface called "the bloom". This protects the skin. Only wash blueberries when you are ready to eat them to keep this protection on the skin. Keep your blueberries cool to prevent molding too quickly. You can also freeze blueberries but this does destroy some of the Vit. A and Vit. C content.
Blueberries are a great addition to cereal, muffins, or just eating plain. Cultivated blueberries are sweeter and usually bigger than wild blueberries. Farmer's markets are a great place to get your blueberries because they have been picked ripe. You can get imported blueberries but they have to be picked early to prevent spoiling and usually aren't as sweet as those picked ripe.
Enjoy this sweet summer fruit…it is one of the best ones you can eat!
Next month I will be concluding our Rainbow Journey with the color Purple...until then...Happy Summer!
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Lisa Metzgar, PhD Lisa Metzgar, PhD, has been in the alternative health field since 1996.
She received her BA in Biology from UCSD, is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner, and received her PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Lisa has taught body mind retreats in San Diego, Seattle, and Australia and currently has a practice in Reno, NV where she does nutritional counseling. Lisa's passion is to educate families in a healthy lifestyle. Visit her website Concepts In Wellness or e-mail her at lisa (at) conceptsinwellness.com
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