Superfoods ~ Part II
Blueberries
Imagine a superfood powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and even improve your mood. Whats more is that is has no side effects.
Introducing Blueberries
You may have heard that blueberries are high in anti-oxidants but what does that mean? Anti-oxidants such as those in blueberries can neutralize free radicals formed as a result of stress, environmental pollutants and processed foods.
As one of the few fruits native to North America, blueberries have been enjoyed by Native Americans for hundreds of years. They have also enjoyed great popularity around the world in cuisines from Asia to the Mediterranean.
Below are some examples of how that relates to us in real life:
Sports performance- Intense workouts can cause exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) which causes muscle soreness and inflammation. Blueberries have been shown to speed muscle recovery when eaten before and after strenuous exercise, enabling you to train harder and more often.
Memory- Research suggests that eating blueberries daily not only improves memory, but also slows down or postpones the onset of other cognitive and neuro-degenerative diseases associated with aging.
Blood sugar regulation- Blueberries are a low-GI [Low Glycemic Index - ED] fruit meaning they have a favorable impact on blood sugar regulation in persons already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. A study of diabetics showed that those who consumed at last 3 servings of low-GI fruits per day (including blueberries) saw significant improvement in their regulation of blood sugar over a three-month period of time.
Cancer- Blueberries offer antioxidant protection of the digestive tract protecting the colon and reducing the risk of cancers such as colon cancer.
Eye health- Blueberry can help to protect the retina of the eye from the damage caused by sunlight.
Heart health- Regularly eating blueberries reduces your risk of a heart attack by a third!
My recommendations: Have a serving (about 1/2 cup) every day (frozen are as good as fresh).
Warm regards
Harbir Singh
M.OstMed
BarefootDoctors.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/barefootdoctors.co
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