Blueberry Bliss!

Hello Friends!

Today I’d like to talk about one of my favorite foods on this planet - blueberries! Now that they are in season, they are pretty affordable and I find myself at the local market buying 6 containers at a time. I sit and eat the whole pint in 1 sitting! In fact, I even brought a pint to the movies with me last week —you can eat them one-by-one just like popcorn but they are so low in calories, high in fiber and contain cancer-fighting antioxidants!

Blueberries are phytonutrient superstars. These fruits contain significant amounts of anthocyanadins, antioxidant compounds that give blue, purple and red colors to fruits and vegetables. In addition, blueberries also contain ellagic acid, another phytochemical that has been shown to prevent cell damage. Blueberries are also important for heart health! While wine, particularly red wine, is touted as cardioprotective since it is a good source of antioxidant anthocyanins, a recent study found that blueberries deliver 38% more of these free radical fighters. In this study, published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers found that a moderate drink (about 4 ounces) of white wine contained .47 mmol of free radical absorbing antioxidants, red wine provided 2.04 mmol, and a wine made from highbush blueberries delivered 2.42 mmol of these protective plant compounds. Blueberries are a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, and both soluble and insoluble fiber like pectin. Blueberries are also a good source of vitamin E. 

Here is a recipe to get you going on the blueberry craze:

Blueberry Crisp (modified from Apple Crisp Recipe in Clean Food by Terry Walters)

Filling:

6 cups of blueberries

¼ cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup dried currants

1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour or brown rice flour

Topping:

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or brown rice flour

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

To prepare filling, place blueberries in large bowl. Fold in syrup, cinnamon, and currants. Sprinkle on flour and gently fold until combined. Spread mixture into a 9 X 12 baking casserole. 

To make topping, use the same mixing bowl and combine oats, flour, nuts and cinnamon. In separate bowl, whisk together syrup and oil, add to dry ingredients and mix until crumbly. Spread topping evenly over apples, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. 

Stay tuned for more nutrition info to come in 2 weeks...I’d love to hear from you!

Peace & Veggies,

Jane 

Jane Ashley, MA, CNC, AADP, is a Nutritional Counselor and Health Educator. She is also the Director of Consumer Communications for Eat Right America™. Her passion is to help women create balance in body, mind and spirit. She helps women who struggle with stress, lack of energy and excess weight take action to reach optimal health through good nutrition. She loves to cook, run, teach cooking classes and runs monthly women’s groups called “Feed Your Soul—for Women on the GO.” She also runs corporate wellness workshops and participates in public speaking events. Jane offers a personalized coaching program or group classes. Special rates apply for fans of Jennie Fresa :) Check out WellnessWithJane.com!