Blueberries and blue power

[Edith K. Thurmond]

Celebration of summer is in order with fresh blueberries. This is the perfect time to add this nutritious fruit to your diet. They are wonderful eaten by the handful or added to smoothies.

One of the few fruits that are exclusively North American in origin, blueberries are packed with nutrition. Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Center have found that blueberries rank number one in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, which can lead to cancer and other age-related diseases. This antioxidant activity is responsible for the range of curative powers that blueberries offer, which include promoting eye health, fighting cancer cell growth, and even preventing kidney stones. Unsweetened blueberry juice and extract contain properties that inhibit bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract, thus preventing urinary tract infections.

In addition to their amazing antioxidant activity, blueberries are also a good source of folic acid, vitamins A and C, carotenoids, dietary fiber, niacin, iron, and manganese. Blueberries are also rich in the bioflavonoid quercetin, which is thought to protect against asthma, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

For all of their natural sweetness, blueberries are relatively low in calories, compared to many fruits. Blueberries are bursting with health benefits. Look for the fresh or frozen to preserve their natural enzymes. The good news is freezing and storing blueberries doesn't decrease their antioxidant activity, so stock up and keep some in the freezer for the winter months when fresh ones aren't available. When buying frozen berries, avoid those that are sugared.

Incorporating blueberries into your daily diet is easy. Ronald Prior, PhD, who heads the USDA Phytochemical Laboratory at Tufts University, recommends eating one half cup of blueberries a day. Research from Tufts shows this small amount contains the phyto-chemicals (powerful disease-fighting plant substances) of three quarters of a cup of strawberries. Add these yummy berries to your diet and your body will thank you.

My favorite way to eat them is by the cupful or blended into a delicious smoothie. Following is my recipe for blueberry smoothie:

* 1 1/2 scoops Power Meal
* 10 ozs. almond milk (made from raw almonds and water or purchased)
* 2 tsps. psyllium powder
* 1 tsp. flax seed oil
* 1/4 tsp. stevia powder
* 1/2 tsp FOS
* 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Blend all ingredients in a blender and add the desired amount of ice until you have a beautiful, blue, icy smoothie. This is delicious, nutritious and very satisfying.

In the dessert section I am posting a recipe for Blueberry Crisp which is my most-requested dessert for cooked recipes.

[Dana Grant]

I put a handful of blueberries in my cottage cheese for a quick breakfast. I also eat blackberries with my cottage cheese.

And when I'm really feeling adventurous, I put blackberries AND blueberries in my cottage cheese!!!

I'm very thankful for berries -- strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries -- the only fruit that I can eat that does not affect my blood sugar negatively. And they are delicious, as well!

[Carmen Harrison]

Here's another blueberry recipe.
Dr. Oz made this on the Oprah show a few weeks ago.
We love it for a quick "to go" breakfast.

Makes 2 servings, 136 calories per serving:

1 scoop (1/3 cup) Soy Protein Powder (I get it with Spiralina)
1/2 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1/4 cup frozen blueberries (use fresh blueberries if available)
1/2 large ripe banana (or other fruits of your choice)
1/2 tablespoon apple juice concentrate or raw honey (I use Agave)
1 teaspoon psyllium seed husks

Peel banana; break into chunks
Put all ingredients in a blender
Add 12 ounces of water and ice.
Cover, blend until smooth. Enjoy!

[Joanne Vergin]

Edith, what is FOS?

[Edith K. Thurmond]

Edith, what is FOS?

The following will give you a general idea, although it does have some inaccuracies. FOS is NOT an artificial sweetner but could be termed by some as an alternative sweetner. It is good for the gut area and has prebiotic activity which enables the probiotics to work better. Our immune system seems to be birthed in the gut area so the better it functions, the better the immune system is. Actually, the better the entire body functions!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructooligosaccharide

Blessings for health,

[Edith K. Thurmond]

The following recipe was served by cook extraordinare, Margaret Lawson, when she had her extremely popular and busy restaurant in Richardson, TX. Individual servings were priced at $4.00 each and everyone loved this great dessert. She sold her restaurant and then opened a cooking school where she shared many recipes with us. When I made an entire pan of the crisp, it cost decidely less than buying in her restaurant had. My children were delighted and it became their most requested dessert. Everything Margaret cooked/s is wonderful and she has written 3 cook books. The following are included in her Naturally Healthy Gourmet: Secrets of Quick Tasty and Wholesome Cooking.

Blueberry Crisp

4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
2 tablespoons kuzu, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
2 cups oat flakes
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
Place blueberries, juice, and syrup in saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Whisk in the dissolved kuzu and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9-inch-square baking pan.
Combine oats, flour, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
Combine oil and the maple syrup in a separate bowl. Stir into the oat mixture to make the oat topping.
Place blueberry filling in the oiled baking pan.
Sprinkle oat topping evenly over the filling.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes at 350 degrees.Servings: 9

Tofu Whipped Cream

Serve this delicious topping over Blueberry Crisp for an elegant dessert.

· 16 oz. firm-style tofu (I use the silken type in a box)
· 5 tablespoons maple syrup
· ¼ cup water
· 2 tablespoons almond butter
· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
· 1 pinch sea salt

1. Blend tofu, syrup and water in blender until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until creamy, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed, for desired consistency.

Yield: 2 cups

Yours for a healthy dessert,

[Carmen Harrison]

Thanks for this yummy recipe. I plan to take it to a 4th of July lunch.

I just finished freezing 12 lbs. of blueberries!
We went to a Blueberry Farm yesterday and picked 12 lbs of blueberries in less than 2 hours.
The admission was free and the blueberries were only $1.50 per lb.
This is an organic farm with no pesticides, so you can eat while you pick... and we did!

Based on current prices for fresh or frozen blueberries, we estimate that we picked $114.00 worth of blueberries for $18.00.
We are going back for a second picking before the season ends. Hopefully, that will last us until next season.

[Edith K. Thurmond]

This is an organic farm with no pesticides, so you can eat while you pick... and we did!

We are going back for a second picking before the season ends. Hopefully, that will last us until next season.

What a bargain and fun to boot! You and Sam: bonding in the blueberry patch. :)

Something To Consider: Even though the blueberries were grown organically (no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) there are still contaminants that come from the atmosphere which should be cleared. Organic doesn't equate with clean as things can be picked up from the dirt, air, birds, etc. I wash and treat ALL my organic produce with a special cleanser that kills parasites and other contaminants (Thieves Cleaner). Before finding this cleaner, I used the food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes in organic fruits and veggies, one can encounter a creature or two but not often (thankfully). Watch our for artichokes, though, as they are the worst for this particular problem.

Carmen, keep enjoying your wonderful blueberries enough for all of us.

Glad you are singing the blues,

[Carmen Harrison]

What a bargain and fun to boot! You and Sam: bonding in the blueberry patch. :)

Something To Consider: Even though the blueberries were grown organically (no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) there are still contaminants that come from the atmosphere which should be cleared. Organic doesn't equate with clean as things can be picked up from the dirt, air, birds, etc. I wash and treat ALL my organic produce with a special cleanser that kills parasites and other contaminants (Thieves Cleaner). Before finding this cleaner, I used the food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes in organic fruits and veggies, one can encounter a creature or two but not often (thankfully). Watch our for artichokes, though, as they are the worst for this particular problem.

Carmen, keep enjoying your wonderful blueberries enough for all of us.

Glad you are singing the blues,

Hmmmm... I didn't think about that, but I looked each berry over very carefully before I ate it. Unlike Sam, who ate almost as much as he picked!

About washing fruit & veggies..
I have been using Sunrider's Veggie Rinse for several years. It's one of my favorite products and cleans like you wouldn't believe.
We soak EVERY piece of fruit and produce in it for at least 5 min. We do this as soon as we unload groceries, before they go in the fridge.
It also extends the life of the produce and keeps it fresher longer. I buy the organic tubs of spinach, baby romaine, etc.
I am always amazed at how dirty the water is after a good soak in the Veggie Rinse.
This is the salad that most people just open and eat, thinking it is already clean... NOT!

I also use the Veggie Rinse to wipe down my kitchen counters... kills bacteria.

[Edith K. Thurmond]

Hmmmm... I didn't think about that, but I looked each berry over very carefully before I ate it. Unlike Sam, who ate almost as much as he picked!

About washing fruit & veggies..
I have been using Sunrider's Veggie Rinse for several years. It's one of my favorite products and cleans like you wouldn't believe.
We soak EVERY piece of fruit and produce in it for at least 5 min. We do this as soon as we unload groceries, before they go in the fridge.
It also extends the life of the produce and keeps it fresher longer. I buy the organic tubs of spinach, baby romaine, etc.
I am always amazed at how dirty the water is after a good soak in the Veggie Rinse.
This is the salad that most people just open and eat, thinking it is already clean... NOT!

I also use the Veggie Rinse to wipe down my kitchen counters... kills bacteria.

Try soaking your blueberries and seeing if there is any dirt on them. :)

Getting a good cleaner for the veggies is wonderful. I use mine for everything else too.

Decades ago (long before it was popular) the Green Pastures Health Spa in Mattoon, IL put out a book that told how to soak veggies and fruits. The instructions said to soak the thicker skin ones about 20-25 minutes and the thinner skin ones about 10-15 minutes. They used the food-grade hydrogen peroxide which is hard to find and must be kept refrigerated to remain stable. It works well but when something else works just as well, easy to obtain and is not fragile, I am all for it.

Blessings,

[Mike Schutz]

After reading these I ran up to the fridge and grabbed a nice bowl of fresh blueberries, that I am eating right now.

Of course, my favorite use of blueberries is as a topping over ice cream!

Sorry.

[Donna Adams]

We moved into our current home just a few months ago..we discovered so much here..one of those discoveries is we have blueberries. I pick them almost every day..I've made cobblers of all kinds, and I have frozen some for later use. My grandkids go out and just pick them and eat them. I need some every day, easy recipes for blueberry use. They are soooooooooo good and I have a ton of them.

[Paul Whitaker]

Something To Consider: Even though the blueberries were grown organically (no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) there are still contaminants that come from the atmosphere which should be cleared. Organic doesn't equate with clean as things can be picked up from the dirt, air, birds, etc. I wash and treat ALL my organic produce with a special cleanser that kills parasites and other contaminants (Thieves Cleaner). Before finding this cleaner, I used the food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes in organic fruits and veggies, one can encounter a creature or two but not often (thankfully). Watch our for artichokes, though, as they are the worst for this particular problem.
[/U]

While in Swaziland we used potassium permangenate for washing all of our veggies, etc. Quite cheap but don't know if it is available here at pharmacies. It was in crystalline form.

[Brian Blankenship]

The nurse practitioner for Kara's urologists, said she went to Spina Bifida Association Conference in Louisville, KY in June, and said that one nurse had some of her patients put blueberry syrup on their cornflakes when they ate breakfast every morning, and it really cut down the mucus in the urinary tract, which is very important since Kara has to cath. every four hours.

Any ideas on where to find blueberry syrup.

[Andrea Larabee]

The nurse practitioner for Kara's urologists, said she went to Spina Bifida Association Conference in Louisville, KY in June, and said that one nurse had some of her patients put blueberry syrup on their cornflakes when they ate breakfast every morning, and it really cut down the mucus in the urinary tract, which is very important since Kara has to cath. every four hours.

Any ideas on where to find blueberry syrup.

If you or your wife are willing to make it, there is a recipe from the Mayo Clinic here (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00348) You can make one or two batches and store it in the refrigerator.

Smuckers makes it too. I'm sure you could email them or find a store location for this product on their site. Click here (http://www.smuckers.com/fg/pds/default.asp?groupid=5&catid=3&prodid=114)

[Brian Blankenship]

Andrea, thanks. I guess we'll try to make it.

[Brian Blankenship]

It just so happens that we found the Smuckers blueberry syrup at Walmart tonight. Praise the Lord!