Column Reprint: Blueberries!

I have company this weekend -- Andrew DiMino from CarbSmart. We're talking various new ventures, starting with a radio show for me, something I'm very excited about. I'm pretty busy, as you can imagine. So here's a reprint from my now-defunct column, Live Well, Eat Well:

Hooray! The summer fruit season has begun! The stores and farmers markets are overflowing with a dazzling array of sweet juicy treats that just happen to be good for you, too.

Of all those fruits in your grocery store, only one you’ll find this time of year is an American native –– the blueberry. (There are only three native American fruits that are commercially grown on any scale. The other two are the Concord grape and the cranberry.) We can be proud of our native berry: of all the fruits tested so far, the blueberry is the hands-down winner for antioxidant content.

A half-cup of fresh blueberries have a mere 41 calories, with 10 grams of carb, 2 grams of which are fiber, for a usable carb count of 8 grams. Blueberries have a glycemic index of 40, which gives them a glycemic load of just 4 –– quite low.

If you look at the vitamin content, blueberries aren’t particularly impressive. They do have 16% of your vitamin C, but have only a percent or two of any other vitamin. So why are blueberries so nutritionally impressive?

Blueberries are positively loaded with anthocyanidins, an incredibly powerful botanical antioxidant. These are the same chemicals found in red wine, preventing heart disease –– but blueberries contain more anthocyanidins than wine. Anthocyanidins neutralize free radicals, slowing aging and helping prevent numerous diseases. They strengthen capillaries –– indeed all your blood vessels –– and your connective tissue. By doing this, they prevent everything from strokes, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids to macular degeneration and diabetic blindness.

A USDA Human Nutrition Center (HNRCA) study found that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity. Again, the antioxidant power of blueberries is the likely reason. A study done at the University of South Florida College of Medicine also found that a diet rich in blueberries was associated with less brain damage following a stroke, at least in lab rats.

Anthocyanidins also enhance your body’s ability to use vitamin C, another important antioxidant. Some bonus!

Along with anthocyanidins, blueberries contain ellagic acid, which appears to inhibit cancer growth. A study of 1,271 elderly people in New Jersey showed that those who ate a diet rich in ellagic acid were three times less likely to develop cancer than those who did not.

If you love blueberries, you’re likely to just eat ‘em out of your hand, and it’s hard to think of a healthier snack. But here are a few ideas for working more blueberries into your diet:

* Can you think of a quicker, healthier summer breakfast than cottage cheese with blueberries? Perfect!

* Blueberries are great with vanilla yogurt, too, but I won’t buy commercial vanilla yogurt because of the sugar. Instead, I’ll stir a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a little Splenda or stevia into plain yogurt. Top with blueberries, and devour.

* For a pretty summer dessert, layer that vanilla yogurt and the berries with chopped toasted nuts in parfait glasses.

* Make a gorgeous smoothie! Put 1 cup of plain yogurt, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1/2 cup of blueberries in your blender. Add 3 tablespoons of Splenda and a teaspoon of lemon juice, and blend till smooth. Serve this in a clear glass to show off the color!

* Throw a handful or two of blueberries in a tossed green salad for an epicurean touch. Or blend them into a vinaigrette dressing for a fresh new twist that will make your dressing at least as nutritious as the salad you pour it over!

Here’s a great dessert for your next cookout –– including a dessert topping you’ll find a thousand uses for.

Blueberries with Lime and Mint

3 tablespoons Splenda
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 pints blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/2 cup Creamy Dessert Topping

In a large, non-reactive bowl, combine the Splenda with the lime juice, and stir to dissolve. Add the blueberries, and toss, coating the berries. Add the mint and grated zest, and toss again. Serve topped with the Creamy Dessert Topping.

5 Servings: 90 Calories; 3g Fat; 1g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 2g Fiber; 13g usable carbs. (Analysis includes Creamy Dessert Topping)

Creamy Dessert Topping

1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon Splenda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Using your electric mixer, whip the cream, incorporating as much air as possible, until it's stiff.

Beat the yogurt or sour cream with the Splenda and vanilla extract until it's very creamy.

Now gently fold the two together, and chill. Serve over fruit, or as a topping for any dessert.
12 servings. Made with yogurt, each serving has 56 Calories; 5g Fat; 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1 gram usable carb.