Archive for December, 2011

December 17th, 2011  Posted at   Nutrition
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Wild blueberries offer more than just great taste. These tiny fruits are packed with highly concentrated and powerful antioxidants that can help combat disease and promote healthy aging.

Deep-blue Wild Blueberries may be “one of the best age-proofing foods in your diet,” according to James A. Joseph, Ph.D., co-author of The Color Code and lead researcher at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.

Recent research from the USDA study results indicate that Wild Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity per serving when compared to 20 other fruits. Using a lab testing procedure called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), Dr. Ronald Prior, lead researcher at the USDA Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center and Agricultural Research Service, found that a one-cup serving of Wild Blueberries had more total antioxidant capacity (TAC) than a serving of cranberries, strawberries, plums, raspberries and even cultivated blueberries. According to Dr. Prior, “Wild Blueberries are stars in terms of their antioxidant capacity.”

Scientists around the world are studying the wild blueberry and the many health benefits offered by this tiny blue fruit. The many potential health benefits of Wild Blueberries include:

  • Brain Health: Ongoing brain research shows that blueberries may improve motor skills and actually reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging.
  • Cancer Prevention: Research shows that blueberry compounds may inhibit all stages of cancer.
  • Heart Health: Research indicates that blueberries may protect against heart disease and damage from stroke.
  • Urinary Tract Health: Like cranberries, blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections.
  • Vision Health: Research around the world has indicated that blueberries may improve night vision and prevent tired eyes.

However, since wild blueberries are very seasonal and may not be available year round in your local store, here are a few ways to get the powerful antioxidants of the wild blueberry no matter what the season is:

  • Fresh blueberries are great straight from the farm or the produce section of your local store when they are in season.
  •  Frozen blueberries are an excellent additional to any meal. Enjoy a few thawed blueberries in your pancakes or muffins. To get you hands on some frozen blueberries visit the refrigeration section of your local grocery store.
  • A handful of dried wild blueberries are a great snack or and some to your morning cereal. In fact, studies conducted by blueberry researcher Charles M. Mainland, Ph.D., professor of horticulture at North Carolina State University, show that dried blueberries pack an even bigger punch, with four times greater antioxidant content than fresh blueberries.
  • Try some wild blueberry supplements. These supplements are made from wild blueberries and deliver highly concentrated amounts of the wild blueberries in a capsule format. A good source for wild blueberry capsules is from Fruit Advantage. This company not only offers wild blueberry capsules, the sell a variety of fruit capsules. (more…)
December 10th, 2011  Posted at   Uncategorized
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The benefits of healthy exercise are well known. But did you know that there are added benefits if you do outdoor exercise, if you participate in outdoor fitness?

Recently, researchers at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry have undertaken a systematic review of numerous studies, which compared the effects of outdoor exercise initiatives with the effects of those exercise initiatives which were conducted indoors. Reported in the Science Daily (and retrieved on 6 February 2011), the study’s clear conclusion is that there are both mental and physical benefits to our well-being, which are gained by doing healthy exercise in the natural environment.

In relation to our mental well-being, most of the studies reviewed found that exercising in the natural environment, as compared to exercising indoors, was associated with greater feelings of revitalisation, increased energy and positive engagement, as well as decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Interestingly, study participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor exercise compared with indoor exercise activity, and they stated that they were more likely to repeat outdoor fitness activity in the future.

Unfortunately, none of the studies forming part of the healthy exercise review measured the effects of outdoor physical activity on physical well-being compared to indoor exercise, or the effect of natural environments on adhering to an exercise regime. As a result, it is thought that the benefits to our physical well-being which the researchers claim, more likely are associated with the mind-body connection. As we say: healthy mind, healthy body. Clearly further research is needed to better understand the link between mental and physical well-being and outdoor exercise.

Nonetheless, for people who live most of their lives inside four walls or in urban environments, the results speak for themselves. Exercising outdoors appears more beneficial to your mental health, especially if you suffer from a mental illness, like depression. A caveat to that, however, must be that if you exercise in a highly polluted outdoor environment, where you will be inhaling toxic fumes while you exercise, your physical well-being may be adversely affected. Perhaps important and overlooked in the review of healthy exercise is the fact that when you are participating in daytime outdoor fitness, you are getting vitamin D through sunlight exposure, which itself contributes to physical and mental well-being. (more…)


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