Blueberries, Plump and Sweet

If you haven't realized yet, it is blueberry season for US consumers!  The blueberries are large, plump and sweet.  When they are this good, they should be consumed by the handfuls, not picked at, one-by-one.  If you need a cheaper source that enables you to consume by the handfuls, check out Costco.  Here's a picture!

Blueberries are not just really yummy, they have a reputation of protecting your memory, in other words, brain food (I hope you hare convinced at the end, if this is new to you)!  Put simply, if blueberries can improve my brain health, and I admit that I could use more brain cells :) , why not consume daily and in handfuls!  In a series of tests conducted by Dr. James Joseph, middle aged rats (I know, rats get old too) who were fed blueberry extracts behaved like their younger counterparts.  No mental deterioration, no loss of coordination or balance.  Tests of motor function and memory function came out so positive, that the conclusion was that blueberries make a difference.

Blueberries are found on the superfood list.  They help the neurons in your brain, contain antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory.  Said to help fight Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart disease and even arthritis.

Best if fresh, but frozen is a good alternative when not in season.  Great as is, in oatmeal, in yogurt, and in smoothies.

Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Jonny Bowden

No Impact Man

More than halfway through January - and only one post!  I guess I took a little break there.  But now I am back! 

Over the holidays, my family and I watched a really great documentary: No Impact Man: The Documentary.  The movie came out in September 2009, but still worth writing about.  The movie is about a guy in New York City who with his family (wife and young daughter) abandon their "high consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle" for a year, learning to live a life with no net environmental impact.  It was a gradual yet sacrificial process of forgoing take out, package waste, refrigerator and later electricity (now that is hardcore!).  Farmer markets along with flights and flights of stairs instead of the elevator became common in their everyday life. 

No doubt, these changes came with their frustrations and arguments in their married relationship, but the goal was to see what this new life was about, and ultimately a chance to help their family's (especially wife's) health and well being.  The wife, although not overweight, was facing a pre-diabetic condition.  The doctor said her diet (what she was eating and not eating) was a problem.  In her own words "averaging 20 shots of potent, iced espresso deliciousness every beautiful day...pastry mania and shame hangovers...usual afternoon Dunkin' Donuts high."  I think we are all familiar with what her diet was.  And, the thing is, most of us don't even realize it.  This very situation is what drives me to learn and share more about healthy eating. 

Another bit of learning is: what we see on the outside, may not be what is going on in the inside.  Quite frankly, this has application beyond food.  Don't let yourself or your loved ones waste away on the inside.

It was a movie that challenged me to think about the waste that I produce, the food that I eat, and what inspiration and passion can achieve.  The start of things that can change the world are usually small, but once the seed takes root, it can be explosive.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1280011/
http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/09/michelles-lessons-from-no-impact.html

"No Impact Man" - Official Trailer [HQ HD]