Adventures of the Blueberry

Hello Everyone!! I hope you are all enjoying this last little bit of summer! I know I sure am. I love this time of year!! The local produce is so abundant, it has me bursting at the seams with excitement. Yes, I know I am a bit of a nutritionist geek! One of my favorite things to do is go to local farmers markets and pick my produce straight from the source. I find it so relaxing and exciting to know exactly how fresh my food is. It has become a little more hectic with my one year old but still so much fun!

Sophie couldn't get enough blueberries

I truly believe that now more than ever, it is critical to teach our children where our food comes from. Many little ones think that most food comes out of a box from the grocery store and seem to have little connection with our earth and how food is grown. 

I grow some produce in my garden and also go picking to whatever local organic farm I can get to. 

Sophie loves it!!! She has so much fun picking the fruit off the tree and munching away. She actually eats a lot more fruit than she normally would. 

Please!!! Take your kids to your local farms and teach them the importance of eating local and where food actually comes from. 

Why eat local you ask?? Because you are getting the best nutrition for your buck. After a fruit or vegetable is picked it starts to lose its valuable nutrients becoming less and less nutrient dense with every day. It is also a lot cheaper to buy directly from the source. I also think it is important to support our local growers. And most importantly, it tastes so much better!

Blueberries are bursting with flavor and nutrition! I just love them. So when my friend from Appreciating Health told me about a place by her house to go picking, I hopped in the car with Sophie and we went with her and her little man Henry. She lives in Bowmanville. Anyone looking for more information please feel free to email me. 

Mr Cutie Pie Henry loves his blueberries!

Here are some of the beautiful health benefits of the almighty blueberry 

• Blueberries are phytonutrient superstars. These fruits contain significant amounts of anthocyanadins, which are powerful antioxidants
• Blueberries are an excellent source of bone-nourishing vitamin K. Yes, you read that right. Blueberries for your bones...who would have thought.
• Recent research on the powerful antioxidants in blueberries is showing that they have a positive impact on memory and brain health. 
• Your heart loves blueberries. The antioxidants in blueberries are known to protect the heart 
• Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C 
• Blood sugar problems or diabetic?? Blueberries are a great fruit for you, known for their positive affect on blood sugar metabolism

While I love eating blueberries by the fist full, I also love adding them to my smoothies. 

Here is one of my favorite recipes

1 cup of fresh of frozen blueberries 

1 cup of ice 

1 cup of sesame milk (or other milk of choice)

2 tbsp of hemp seeds

2 tsp of raw honey or maple syrup or to taste

Optional superfoods

2 tbsp of yogi berries

1 tsp spirulina

4 swiss chard leaves 

1 tsp of nutrasea fish oil or flax oil 

Blend and enjoy!