Six Reasons to Eat Blueberries

Any way you buy them - fresh, frozen or dried - blueberries are packed with nutritional power.

If you need any reason other than their taste to snack on blueberries, keep these nutritional vignettes in mind:
Anthocyanins – the pigments that make blueberries blue - are potent antioxidants: A half cup of blueberries provides the antioxidant power of five servings of peas, carrots, apples, squash or broccoli.
Berries are a healthy, low glycemic-index carbohydrate, an especially good choice for diabetics.
Blueberries are a source of vitamin C, important for a healthy immune system.
Blueberries offer two grams of fiber per one-half cup serving.
Blueberries have shown promise in addressing the effects of aging: animal studies have shown improved motor skills and a reversal of age-related short-term memory loss.
Blueberries may have health benefits ranging from preventing cancer and defending against urinary tract infections to protecting the brain from stroke damage and reducing heart disease risks.

Look for organic blueberries at your local produce stand, and toss some in a salad, on cereal, as a snack, or make a blueberry pie. If fresh organic blueberries are cost prohibitive, substitute with frozen or dried blueberries - all three forms provide health-protective benefits. Keep in mind that dried blueberries are a concentrated source of sugar, so enjoy them in moderation.

....from Dr. Weil website

Posh pomegranate

Article By: Cynthia Ross Cravit

Packed with antioxidants, this ruby red fruit could help to prevent heart disease and prostate cancer.

The pomegranate, popular in Greek mythology, is enjoying a surge in popularity. New products featuring this versatile fruit – foods, beverages, and cosmetics – are popping up everywhere. In fact, in the US, 258 new pomegranate products were introduced last year, up from 19 in 2002, according to Datamonitor's Productscan Online which tracks new products.

From the Oscars' Red Carpet Martinis (vodka, Grand Marnier and pomegranate juice, garnished with a gold leaf) to pomegranate chewing gum, lip gloss and shaving cream just to name a few, pomegranate seems to be the ingredient of choice. But the juiciest part is that in this case, trendy also means healthy.

Pomegranate, which has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, has proven to have a variety of modern health benefits, according to a report
in The Seattle Times.