Violet Beauregard Turns Into A Blueberry
Remember that scene in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory where Violet eats the blueberry gum and turns into a giant blueberry? And then heads off to the juicing room. It’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie; probably because blueberries are my favorite fruit. I actually didn’t start eating and liking blueberries until I was an adult. The only fruit I ever ate growing up was applesauce (that is a fruit, right?).
After moving to Oregon I had the opportunity to go berry picking (actually we picked every fruit that came into season that first summer), and we stumbled upon an heirloom blueberry farm on Sauvie Island. It was amazing! Incredible! Rows and rows of giant blueberry bushes with all different sizes of blueberries. And as I walked up each row I tried a different one and they all tasted slightly different. I was in heaven. My boys were too, well, maybe my youngest at the time. Jonah was 2 and he was grabbing blueberries left and right and shoving them into his mouth. My oldest on the other hand was an indentured servant, forced to pick buckets of blueberries for home canning projects and future Christmas present. Plus, I don’t think he even likes blueberries. But I did. I fell in love with them.
(On a side note, don’t let your young child eat too many blueberries at one time. They come out the other end funny and all the little bitty seeds turns to poop-sandpaper if you know what I mean)
But why should you eat blueberries beyond just the fact that they taste amazing?
10 Reasons To Eat Blueberries Every Day of Your Life!
1) Blueberries are good for your bladder. There are special compounds in blueberries that stop bad bacteria from multiplying on your bladder wall, especially E. coli, the number one offender ifUrinary Tract Infections.
2) Blueberries fight cancer. Anthocyanins, an antioxidant that creates their blue color, and Ellagic Acid have been found to fight cancer. In a research study on mice with liver and prostate cancer, anthocyanins were found to stop the growth of cancer cells.
3) Blueberries help keep your memory. The flavonoids in blueberries have been found to reduce cognitive decline over time.
4) Blueberries are great anti-inflammatory foods. The anthocyanins (these antioxidants are the Incredible Hulk of the food world) have been found to reduce arterial inflammation and thus reducing risk of cardiovascular disease.
5) Eating blueberries improves your gut health. As we all seek to have the good bacteria living in our bodies and the bad bacteria out, eating blueberries have been found to improve overall gut health by increasing key good bacterias in the stomach and intestines.
6) Blueberries are nutrient dense and low calorie. 1 cup of blueberries contain 4g of fiber, vast amounts of vitamins and minerals, are 85% water, and only coming in at 84 calories.
7) Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fruits and vegetables, and antioxidants are crucial in fighting free radicals in your body, a key cause for premature body and cellular aging and cancer.
8) Blueberries have been shown to reduce blood pressure when eating over time.
9) Blueberries contain high levels of a phytonutrient called Quercetin, which when consumed has been found to reduce the severity of environmental allergic response. So for all you Hay Fever sufferers out there blueberries + local raw bee pollen could be your answer.
10) Eating blueberries increases the bodies production of Dopamine, a powerful neurotransmitter that is considered the ‘feel-good’ drug of our bodies.
As much as I love fresh picked blueberries, sometimes they just aren’t available, that’s when my Paleo Blueberry Crumble does the trick. It’s a great use for frozen blueberries from the store, just try and remember to buy the wild blueberries if you can.
So be like Violet Beauregard and eat they Blueberry!