Cyd Notter

Author and Nutrition Educator, Founder of The "Plan A" Diet™

  • Home
  • Welcome
  • About Cyd
  • The “Plan A” Diet™
    • The “Plan A” Diet™
    • Free 45-minute Strategy Session
    • The 21-Day Meal Plan
    • Easy Meals and Desserts
    • The ‘Plan A’ Diet™ Food Pyramid
    • The Plan B Transition Approach
    • The “Plan A” Diet Transition Course
    • Our Mission & Philosophy
    • Why Go Plant-Based?
    • What’s Really True?
    • The story behind the book
  • Courses
  • About the Book
  • Contact Us
  • Articles of Interest
    • Food Topics
      • Artificial Sweeteners – What you should know
      • March is National Nutrition Month – Take the Quiz
      • Artificial Sweeteners – What you should know
      • Which food has 8x more cholesterol than beef?
      • 3 Big Reasons to Include Berries in Your Diet
      • Success Tips for Changing Your Diet
      • Do you suffer from Carbophobia?
      • What about alcohol?
      • The Slippery Slope of “Eating in Moderation”
      • A Nutrition Pop Quiz
      • Protein and Calcium
      • Aren’t Starches Fattening
      • Oils
        • Coconut Oil – Yes or No
        • Oils – what you should know
      • Eating Enough Fruits and Veggies?
      • Do you have a holiday game plan?
      • Making Only One Change?
      • America’s Love Affair with Bacon
      • Is it Safe to Eat Soy?
      • Are gluten-free diets for everyone?
      • Planning to diet this January? Do this instead.
      • Fabulous Flax Seed Has it All
      • How Important is the Glycemic Index?
      • Eating Out at Restaurants or Parties
      • Artificial Sweeteners – What you should know
      • Healthier Halloween Options
    • Health Topics
      • Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Foods (Printable List)
      • What is Vitamin B12 and how much should I take?
      • Why exercise?
      • 5 Reasons to Steer Clear of the Charcuterie Boards
      • MEN: Prostate Stats You Should Know
      • The Aluminum in Our Foods is Strongly Linked to Dementia
      • Diet and Gallbladder Disease
      • Infants are Being Fed Junk Food by Their First Birthday
      • 4 Things Necessary for a Successful, Healthy Diet
      • Habits – Good or Bad?
      • Is it too late to start eating healthy?
      • Making Small Changes but Expecting Big Results
      • Family and Social Pressure
      • Genes, Schmenes – It’s most likely the food
      • Is a plant-based diet safe for children?
      • Which Processed Meats Should We Avoid?
      • Gut Bacteria and Our Diets
      • Diet & Breast Cancer Prevention
      • Statins – Don’t Believe Everything you Read
      • Diabetes – “Manage” or Reverse?
      • The Health Benefits of (a little) Unprotected Sun
      • Making Changes Stick
      • Evaluating Research
      • Vitamin D and Sunshine
    • Faith Related
      • Addressing Biblical Objections to a Plant-Based Diet
      • The mathematical odds that Jesus is who He said He is…
      • Poem: Lessons from a Bike Ride
  • Recipes
    • Rainbow Kale Slaw
    • Gingerbread Biscotti
    • Instant Pot Pineapple Chili
    • No-Flour Corn Muffins
    • BBQ Soy Curls
    • Carrot Cake with Glaze
    • Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins
    • Choco-Mint Nice Cream
    • Barley Burgers
    • Chocolate Orange Nice Cream (and Sauce)
    • Easy Instant Pot Risotto
    • Easy Meals and Desserts
    • Recipes for Chef AJ’s Cooking Demo
    • Recipe Links
    • Pumpkin Raisin Muffins
    • Roasted Veggie Pasta
    • Zucchini Muffins
  • Upcoming Events
  • Resources
  • Testimonials
    • Amanda G. – Loses Digestive Issues and 115 lbs.
    • Tim P. – Off all 8 Meds!
    • Cindi R. – Reversed Blocked Carotid
    • Doug M. – Doc says “Cured!”
    • Denise V. – At Peace with Food and Body Image
    • Linda Z. – Autoimmune Skin Disorder now Dormant
    • Olga A. – Improved Cognitive Function
    • Kim C. – Relief from “Getting Older”
  • Blog
  • Media Kit

3 Big Reasons to Include Berries in Your Diet

Berries are a win-win. Not only are they among the healthiest foods on the planet, they’re delicious and can be used in a variety of ways.

These small, brightly colored, pulpy fruits don’t have a pit or stone, but many do contain seeds.

The most commonly consumed berries here in the U.S. include blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries,  cranberries, and currants. Lesser used varieties (but gaining in popularity) include goji berries, acai berries, and bilberries.

 

Berries can be eaten alone as a healthy snack or used in a variety of plant-based recipes such as pancakes, muffins, smoothies, and “ice cream” (scroll down to see the video link for Very Berry Ice Cream).

They’re also a wonderful topping for oatmeal and salads.

Here are just a few of the health benefits berries deliver:

  • Can Help Prevent Dementia. Blueberries (and other blue or purple fruits and berries) contain powerful plant polyphenols called anthocyanins, which are capable of localizing in the “learning and memory” regions of our brains. Higher consumption of blueberries has been shown to not only improve the memory in older adults, but to also significantly slow the rate of cognitive decline by as much as 2.5 years.

 

  • Relieves Inflammation and Osteoarthritis. Once again, it’s those protective anthocyanins (the brightly colored pigment in berries) to the rescue. Berries can dramatically combat pro-inflammatory genes, thereby providing anti-inflammatory effects and reducing pain. One study showed that diabetics who were given strawberries for six weeks saw their CRP levels (a marker of systematic inflammation) drop by 18%.

 

  • Fights Against Oxidative Stress. And that’s important because long-term oxidative stress contributes to many serious health issues (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic fatigue, cancer, and much more). Oxidative stress occurs when there’s an imbalance of free radicals (unstable, damaging molecules) and antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants, however, stabilize or neutralize those free radicals and protect us from oxidative stress. Berries (and other foods high in flavonoids and vitamins A, C, and E) are rich sources of antioxidants.

Various types of berries contain slightly different nutrients, so be sure to mix them up in your diet. Fresh berries are great in season, but frozen berries are available year-round! I like to purchase large bags of frozen organic berries at Walmart and other chains. Choosing fresh or frozen is always better than dried berries, which contain more sugar and a lower nutrient profile.

Ready to make Very Berry Ice Cream? Click here to learn how!

 

Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: plants bearing seeds, each according to its own type, and fruit trees bearing fruit with seeds, each according to its own type.” And so it was. (Genesis 1:11, GW)

 

 

 

 

Share this page
Book Cover

Click here for details

Find me elsewhere

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Privacy Policy · Legal Notice & Disclosures

Copyright © 2023 · Cyd Notter · Site by WebByMike.com · Admin · Log in