Brett Henderson
Soak it in! We only have a few more
glorious months of summer upon us
before Mother Nature decides we’re
getting too comfortable and throws us a
chilly curve ball.
Summer means different things to
different people. To some it’s tanning and
cold drinks by the pool. To others, it’s just
like the famous Rhianna song, nothing
but “work work work work work work.”
No matter what summer means to
you, there’s one thing you should be
soaking up more of than just the sun.
Antioxidants! Berries are one of the
greatest things available to us this
summer. Jam-packed (pun intended), full
of vitamins and antioxidants, berries will
not only satisfy your taste buds, but satisfy
your health at the same time.
In case you’re unaware of the super
powers antioxidants hold…antioxidants
are kind of like the Avengers. When they
are called together, they go to work right
away. Essentially, when you consume an
anti-oxidant, it goes to your body’s cells,
preventing them from creating a chain
reaction of free radicals (that’s bad) that
may damage your precious cells. Your cells
absorb things like ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
that prevent these chain reactions from
happening.
Eight strawberries contain more
Vitamin C than a medium-sized orange.
That’s 140 per cent of the recommended
daily intake of Vitamin C for kids. I’ll bet
you eight strawberries you didn’t know that
before reading this.
And although fresh berries may look
and taste better, frozen berries may actually
be better for you. Research from South
Dakota State University has found that ice
crystals formed during freezing disrupt the
structure of the berry’s plant tissue,
therefore making the antioxidants that are
present more available to the body. Even
better news to buyers: frozen berries are
cheaper and available all year long. That’s a
pretty sweet life hack, if you ask me.
But what berry is the best berry for
you? Wild blueberries usually get the top
spot in most lists, packed with those
awesome antioxidants and extremely tasty.
Blue may also be your colour too, so that
helps the cause.
And finally, berries are great for your
brain. Usually eating one cup of berries a
day is enough to encourage a healthy brain
and an even healthier mind set.
Get out to your local Farmers Market
today and pick up some awesome,
Avenger-style berries, be they blue, rasp-,
straw- or otherwise. Happy summer
everyone!
Tell us on Facebook about your adventures with food this month,
or tweet us @thehubWE #foodmatters
July 2016 - The HUB 7