Here's your assignment for the weekend…

Go buy some berries.  Eat them.

Is that easy or what?  I can’t say cheap and easy this time, berries are always kind of pricey.  But they are definitely more reasonable when they are in season.
Oh, and extra credit if you buy them from local farmers.  Even better.  This time I just ran to Wegmans and grabbed red raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
Another easy assignment for the weekend…listen to Meghan Trainor’s new song, “Me too.”  Loving this!  Especially the chorus:
“I thank God every day, that I woke up feeling this way, and I can’t help lovin’ myself…”  Sounds like Meghan Trainor is feeling happy, healthy and hot!
But back to the berries….look at how gorgeous they are!

So why am I telling you to eat berries?  Ok, for one thing they taste good.  And they’re pretty.  And they require little prep…just rinse and eat!  But berries can also help you feel happy, healthy and hot.
In general, foods that are naturally intense in color tend to be nutrient dense. Berries are no exception.  They contain antioxidants such as anthocyanins, quercetin and vitamin C.  These antioxidants can help reduce inflammation and slow age-related memory loss. And if you’ve been reading many of my posts, you know vitamin C helps support collagen production, which is important for the health of our skin and connective tissue.
The seeds of berries, which we end up eating because they are so tiny, contain something called ellagic acid.  Studies have shown that people who eat foods higher in ellagic acid are less likely to develop cancer.
Berries are also low in calories, and high in fiber and water.  A cup of most berries contains around 50 calories.
If you don’t have access to fresh berries, unsweetened frozen berries are awesome too. I like to keep them on hand for smoothies.  If you are using a high powered blender like a Nutribullet or Vitamix, it is easier for your body to absorb the nutrients from the seeds.  And if you’re blending your berries, be sure to throw in some Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides…the vitamin C and collagen work together to help your body produce collagen.  Collagen helps your skin stay firm and young looking!
When possible, buy organic.  Strawberries in particular are almost always on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list as they tend to carry a lot of pesticide residue.
So this is a short post.  I’m not giving you a recipe, because why bother?  Berries are amazing on their own.  You really don’t need to do anything.
Can berries make you even more happy, healthy and hot than you already are?  Definitely. You’ll be happy because they are so pretty, require no prep, and taste delicious.  As far as healthy, there are countless studies showing how well berries support your health.  The vitamin C and other antioxidants support your skin, and berries are great if you are trying to lose weight…they are lower in sugar than most fruits and full of fiber.  With that glowing skin and beautiful body, you will be very hot!
SHOP THE POST:
Nutribullet   This is a great price, plus free shipping!!!
Vitamix  The Vitamix is not cheap, but extremely versatile.  I have had mine forever…it just keeps going!
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides  Couldn’t live without these…my skin is firmer at 49 than it was at 39.  I attribute this to the Collagen Peptides more than anything else.