If you are watching your weight, berries could not be better for you. Ideal as low-calorie sweets, they pack a bonus too, by supplying fiber that apparently helps you absorb fewer of the calories that you do eat. When it is insoluble fiber that you want or need, raspberries and blackberries are ideal. They taste nothing like bran or whole grain cereals, yet their insoluble fiber content is right up there with the best whole grain sources. In addition, berries are just what experts suspect we need for better blood pressure. Research has hinted that our blood pressure problems may be due not simply to too much sodium, but also to a dietary pattern in which potassium (sodium’s co-worker) is consumed in amounts too small to maintain a healthy balance between these two minerals. Because berries provide a healthy amount of potassium with almost no sodium, they can help restore a better balance between these two nutrients and help our blood pressure. Add their low fat content and you realize that they are truly a food that you can eat to your heart’s content. When shopping for berries, remember that berries earn their name. Blackberries should have a jet black color; cultivated blueberries should be a powdery blue. All berries should be firm; soft, wet ones will not keep for very long. |
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