Spiritual Health & Wellness

SOUL Food Series: Get BERRY Healthy this summer

By: Eileen Z. Fuentes

My first SOUL food article was such a hit that I am super excited to feature another one in this series. My aim is to get you more familiarized with the healthy foods and more importantly to encourage you to go out and actually eat them! But first, for those of you who may not know what SOUL food is, let me start by defining that… It stands for foods that are;

Seasonal, Organic, Unprocessed, and Local.

When we are on a quest for good health, it isn’t always easy. There are so many obstacles in our path. However, the summer time is precisely that time when fruits that we enjoy are readily available and cheap. Berries of all kinds; strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, cherries, etc… are everywhere! Plus they are easy to prepare. Most require a simple rinse and voila, you have yourself a nutritious snack. There are many benefits to eating a diet rich in berries. It has been shown to reduce your risk of several types of cancers. Cranberries and blueberries contain a substance that may prevent bladder infections. And blueberries and raspberries contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision.

Late Spring/Early Summer is the season for berries so most markets will carry them. My advice to you is to go to your local farm or farmers market for the best selection. If you don’t know where to find one, visit www.localharvest.org and search by zip code. Even though they are enticing, you should avoid the conventional variety as they highly sprayed with pesticides, which has been shown to cause lasting damage to your health, particularly during fetal development and the early childhood years. I’ve included a wallet-sized list to help you identify where to spend your consumer dollars.

For more than 175 recipes using cultivated and wild, fresh and frozen berries, pick up a copy of the Berry Bible by Janie Hibler.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31