Putting the Red, White, and Blue in the Fourth of July!

Summer has arrived in Douglas County!

Berry plants are blooming, offering some of the most nutritious foods available. Our ancestors filled their woven baskets with native blackberries, elderberries, huckleberries, strawberries, thimbleberries, salmonberries, salal, cranberries, and Hawthorne berries, among many others. What do these native fruits have in common? Berries pack a dense number of phytonutrients; “phyto” meaning plant.

Unlike protein, carbs, or fat, phytonutrients don’t fall into standard nutrition categories, but they play a huge role in keeping us healthy. More than 8,000 different phytonutrients have been identified, and hundreds of types are found in the berries around us.

Phytonutrients have been found to:

• Act as antioxidants to reduce inflammation, prevent chronic illness, and lower cancer risk.
• Support communication between our body’s cells.
• Enhance athletic performance, slow aging, support immunity, elevate mood, and even reduce LDL cholesterol.

Celebrate the 4th of July with berries of all different colors: Red-colored berries contain lycopene; blue-colored berries contain anthocyanins; white berries contain quercetin – just to name a few. All three colors contain potent phytochemicals to benefit our bodies.

If you plan to forage berries, make sure the area is free from pesticides. To be safe, wash your produce with water and a splash of apple cider vinegar before consumption. Not up for foraging? Many berries are available fresh in the supermarket during the summer months. Out of season, find them in the frozen and canned section (check labels to avoid added sugar).

Freezing your own harvest this summer? To preserve nutrients, sprinkle berries with vitamin C powder or pectin powder to slow down oxidation and aging. Lay
them out on a tray in a single layer so they freeze quickly, then store them in bags for easy use later.

Want to learn more? Join the Healthy Living and Dietetics Team on Wednesday, July 30, for a workshop all about “Nature’s Candy,” including delicious breakfast, snack or dessert recipes like parfaits, amaranth crackers and Wojapi (Native berry sauce).

This article comes to you from the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center Dietetics and Healthy Living Team

Please reach out to one of our Lifestyle Coaches for lifestyle and nutrition support, or join one of the Diabetes Prevention Program groups! (541) 672-8533