Is it just me, or do we all suffer from berry rationing? Every time I buy berries, I habitually dole them out as if to preserve them for future uses while foolishly limiting my in the moment consumption. This habit is a bad habit and needs to end ASAP!

Blueberries should be binged upon. They contain anthocyanidins which is just a fancy word to describe the antioxidant compound that makes these little guys "superfoods." And super they are! Specifically, research has shown the antioxidant in blueberries to protect the brain from oxidative stress helping to ward off age-related health conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Tufts University conducted a study that involved feeding older rats the equivalent of 1 cup of blueberry a day and "they showed significant improvements in learning capacity and motor skills making them mentally comparable to much younger rats." (The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods, pg.259-260). Blueberries have also been therapeutic in addressing cataracts, glaucoma, peptic ulcers, urinary track infections and macular degeneration associated with diabetes. The list gets longer but I think you get the idea. More importantly, why isn't there such things as a Food Pharmacy where your health insurance would help pay for your prescription berries?!

Long story short, blueberries are food medicine and we need to be eating these gems aggressively! Eat them by the handfuls. Throw some in a parfait, or on ice cream or toss into your baked goods. It really doesn't matter. Just get them down the hatch! Here in this house, we are attempting to adopt a daily blueberry ritual in which we add them to our diet with regularity. A new family favorite includes these sourdough pancakes. You can add them to your regular pancake batter but if you are really interested in the sourdough part, you can read about that process here. Now, go get some blueberries and indulge!