Blueberries: Healthy and Easy on the Tummy After WLS

All of my life I believed the best way to eat blueberries was with a muffin wrapped around them. No way could plain off-the-bush berries taste good. Well, lo and behold, I've been eating blueberries by the handful and they are fabulous! I can tolerate them with my gastric bypass system, I don't overeat or get sick with them. Best of all blueberries are in season now available at supermarkets and farm stands.

With flavors that range from mildly sweet to tart and tangy, blueberries are healthy superstars bursting with nutrition and flavor while being very low in calories. Blueberries are at their best from May through October when they are in season. Researchers at Tufts University say blueberries rank number one of fruits and vegetables when it comes to destroying harmful free radicals.

When purchasing: select blueberries that are firm and have a lively, uniform hue colored with a whitish bloom. Shake the container, noticing whether berries have the tendency to move freely; if they do not, this may indicate that they are soft and damaged or moldy. Avoid berries that appear dull in color or are soft and watery in texture. They should be free from moisture since the presence of water will cause the berries to decay.

Storing: Ripe blueberries should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator where they will keep for about a week, although they will be freshest if consumed within a few days. Always check berries before storing and remove any damaged berries to prevent the spread of mold. But don't wash berries until right before eating as washing will remove the bloom that protects the fruit's skin from degradation. If kept out at room temperature for more than a day, the berries may spoil.

Ripe berries can also be frozen, although this will slightly change their texture and flavor. Before freezing, wash, drain and remove any damaged berries. To better ensure uniform texture upon thawing, spread the berries out on a cookie sheet or baking pan, place in the freezer until frozen, then put the berries in a plastic bag for storage in the freezer. Berries should last up to a year in the freezer.

Kaye Bailey © 2005 - All Rights Reserved

An award winning journalist and former newspaper editor Kaye Bailey brings expertise in writing and personal experience with gastric bypass surgery to EzineArticles.com. Having spent most of her life overweight Ms. Bailey is strongly empathetic toward the obese, particularly overweight children. This compassion compelled her to found the website http://www.livingafterwls.com, a fast-growing resource of information, understanding and support for the weight loss surgery community.

The LivingAfterWLS.com site is complimented with daily blog. The blog, http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com offers readers the chance to comment or leave feedback about fresh content added daily. This site contains success stories and recipes, general information and WLS inspired topics. Complementing the site is a monthly newsletter titled "You Have Arrived" available exclusively to people who subscribe through the website or the blog.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup

It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More

The Most Effective Treatments for Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More

Healthy Aging - The Clean-Meat Connection

It is shocking how many people are not taking advantage... Read More

What Is an Essential Fat?

You may have heard that essential fats are an important... Read More

Eating to Health? Think Again!

So, what is new about this that you already don't... Read More

The Benefits Of Drinking Herbal Teas

Herbal teas have long been known to have medicinal benefits... Read More

7 Bad Eating Habits You Should Change Immediately

People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe... Read More

Juicing - A Beginners Guide

You can spot a juicer a mile off at the... Read More

Refrigerator Water Filters vs. Bottled Water: Round 1

Water is the single most important element for human existence,... Read More

The Non-Diet Diet

Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More

Heart Health ? Fish Oils To The Rescue

In a world where heart disorders and diseases are becoming... Read More

Are You Lactose Intolerant?

Do you know anyone who can't consume milk or milk-based... Read More

Glorious Summer Greens

Summer brings a lot of fantastic things with it, but... Read More

Capsulized Food: The Next Step in Food Evolution

Anyone who has spent a day fasting from food, or... Read More

Unhealthy Foods: Five Sneaky Foods Revealed

With the array of different diets and diet foods available... Read More

Eating to Gain Mass

This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs.... Read More

The Skinny on Salt

Salt was used long before recorded history began. One of... Read More

Help Prevent Premature Aging With Nutrition-Science

Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More

Functional Foods Are Becoming More Popular...

Established in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, "Foundation for Innovation in... Read More

High Acid Levels Lead to Cardiovascular Disease

THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More

Can a Child Thrive on a Vegan Diet? YES!

Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer... Read More

Physical Health is Attainable Through Proper Nutrition and Exercise

Obesity is epidemic in this country for both children and... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Did you know the average American gains 5-7 pounds every... Read More

16 Quick Tips for Eating at Restaurants or Work

Most of us eat at restaurants for a variety of... Read More

Green Tea and Your Health

Green tea has been used as for medical remedies in... Read More

That Cookie Might Kill You!

Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More

Magnesium Deficiency Causes Personality Change and WLS Patients are at Risk

Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your... Read More

Is Eating a Raw Food Diet Actually Healthy for You?

Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you... Read More

Small Changes Yield Big Benefits

You can start today - right now, even - on... Read More

The History of Ambrotose® Complex

Ambrotose® - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More

Compulsive Eating Alternative: Learning to Eat With Pleasure

Do you allow pleasure from food? Are your senses throughly... Read More

Nutrition, Evolution, and Having a Healthy Diet

Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More

The Sugar-Coated Truth

It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More