Look to Tasty Blueberries to Fight Holiday Bulge
The holidays are notorious for winning the ‘battle of the bulge.’ With all the feasting, cookie-making, and decorating with candy canes, there’s a lot to tempt your taste buds at the end of the year. For many people, this can mean love handles and a spare tire in the form of weight gain. This year, utilize the fat-fighting properties of tasty blueberries to help your waistline stay slim and trim throughout the holidays.
Fat-Fighting Power of Blueberries
Study after study has shown that the blueberry has true fat-fighting abilities. First off, they are a healthy alternative to any of the chips, cookies, or candy that we may reach for as a snack during the holidays. The blueberry is low in calories, high in fiber, and full of disease-fighting nutrients and essential vitamins, so they are a healthy choice no matter when you eat them or how many you eat!
Secondly, blueberries also fight fat all on their own, even if the rest of your diet is not as healthy. One study from 2020 found that adding blueberry powder to the diets of obese rats lowered body fat and total body weight, even when their high-fat diet continued. Additionally, a 2020 study showed similar results for flavonoids like anthocyanins, the antioxidant in blueberries that give them their blue coloration. The study looked at the intake of flavonoids in twins, finding that the twin with the higher intake of flavonoids had lower body fat.
While blueberries alone are not going to make you slim and trim, they have been proven to help control weight through the two separate mechanisms mentioned above: through the fat-blasting powers of flavonoids and through the blueberry’s status as a healthy and tasty snacking alternative. Adding berries to your diet this holiday season is a flavorful and nutritional option for keeping your post-holiday waistline from rivaling that of Jolly Old St. Nicholas himself.
Tips for Adding in Tasty Blueberries This Holiday Season
Enjoy the treats of the season in moderation, get daily exercise, and add tasty blueberries to your diet to help fight holiday weight gain. Try these tips to add berries into your diet:
- -Add a half a cup of berries to your breakfast and lunch, either in the recipe or on the side.-
- -Put blueberries into soups, salads, and casseroles for added nutrition and a pop of flavor.
- -Enjoy a blueberry smoothie as breakfast, dessert, or a snack.
- -Put out a bowl of berries rather than a bowl of candy.
- -Choose berries when you’re looking for something to snack on.
- -Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch full of blueberries when you know your dinner will be buffet-style.
- -Choose desserts made with berries.
Make sure you leave some blueberries along with cookies for Santa, because everyone can enjoy the nutritional properties of America’s favorite berry! Find great recipes for your holiday gatherings on the BlueberriesFromFlorida.com recipes pages or the Blueberries from Florida Pinterest recipe boards.
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