How Can Blueberry Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Pop a few blueberries in your mouth and you'll notice reduced agitation, a relaxing sensation in the eyes, and cool feeling in your skin. These visceral signs are your personal cue indicating blueberries' beneficial effect on your liver, and their cooling, pitta pacfiying nature.

Brain Health

Like a cool breeze, or sitting in your favorite shade tree, this indigo hued pearl brings a restful reprieve to an overheated mind. It calms your thoughts, moves energy downward and inward, and encourages a more passive demeanor. Several studies extol blueberries nourishing effects on the brain that are consistent with its pitta pacifying nature. It has been shown to minimize age-related memory loss, have an anti-inflammatory effect on your nerves, and offer benefits in Alzheimers. According to James Joseph, PhD, leading scientist at the Laboratory of Neuroscience at Tufts University, "When it comes to brain protection, there is nothing quite like blueberries. Call the blueberry the brain berry."

Liver Health

Blueberries (and berries in general) protect the liver. A diet rich in berries reduces liver enzymes by as much as 23 percent (Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2010) . High liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase or ALT) are a sign of liver cell injury. Regular consumption of blueberries in particular also led to a reduction in liver size, indicating improved liver function (University of Michigan). Blueberries also reduce levels of inflammation in blood. Blue, red & purple berries are high in beta-carotene, which stimulates your liver.

Dark colored fruits are rich in flavonoids, which support blood vessels. Blueberries in particular support health eyes. They are very high in antioxidants, which prevent aging and cancer. Blueberries contain oxalic acid when eaten raw. Avoid overconsuming blueberries if you tend to get kidney stones.

WHY SHOULD YOU EAT AYURVEDICALLY?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Foods that supplement your specific body type’s needs and digest easily create your menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.

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Is Blueberry Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Blueberry is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

MEDICINAL QUALITIES

INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main states (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which states are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every state has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite state. Learn More	LIGHT ABOUT LIGHT GUNA Lightness is identified by reduced weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT EASY ABOUT EASY GUNA Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY COLD ABOUT COLD GUNA Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	SWEET ABOUT SWEET GUNA Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET SOUR ABOUT SOUR GUNA Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT Acidifying ACIDIFYING An herb that creates an acidic pH in the blood chemistry. LEARN MORE ABOUT ACIDIFYING , Ojas OJAS Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness. LEARN MORE ABOUT OJAS , Sattvic SATTVIC Sattvic foods promote awareness and a refreshed mind by nourishing the body without taxing digestion. Sattvic foods do not stimulate desire or nervous energy. They create clarity instead of drowsiness or heaviness. LEARN MORE ABOUT SATTVIC TYPE Fruits ELEMENT Air AIR Resembles air (vayu) in quality - highly mobile, drying, light, cold, subtle, rough. LEARN MORE ABOUT AIR , Water WATER Resembles water (ap) in quality - fluid, sticky, soft, heavy, stable, cool. LEARN MORE ABOUT WATER NUTRIENT Soluble Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Antioxidant COLOR Blue Purple NOURISHES Red Blood RED-BLOOD Red blood (Rakta Dhatu) includes red blood cells and blood vessels. LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-BLOOD

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Energy Vitality Strength	Nutritive NUTRITIVE An herb that is strengthening and nourishing. LEARN MORE ABOUT NUTRITIVE
Heart & Circulation	Alterative ALTERATIVE Literally, an herb that restores the proper function of the body. In practice, alteratives are usually blood cleansers and blood chemistry balancers. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALTERATIVE , Blood Tonic BLOOD-TONIC An herb that produces more blood cells in the body or otherwise strengthens blood. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency. LEARN MORE ABOUT BLOOD-TONIC , Opthalmic OPTHALMIC Benefits the eyes. LEARN MORE ABOUT OPTHALMIC , Refrigerant REFRIGERANT An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT REFRIGERANT
Immune System	Anti Inflammatory ANTI-INFLAMMATORY Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY , Anticarcinogenic ANTICARCINOGENIC Herbs that inhibit or prevent the activity of a carcinogen or the development of cancer. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTICARCINOGENIC
Kidney & Urinary	Kidney Tonic KIDNEY-TONIC An herb that strengthens the kidneys. LEARN MORE ABOUT KIDNEY-TONIC , Urinary Tonic URINARY-TONIC An herb that tonifies and strengthens the urinary system. These can be helpful for urinary incontinence or improving function after a urinary tract infection. They can also strengthen the bladder to ward off a urinary tract infection. LEARN MORE ABOUT URINARY-TONIC
Liver & Gall Bladder	Livotonic LIVOTONIC An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIVOTONIC
Mind, Stress & Sleep	Brain Tonic BRAIN-TONIC An herb that strengthens the brain, thereby improves either mental function, stamina, or stability. LEARN MORE ABOUT BRAIN-TONIC