Whether you are struggling with your memory as a mom of young kids, have a big test to take in college, or are worried about a loved one with dementia, I’ve got a food-forward, science-backed solution for you.

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One of the challenges we experience when managing our symptoms is our tendency to reach for a pill or a processed quick fix.

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What’s the problem with that?

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Well, we’re essentially paying for our health on credit. We don't want to mortgage our future health by taking a shortcut to solve today's problem or symptom. Instead, we need to think about wellness in a new way, knowing that when we eat foods that heal TODAY we are investing in our future health and longevity.

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So, let’s talk about how berries can help our memory, without having to rely on coffee or a pill.

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Berries Are Brain Food

Ready for a powerful prescription for memory — and a HOST of other amazing health outcomes?

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Eat one cup of blueberries every day.

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Let’s talk about the science behind that.

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Berries at their core are brain food.  Berries have been shown in many studies to improve mental clarity, reduce brain fog and improve memory within 2 to 6 hours after eating them.

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When you need to be at your peak performance physically or mentally? Eat one cup of berries.  When you have a big test to take? Eat Berries. Want to live younger longer? Eat berries.

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The Benefits of Berries

Berries are so powerful, research even shows there’s up to a 40% improvement in short-term memory within 4 to 8 hours of eating berries. If you have a loved one with dementia, feed them berries everyday! Research also shows improvement in short-term memory even with some levels of dementia.

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Berries are considered one of the best foods for brain health.

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Other foods that help brain health:

• Flaxseed
• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Soybeans  
• Salmon

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Dark, leafy vegetables also contribute key vitamins and minerals that the brain needs!  

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Foods that are rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and boost nitric oxide are all great brain food — and nothing beats berries in providing all of these benefits to the body.

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First, some context.  Berries are one of the most studied foods for brain health in randomized control trials because it is easy to dry a blueberry and create a powder that can be put in a pill. And based on that research, we have seen how a daily consumption of berries and greens improves performance and muscle recovery!

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Let’s zero in on what those studies have shown us.

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6 Research-based Facts About Berries:

1. Brain-Boosting Power: Want to clear the brain fog and improve focus and short-term memory? When you eat 1 cup of blueberries, you can do just that — and see results within 2-6 hours.

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2. Antioxidant and Nutrient Rich: Berries are high in antioxidants and nutrients such as magnesium and potassium which our brain needs to function at its best and beat fatigue.

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3. Nature's Viagra: Blueberries have special compounds called polyphenol antioxidants which can boost nitric oxide in our body. Nitric oxide is released by the body from eating berries and helps to widen and relax our blood vessels, which naturally lowers our blood pressure improves circulation and improve our sexual performance!

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4. DNA Repair: Berries can also help our body by repairing our DNA. They contain antioxidants that mop up the free radicals in our body from oxidative stress and lead to inflammation and disease antioxidants that can reduce something called free radicals which can harm our body. Eating berries can decrease free radicals by 18% within just 1 hour. What this means is oxidative stress is reducing inflammation, fighting disease and improving overall health and wellness.
5. Improve Insulin Sensitivity: Berries are a fruit that has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and improve blood sugar response after meals, fueling the cells efficiently so we can feel t energy. This goes opposite from what we often hear from some who blame all carbs for causing blood sugar highs and insulin resistance. Yes, berries can help you balance your blood sugar! Here’s why: they are whole unprocessed carbs loaded with fiber and trigger healing for the body.

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6. Inflammation Fighter: Berries can also decrease inflammation and lower cholesterol levels because of their special fiber content, and they can even boost our immune system.

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Have I sold you on the power of berries yet? Let's look a little closer at the latest research.

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Latest Research: Berries Help Metabolic Syndrome

A study looking at blueberries concluded that among all fruits, berries have shown substantial cardio-protective benefits due to their high polyphenol content, a type of antioxidant.

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This study shows that blueberries may improve selected features of metabolic syndrome and related cardiovascular risk factors at achievable doses in our diet.  

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What is metabolic syndrome?  They are clinical risk factors that are plaguing the globe.

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The clinical risk factors for Metabolic syndrome:

• Elevated Waist Circumference
• High Triglycerides
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• High Blood Sugar
• Inflammation

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The driver of this condition? Insulin resistance. But good news: when we change what we eat, we can improve 80% of these risk factors from diet and lifestyle alone.

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When someone has metabolic syndrome, it can increase their risk of getting other health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

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If someone has metabolic syndrome, it's important to work with a doctor to manage it by making changes to their lifestyle, such as eating healthier foods and getting more exercise.

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This means we don’t have to make it into a concentrated pill to get value from it.  You can simply sprinkle blueberries on your oatmeal, cereal, or salads and even make them into a sweet, delicious dessert.

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(Maybe not in your yogurt, but we’ll get to that.)

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Latest Research: Berries Help High Blood Pressure

Research done at Harvard following more than 100,000 women for more than a decade found that those consuming the most anthocyanins (the brightly-colored pigments found in berries, like blueberries and strawberries) “had an 8% reduction in the risk of” developing high blood pressure.

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And get this: the group consuming the most berries every day was only eating about six strawberries’ worth or just 11 blueberries. That’s only a tenth of a cup!

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This gives us more evidence that even just a little daily blueberry consumption improves blood pressure.  

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With every 1 point reduction in systolic blood pressure (the first number on our blood pressure) there is a 5% decreased risk for stroke. Be encouraged that any foods that can lower blood pressure are very powerful in reducing risk of disease.

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Anytime you can get a clinically significant improvement in a killer disease by just adding one single food to your diet — you know it's time to add it to your daily menu.

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That’s why one of the first things our members learn is to start every with blueberries in order to increase their score.

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Have you check Your Score recently?  Head to drcheylwellness.com and log in to your Member Dashboard to figure out exactly what to add to your daily Wellness routine to help you beat fatigue, increase energy, lower blood pressure — and more. This is the magic pill prescription for optimal health!

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Latest Research: Berries and Milk

Dr. Greger has recently highlighted some interesting studies that have shown inconsistent results with the benefits of blueberries on blood pressure reduction.  

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Here’s what Dr. Greger’s research has concluded:

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It’s not the berries that create inconsistent results; it may be how the blueberries were eaten.

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For example, blueberry powder with water or blueberry powder mixed with yogurt, skim milk or full-fat milk all have different results.

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With strawberry or blueberry powder mixed in water, there was a nice peak in phytonutrients in the bloodstream within an hour of consumption.  However, adding strawberries and cream or mixing the same amount of berries with milk showed fewer phytonutrients in the bloodstream after the meal.  

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What does this mean? This suggests there’s an inhibitory effect of milk on berry pigments.  

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When eating blueberries alone with water, the antioxidant power of your bloodstream shoots up within an hour and remains elevated for five hours.

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But if you add milk to the blueberries, the berry pigments end up with less antioxidant capacity in the body just because they were eaten with milk. Mixing blueberries with yogurt or milk may reduce the blood-pressure-lowering benefits of berries.

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So what does all that mean?  

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It means that food combinations have a synergistic effect and can have a nutrient-boost effect or a nutrient-blocking effect.

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There is much more research to be done on this topic, which is why I stick with eating whole plant foods that have been proven to have an optimal effect on health rather than taking supplements.

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Ready To Increase Your Memory? Start With Berries

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Ready to increase memory? Don't run to the supplements, grab a handful of blueberries! Try to eat 1 cup every day, but know that even as little as 12 berries daily has an impact on improving your health.

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Should you eat more berries? It hasn’t proven to have a significant effect. In fact, even fewer berries may work. It hasn’t been tested, so I recommend sticking with one cup every day.

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Berries in all forms —fresh, frozen, cooked, or dried — have powerful berry pigments that will improve your overall health TODAY.  

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Some incredible ways to get 1 cup of berries in your day is a Berry Smoothie, Blueberries over pancakes,  Blueberry jam with no added sugar on whole grain toast,  and a Blueberry and Nut Butter sandwich for lunch on the go.  

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For full recipes, and to find out how you score head on over to Dr. Cheryl Wellness.com. Not only would you earn a point for those berries, but you could also be feeling the difference in energy and brain fog within just 1 hour of snacking AND benefit from proven effects on your long-term health and longevity.

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No more living on credit, this is a health investment that will pay off for a lifetime!

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Get The Ongoing Guidance You Need — At Home

Ready to increase Your Score? Hop into your Dr. Cheryl Wellness Dashboard to track Your Score today and add healthier years to your life. Don’t forget to come to our next monthly Live with Dr. Cheryl! Remember, food can be your comfort AND your cure.