Melissa Paris Fitness

Cupcakes, macaroons, candies and chocolates are the GO TO, when you're craving a little sugar - but if you're looking out for your health and watching your waist line, they're not exactly the smart choices. Naturally sweet, delicious and colorful, berries and similar fruits can make a fun sized snack, topping, or mashed into a recipe. Don't underestimate these little guys! Check out the Melissa Paris Fitness 'Ultimate Sweet Tooth Satisfier Guide!'

Blackberry
• Nutritional value (1 cup/144g): 70 calories, high in vitamin C, fiber, manganese and potassium.
• What can it do for you? The vitamin K helps in muscle relaxing, so women like to use these berries to alleviate labor pains.The juice can also be used to help regulate menstruation since it helps healthy blood clotting.
• FUN FACT: You can use blueberry leaves in a relaxing cup of tea, or you can enhance it for a therapeutic drink! The taste may be a bit bitter for some, so you can sweeten it with agave or honey.

Blueberry
• Nutritional value (1 cup/148g): 84 calories, excellent source of vitamin K, and very good source of manganese, vitamin C and fiber.
• What can it do for you?: Blueberries are one of the most antioxidant rich foods in the world.
• FUN FACT:  According to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, laboratory studies show a diet including blueberries may improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging or age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.




Strawberry
• Nutritional value (1 cup/152g): 49 calories, it’s good source of folate potassium, and a very good source of vitamin C, fiber and manganese.
• What can it do for you? Recent studies show that one cup of strawberries can reduce the excess intake of table sugar! Findings also show that the polyphenols in strawberries played a major role in helping regulate blood sugar response. This is good news for diabetics wanting to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
• FUN FACT: The acids in strawberries can help remove stains on your teeth and whiten them! Munch away with a smile on your face.

Cranberry
• Nutritional value (1/2 cup/123g): 46 calories, high in vitamin C, fiber, manganese.
• What can it do for you? New evidence suggests that cranberries and cranberry pills may do little to help bacteria infections such as urinary tract infections (UTI). While some studies showed it helped that women who had recurrent UTIs, they still had to consume two glasses of cranberry juice a day, which is a pretty big commitment! Cranberries are effective at lowering incidence but NOT for curing UTIs.
• FUN FACT: Cranberries have compounds that help prevent bacterial infections by interfering the process of bacterial adhesion. These little guys fight Staphylococcus aureus, the bugs that leads to sore throats as well as E. coli and Salmonella enteritidis, both that can lead to food poisoning.

Raspberry
• Nutritional value (1 cup/123g): 63.96 calories, packed with vitamin C, manganese, fiber, vitamin K. Also good with omega-3 fats, magnesium, folate and vitamin E.
• What can it do for you? : Raspberries contain potent antioxidants that can help with arthritis, age-related memory loss, and cataracts and other eyesight problems. They are also a leading source of ellagic acid, which may have some anti-cancer properties. 
• FUN FACT: Raspberries go bad very quickly. Make sure you eat them within a couple days of purchasing fresh raspberries! A couple of days overdue? Make raspberry jam!