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Healthy Dose Link Time: Chia Seed Strawberry Jam Recipe

Michele Foley — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:06:21 PDT

Your new Summer standby: strawberry chia jam - Eating Bird Food
When your short on time, grab these healthy packaged foods - Prevention
Why slowing down your workout may be the secret to skinny - Shape
Get inside the head of Olympic volleyball player Misty May Treanor - Fit Bottomed Girls
Reusable shopping bags linked to food virus - are yours at risk? - Blisstree
Celeb trainer Harley Pasternak's tips for slimming down before bikini season - FabFitFun
You know the pros of yoga, now learn the cons - Mind Body Green
Do you feel like chicken tonight? Try this Greek-inspired recipe - The Fitnessista

5 Reasons Why You Should Remember to Eat More Berries

Michele Foley — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:54:32 PDT

Berry season is right around the corner, and if a big bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries didn't excite you before, maybe this news will: eating at least two servings of berries per week can help delay age-related memory loss in women. A recent Harvard study followed 16,010 women over the age of 70, finding those who ate berries slowed memory loss by almost three years. Researchers cite the plethora of antioxidants packed into these small fruits as being the reason. If preventing memory loss weren't enough, here are five more reasons why you should up your berry intake.

They help with weight loss: Berries are loaded with the antioxidant anthocyanin, which has been shown to alter the activity of genes found in human fat cells, making it more difficult to put on weight. Blueberries, specifically, have been shown to diminish stubborn belly fat.
They are good for your brain: Investigators with the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston found that the polyphenols in berries help the part of the brain that takes care of regular maintenance and "housekeeping." Blueberries and strawberries were said to contain the most polyphenols.
They are good for your eyes: Berries, especially blueberries and raspberries, contain lutein, which is important for healthy eyes and sharp vision.
They help protect against disease: Berries are brimming with carotenoids, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Other phytonutrients in berries have been shown to protect against heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Those deep hues pay off tenfold when it comes to maintaining the health of your body.
They help slow down the aging process: The powerful antioxidants in berries prevent free radical damage in your body, and less free radical damage means slowing down the aging process to help you live longer!

Amped up for berry season yet? Mix things up by making one of these healthy berry recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktail hour!

The Easiest Strawberry Tart You'll Ever Make

Camilla Salem — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:42:21 PDT

My favorite desserts to make for big family meals or dinner parties can come together in a matter of minutes, or even as an afterthought. They don't require ingredients that are hard to find and they are visually impressive. Such is the case with this simple strawberry tart. I got my hands on some bright red strawberries recently and immediately craved them on top of a buttery crust with a healthy dollop of freshly whipped cream.

All you need are strawberries, a sheet of frozen puff pastry, whipping cream, and sugar to create a beautiful Spring dessert. Puff pastry can be a little bit tricky to work with. You'll want to thaw it ahead of time, but it needs to be kept cold so that you can easily work with it. After that, all you need to do is plop it on a baking sheet, slice and arrange your strawberries nicely, sprinkle a bit of sugar and bake until it begins to turn golden brown and the strawberries cook through. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

Ready for this fast and easy recipe? Keep reading.

Happy Hour: Strawberry-Ginger Caipirosca

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:30:36 PDT

For the first time this year, I saw signs of the new season at the farmers market: purple-green Spring onions and lush, shiny strawberries. I was so enthralled that I decided to toast the first berries with a timely cocktail.

This drink has a fruity-floral bouquet, with a clean finish from the mint and ginger. It's also not too sweet.

When I served it to my guy, he took one sip and said, "This might be the best cocktail you've ever made for me." The only downside? It has no trace of alcohol flavor, so I could have easily had five more. For the stellar recipe, read more.

Happy Hour: Eclipse

Susannah Chen — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:38:27 PST

I've never been drawn to premade margarita, sweet and sour, and bloody mary mixes, mostly because I can make the aforementioned from scratch. Needless to say, I was hesitant when I heard about The Perfect Purée, a Napa Valley-based company that produces a wide range of exotic fruit purées designed for combining into beverages. That is, until I tried one in a cocktail.

If you can't locate, say, white peaches, yuzu, or blood oranges in your area, this product is truly the next best thing. Unlike most other cocktail blends out there, these purées are extracted from fresh fruit and flash-frozen to preserve freshness.
At a recent tasting, this cocktail - an eclectic recipe of tequila, apple brandy, and Campari with passionfruit, pomegranate, and blood orange purée - was so enjoyable that I asked the company for the recipe. Here it is.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries in No Time at All

Camilla Salem — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:11:42 PST

If there's one thing I could eat every day, it's chocolate and fruit. Chocolate-covered strawberries are one of those decadent desserts that people save for special, romantic occasions, but I don't really understand that. This technique for dipping your strawberries in melted chocolate is so simple, it can and should be enjoyed regularly. While many recipes tell you to melt chocolate and butter together, I find that the chocolate chips melt perfectly on their own and I like to keep things as simple as possible. I use semisweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use whatever your taste buds prefer. Click through to follow along.

A Vegan Strawberry Pudding For Everyone!

LilSugar — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 10:53:16 PDT

One of the fruits most loved by toddlers are strawberries. It's like candy to them! Whip up an all-natural strawberry chia pudding - chia is a great source of omega-3 and a great alternative for kids who don't like to eat fish - as dessert or as a special breakfast, and we're sure it'll get a rave review! Even if your tot doesn't follow a vegan diet, this is a must-try recipe! It's quick, easy, and altogether yummy.

Source: Love Raw

Keep reading for the tasty (and easy!) recipe.

Can You Pick Apart These Strawberry Facts?

Susannah Chen — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:07:02 PDT

I don't know about you, but I've been crazy for strawberries for the past few months! Although these beloved fruits are available in stores year-round, they're truly ripe for the picking in the Summer, when they're sweetest. Need more motivation to enjoy them while they're in season? Find a farm nearby to harvest your own, get inspired by our favorite berry recipes, and, of course, take our quiz to learn more tasty strawberry tidbits.

Take the Quiz

Strawberry Semifreddo Is Impressive Yet Easy

Susannah Chen — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 03:14:00 PDT

For my latest dinner party, I was on the hunt for a showstopping, seasonally focused dessert that didn't require turning on the oven. The first thing that came to mind? A semifreddo. The dessert, which translates to "half-frozen" in Italian, can really refer to anything that's been somewhat chilled or frozen, but this version, from New York restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, is stunningly simple, with little more than strawberries, a pinch of sugar and liqueur, and cream. Serve in dramatic fashion - sliced uniformly with strawberries and sauce for garnish - and your guests will be duly impressed. Ready for the season's best no-cook dessert? Then get the recipe here.

A Reader Recipe: Fourth of July Berry Yogurt Crepes

Fit Community — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:51:53 PDT

Show your American pride with a red, white, and blue treat this holiday, like FitSugar reader Versastick does with a colorful and healthy dessert. She posted her recipe for this strawberry, blueberry, and Greek yogurt crepe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Read on for the full recipe!