GoodBelly ToGo

The folks over at GoodBelly sent us some product to try.  We will be covering the product over the next couple of weeks.   Good Belly makes probiotic fruit drinks.

Their ToGo product is packed with 20 Billion probiotics, clinically proven to improve core digestive health and strengthen immunity, and 500mg of Vitamin C!  Probiotics: Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v; Bifidobacteriaum Lactis Bi-07; Lactobaccilus Acidophilus.  

First is their GoodBelly To Go.   I tried the Blueberry Acai Flavor.  As you can see, it comes in a very convenient package and even has an area where you can tear it open – eliminating the need for scissors on the go. Since it is a probiotic, it is supposed to improve your core digestive health and strengthen your immunity.  My guess is that I am not going to see results with that aspect all that quickly as I assume it is something that needs to build in your belly overtime!

What GoodBelly ToGo in Water Bottle

The directions say “Add contents of packet to 6 ounces of water or juice and enjoy.”  So I added it to 16.9 ounces of water, and then screwed on the top and shook it up.  I think you really need to have a top to screw on for this To Go product.  It all sinks to the bottom and you need to occasionally shake it back up!

I do not mind the taste, but also do not like it, if that makes sense.  I mean I wouldn’t think of going back to it immediately.  But I think my taste is a matter of opinion, and someone else might quite like it.  Regardless, if it’s purpose is for probiotics, then it is absolutely easy to drink and convient to drink for that purpose.

The GoodBelly To Go is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan.

They sell it on their website by the case or by the box:

Case Quantity is $67.50
(there are 6 boxes in a case, each box contains 8 individual packets, so that about $1.41/packet)

Box Quantity is $12.50
(each box contains 8 individual packets, so that’s about $1.56/packet)

Suggested Use: One Packet per Day

GoodBelly is a division of NextFoods out of Boulder, CO.

Have you tried this product?  If so, please let us know what you think about it by leaving a comment below!

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We all have heard for years that eating your fruits and veggies is a necessity.  Certainly, you are aware of that necessity if you have ever been constipated from eating too much bad food.  A little fiber from fruits and veggies will set you straight!  And your digestive system isn’t the only thing that is aided when you eat a proper diet.  Here are a couple of fruits that if you eat a few times a week, just might save your life.

Grapes:  Need a healthy dose of vitamin C and potassium?  No problem.  Grapes to the rescue.  If you know anything about antioxidants then you know the darker the skin of a fruit, the more dense it is in antioxidants.  The polyphenols found in the skin of a grape have tremendous health benefits and the carotenoid hycopene of red grapes helps to fight breast and prostate cancer.

Fruit that Ends with “berry”:  Surely, you know a lot of fruit that ends in”berry”.  In fact, usually fruits are paired with berries, “fruits and berries” is often how you see it.  Some examples are: the blueberry, the elderberry, the strawberry, etc.  Berries, because they are so rich in color, are loaded with antioxidants.

Fruit, because of the fiber and antioxidants that they offer, are excellent for detoxifying the system.

Learn more about Ten Foods that Could Save Your Life, like chocolate, coffee, pumpkin, avocados, oats, soy, cinnamon and nuts.  Or read a more extensive list of 101 foods that could save your life.

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Columbia Phyto Technology and Kerry Ringer, a Washington State University assistant professor, recently published the results of their study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 

The team looked into preserving the health-promoting compounds in dried blueberry powder.  The reason for the interest in the study was because of consumers needs for highly nutritious foods as well as concerns about costs.  Also, because blueberries are a seasonal crop they end up having a short life as a fresh product.  Because of their popularity, they end up being frozen or processed.  However, keeping food frozen can end up being a financial burden on the industry as well as the consumer. 

The technology was the radiant zone dryer.  It ended up preserving as many antioxidants and anthocyanins as their liquid counterparts.  Ringer noted, “We focused our study on drying of blueberry puree, blueberry juice and blueberry extract supplied by Washington fruit processing companies.”

This is excellent news because dried blueberry powder allows for minimal degradation of anthocyanins and therefore makes the preservation of blueberries more cost effective. 

Ringer added, “This project demonstrated the development of value-added products that potentially bolster profit margins and the types and numbers of jobs in agriculture.”

Source: http://mobile.westernfarmerstockman.com/index.aspx?ascxid=cmsNewsStory&rmid=0&rascxid=&args=&rargs=9&dt=633982152662968750&lid=a8yebu2d9qxnz7lo&adms=633982152661250000X3bf6e7e6e4&cmsSid=34358&cmsScid=9

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With the New Year in full effect, there is little doubt that you have run into articles talking about the latest list of superfoods.  It seems like in recent years that this list of superfoods has become more exotic and impossible to attain.

So, we thought we’d remind you on a superfood that is easily attainable and available all year around either fresh or in your grocery’s freezer – the blueberry.  Dr. Ronald Prior said in a 1998 research study conducted at Tufts University that “[b]lueberries are one of the richest sources of antioxidant phytonutrients of the fresh fruits and vegetables we have studied.”  (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 46, no. 7).

The Blueberry’s Benefits Include:

• Clears/Cleans arteries
• Improves vision
• Rich in iron
• Helps to clear the digestive track
• Reverses the aging process
• Protects against disease because of the concentration of antioxidants
• Promotes weight control
• Stops urinary tract infections
• Enhances memory

As with other superfoods, adding the blueberry to your diet is always a tasty treat.  However, because of the availability of the blueberry, it is much easier to add to your daily diet. 

You can use the blueberry to compliment many snacks and desserts. 

How to Use the Blueberry in Your Diet:

• Freeze blueberries and use them in a smoothie or add them to your favorite drink to add texture to your drink
• Heat blueberries with your syrup and then eat them with waffles, pancakes or french toast
• Scoop some blueberries into your yogurt with granola
• Drop some blueberries on your morning oatmeal or cereal
• Add dried blueberries to trail mix, chicken salad or in protein bars

If you are looking for additional blueberry recipes, you might check out the Oregon Blueberry site.

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Before the acai berry, the blueberry was touted as having very high antioxidant values when compared to other fresh fruits and vegetables. Now, this berry is still up there, but not in comparison to the acai berry as far as the ORAC Value is concerned. The anthocyanins in the berries are the chemicals responsible for its antioxidant and anti-inflamatory properties.

Some nutritional benefits are:

• Anthocyanins
• Vitamins
• Minerals

It can help with:

•  Heart Disease
• Memory Loss
• Urinary Tract Infections

In June 2006, Pharmacology and Biochemical Behavoir published a study which showed that diet supplementation with blueberries improved performance on memory tasks in mice. Also, the berry’s polyphenols help give it a protective effect on DNA damage.

How it fights cancer

Thinking about cooking with them? You can always check out my Fruit Recipe Page to find unique recipes of specific fruits found on this site.

There is also a great site that offers recipes on pancakes: blueberry pancake recipe, there are also recipes for muffins and pie.

Look at these berries in a Prague market! YUM! Thank you to Karin Eriksson for letting us post this! Please visit her site to see more wonderful photos: www.karineriksson.se

Do you have a fun story or a fun fact about blueberries?  If so, go ahead and leave a comment about them below.

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