Berries

Why it’s good for you:  Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimers, and insomnia

With more antioxidant muscle power than most other fruits, berries strengthen tissue defenses against oxidation and inflammation, which are underlying factors in most age-related diseases, from heart disease and cancer to Alzheimers. For example, substances in blueberries help with short-term memory loss associated with aging. All berries help lower risk for breast, oral, and colon cancers in women. With a wealth of phytochemicals like ellagic acid, adding strawberries to the diet lowers tumor risk by up to 58%. Both blueberries and cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections. Tart cherries are one of the few foods that contain appreciable amounts of melatonin, the brain chemical that helps you sleep.

How to include more in your diet: The best of the berries is in the pulp and seeds, so go for the whole fruit not juice. Aim for a cup of berries a day. Switch from ice cream to frozen blueberries for an after-dinner snack, add raspberries to tossed salads, add berries to salsas and dried berries to muffin batter, or briefly cook berries with a little Splenda, lemon juice, and corn starch and use as a topping for pancakes, French toast, waffles, and ice cream. Have a bowl of lemon sorbet topped with tart cherries as a bedtime snack to help you sleep.