Hurry, Quick. Get yourself some acai berries. I hear they taste just like a combination of red wine and chocolate (Family Circle, February 2009 tells me so). They also happen to be chock full of disease-fighting antioxidants so apparently, you just can't go wrong with this superfood.

Not familiar with anything acai? Give this superfruit smoothie a try.

In a blender, combine one and one-fourths cups plain soy milk, one cup acai juice (available in natural food stores), one-fourth cup orange juice, one large mango (peeled and cut into chunks) and one cup frozen blueberries. Blend well. And drink. Detect any red wine and chocolate in there?

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When a food item becomes a health trend, it starts popping up everywhere -- from energy drinks to sodas to diet pills, sometimes even in shampoo. Acai is one of the more recent nutrition trends ... but is it worth all of the fuss?

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, acai berries are rich in antioxidants and are a very nutritious food. However, Dr. Oz states that acai is as good as any other healthful food, not any better. One reporter and her husband decided to try out the acai diet -- he took capsules and she used a powdered drink mix. Not only was it expensive, the drink was gritty, and neither saw any weight loss results. And the cleansing drink that came with the acai diet was completely gag-inducing.

The lesson here is to not go overboard. When nutrition news hits the media, the marketing folks clamor on board and try to sell as many products as possible based on very limited science. Acai is a great food to incorporate into your diet but if you're expecting it to help you magically drop excess pounds, cure disease and unclog your kitchen sink, you're going to be sorely disappointed.

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And the winner is: The frozen açaí berry, boasting an antioxidant score of 10,000 (for about a half a cup). We're talking ORAC scores here -- oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Ideally, you should get more than 5,000 ORACs per day. Clearly, this berry delivers. Here's how some others stack up. Serving size for all is one cup.

Blueberries, fresh or frozen: 9,697
Cranberries, frozen: 9,584
Blackberries, fresh or frozen: 7,700
Raspberries, fresh or frozen: 6,005
Strawberries, fresh or frozen: 5,151

Fruit overripe? Don't let it go bad -- there's an easy and healthy way to preserve those fruits for future eating.

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I love berries, which makes it my pleasure to report on any health benefit they so scrumptiously offer.

According to a recent study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating just five ounces of mixed berries a day can lower blood pressure and thin the blood, thus reducing the risk of blood clots and strokes. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are at their peak right now, so why not pick some up and get your dose of potent antioxidants. Woman's Day magazine (July 8, 2008) offers these yummy snack ideas.

• Make a colorful parfait. Spoon alternating layers of fat-free strawberry yogurt and mixed berries into a parfait glass. Top with shaved almonds or chopped walnuts.

• Sweeten iced tea with berry juice. Add a splash of raspberry, black currant, or cranberry juice to a glass of homemade unsweetened iced tea.

• Satisfy a sweet tooth. Drop some raspberries in a bowl and drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

Want more on the benefits of berries. Check out this article.

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I finished off my carton of strawberries last night while prepping a fruit salad. And while I was using the plastic container as a trash receptacle for the seeds of my cherries, I noticed a label promoting the website CalGiant.com. CalGiant I figured was the grower of my berries so once I savored my salad, I hopped on over to my laptop and checked things out.

Yep, California Giant is a berry farm, specializing in strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I'd love to tell you about each of these juicy fruits -- and someday I will -- but for now, here are some facts specific to strawberries, straight from the CalGiant folks.

• Strawberries are high in folic acid which makes them great for women who are pregnant.
  
  

• Strawberries are high in antioxidants, thought to be responsible for lowering the risk of some cancers and improving urinary tract health and memory function.
  
  

• Strawberries are good for the heart. Dr. Gene Spiller, Nutrition and Health Research Center, recently released data showing that when people eat a daily serving of strawberries (about eight berries; 45 calories) there are significant increases in blood folate levels and decreases in systolic blood pressure.
  
  

• A nutrient dense fruit, strawberries taste great and contain lots of fiber.
  
  

• Strawberries are available year-round -- what an opportunity for consumers to add great taste and nutrition to their everyday, healthy diet.
  

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I love this time of year. When my local produce stores start carrying fruits and vegetables that aren't labeled "product of some outlandishly far away country." Locally grown products are fresher, better for the environment, and even seem to taste better. Depending on where you live, many berries may be already in season. Strawberry season is just around the corner for me, and I can't wait! Berries pack a powerful nutritional punch (via FitSugar).

Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They can help ward off certain diseases and may even slow the aging process. You can mix things up by looking for different tastes such as currants, gooseberries, and lingonberries.

Try topping your morning cereal or oatmeal with berries, enjoying a bowl of berries with some skim milk, mixing them in your yogurt, topping a small slice of angel food cake, or just popping them as they are. Your health -- and taste buds -- will thank you.

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Something wonderful happened a couple of weeks ago at my supermarket: Fresh, ripe strawberries started appearing on the shelves, and my fridge has been full of them ever since. That's right -- it's strawberry season. I'm crazy about berries of all kinds, and strawberries are my favourite. Thankfully, my body loves them too -- they're low in calories and high in nutrients and antioxidants.

Me, I eat my strawberries au naturel -- I slice them, put them in a small Tupperware container, tote them with me to the office and munch on them all day long. But if this doesn't float your boat, here are some other ways to enjoy them:

• Add them to your morning cereal
  
• Throw a handful in a protein smoothie
• Stir some into a bowl of plain yogurt, and add just a little bit of honey for sweetness -- and some granola too if you like.
  
• Throw some in your salad
• Slice and serve with some fine cheeses
• Entertaining? Top slices of angel food cake with them -- and maybe a bit of whipped cream if you're feeling indulgent

Got any ideas you'd like to share?

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We all know what foods to avoid--trans and saturated fats, refined sugars, white carbs, etc. But do you know which foods you should make a regular part of your diet? eDiets recently counted down the seven foods you should be eating every day. Every day sounds like a lot, but making these your staples will improve your overall health and help you live your best life.

Curious to know what they are? Click on the images below:

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One of the reasons I would hesitate to try a low-carb eating plan is that fruit is sometimes banned from such diets. Frankly, fruit is not something I'm willing to give up because it's one healthy thing that I really enjoy. But if you're going low-carb, you don't necessarily have to give up fruits -- some are better than others. According to Mark's Daily Apple, here's how they stack up:

• The best low-carb fruits include berries (all of them), cherries, apples, pears, grapefruit, peaches, apricots and figs.
  
• The worst low-carb fruits are mangoes, melons, papayas and pineapples.
  

I would sure miss my mangoes and melons, but I think the low-carb fruits sounds pretty tasty too, don't you think?

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Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

What do we want from our lunches? Well for me:

• I want to replenish the energy stores I have used all morning long.
• I'd like to get enough energy from my lunch to get through until my small afternoon snack.
• I need to feed the beast -- I am starving by lunchtime.
• My lunch should be something to look forward to because it is going to taste so good.

Mostly, besides my insatiable appetite and taste buds, it is all about energy!

So, let's take a closer look at what energy foods are and how we can make sure our lunches have 'em.

Here at That's Fit, we're constantly going on about the importance of taking care of your body, but there's more to a healthy life than just a healthy body -- a healthy body isn't any good unless you have a healthy mind too. So in honor of healthifying your brain too, here are the top 'brain' foods according to eDiets:

• Fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Tea -- green and black
• Whole grains
• Fruits and veggies, particularly berries and spinach. And, the more colorful the better

Of course, keeping your brain active is just as important as feeding it. Check out Rigel's suggestions on how to 'Train Your Brain' as well!

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My e-mail inbox was full of promise when I received this article enticing me with calorie-free snacks! Are there even such things as calorie-free snacks? I mean, even chewing gum has calories. Turns out there are a few things that really are calorie-free -- namely, tea and water -- but can you really fill up on these? To a point, I suppose, but if you're having water or tea to replace a meal, you need help.

The other suggestions are not so much calorie-free as they are very low in calories and/or good for you. These items are:

• Veggies
• Berries
• Sugar-free jello (though it does contain processed chemicals)
• Egg whites
• Citrus fruits

You could eat these things to your heart's content and not see any significant weight gain, so next time you reach for that bag of chips to fill the mid-afternoon rumblings, remember these items.

What calorie-free or low-cal snacks do you enjoy?

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There has been so much good press lately regarding the health benefits of fresh fruit, especially fresh raspberries and blueberries, that more and more shoppers are putting fruit on the weekly grocery list. Credited with helping in the fight against one of the biggest illnesses in this country, cancer, it's no wonder fresh fruit is getting so popular. So that's great and all, but there is a downside to this sudden interest in the produce aisle: prices are skyrocketing. Berries are flying by air, floating by sea, and traveling by truck from all over the world in an attempt to meet the drastically rising demand.

Of course it's never a good thing when prices at the grocery store go up, especially when it's related to something in the "health food" category. But hopefully people won't get too discouraged -- spending a few extra bucks on fresh fruit is so much better for you than blowing it on a big bag of Doritos.

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Just what's the big deal with antioxidants anyway? We hear about them all the time, but what do they do? Well, they're supposed to slow down aging. Don't believe me? Here's the explanation. When our body digests, a by-product is produced called free radicals. It's thought that these free radicals accumulate in our body and are what cause aging. Antioxidants are thought to help break down the free radicals, and therefore increase longevity. Antioxidants have also been linked to lower rates of cancer because free radicals can become carcinogens over time.

So what does this have to do with you? Duh – get your antioxidants! It might not seem like a big deal now that you're footloose and disease-free, but in a few years or decades, it will pay off. Increasing your consumption of antioxidants is simple: eat your fruits and veggies. Berries are especially high in antioxidants. Other great sources? Almonds, green tea, flax, coffee and even red wine.

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