You've probably heard me rant and rave about blueberries. I eat them about six days a week, I gave them a "star" in my book "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth," and I've spoken at length about their high antioxidant content, their low sugar content and their ability to boost memory (in experiments conducted by Jim Joseph at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging).

Well, get ready for some hot news: Blueberries may also help banish belly fat.

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Day 1: Oh Cheerios. My beloved breakfast -- a small bowl of Cheerios piled high with frozen blueberries -- is the first thing to go. With a glycemic index ranking of 74, they're out. I try blueberries on oatmeal instead. It's good, but it could use some sugar. Somehow, I suspect that would defeat the purpose.

In fact, while looking for some information on the glycemic load of Cheerios, I discovered that even after this week is over, I might want to make the switch to oatmeal a permanent one. Cheerios -- while being one of the healthier processed cereals out there -- is still less nutritious than oatmeal, a "whole" food.

Maybe I could get used to oatmeal and blueberries after all.

Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

When is a food truly super? And when is it just another food with a really great marketing campaign behind it?

In many ways, food is like fashion. Certain items come into vogue ... and they can also lose their popularity. Take eggs for example -- for years they were vilified for cholesterol, now they're seen as an overall healthy food and weight loss aid. The superfood du jour may change -- blueberries, pomegranate, acai and so forth -- but the hype is the same. If you're to believe the advertising, these superfoods are a must for everybody. What do you think?

Liz Neporent is a diet and fitness expert and author of 12 fitness bestsellers. She regularly appears on national TV programs and is the president of Wellness 360, a New-York based wellness provider.

For those of us who live in lower Manhattan, Whole Foods is the only game in town. Not that I'm complaining; I'm certainly grateful for the first real supermarket in the neighborhood. After a decade of shopping in cramped, dirty delis where a carton of juice costs double the national average and there aren't any of the good kinds of cereal, Whole Foods is Mecca.

I was pondering these facts as I was grocery shopping the other day. Blueberries were "on sale" for $2.99 a pint. For that same $3, I thought, I could have walked the six steps to the nearest McDonald's (rather than the 10 blocks to Whole Foods) and ordered up a double cheese burger, medium fries and a small Coke. That's three large for two small handfuls of fruit -- or a meal fit for, well, a Burger King.

Here's a little tidbit I learned while perusing the September 2008 issue of National Geographic -- an article titled Shopping By The Numbers talks about a a food rating system called the Overall Nutritional Quality Index. Developed by researchers at Yale University and coming soon to a grocery store near you, the qualification system will rate foods on a scale of one to 100 -- one being the least nutritious and 100 being the most nutritious.

In NG's list of common foods, only four items scored 100 -- blueberries, oranges, green beans and broccoli. Here are some other ratings:

• Banana - 91
• Non-fat milk - 91
• Oatmeal - 88
• Raw almonds - 82
• Pasta - 50
• Vanilla yogurt - 43
• Skinless chicken breasts - 39
• Bagel - 23
• Hot Dog - 5
• Soda - 1
  
  

Interesting, huh? See if you can get your hands on the issue for the full list.

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I've heard it before: Blueberries are tops. More confirmation: Real Age says the blue berry -- linked to healthy skin, hearts, and eyes and powerful enough to keep cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's a bay -- is so good we should be eating one to two cups per day. It's not always easy to score fresh blueberries, though. Never fear: The frozen variety is just as good for you. Here, a bunch of ideas for using frozen berries so you can satisfy your cup-a-day.

• Put a cup of frozen berries in the fridge in the evening to defrost; in the morning, sprinkle over cereal or stir into yogurt.
  
• Throw some berries in a blender and whip up a quick fruit smoothie.
• Use a few as edible ice cubes in your favorite drinks.
  
• Eat them plain, like tiny popsicles.
• Add to a fruit salad about 15 minutes before serving.
• Toss a handful into muffin or quick-bread batter. Add five to 15 minutes to the baking time to compensate for their chilling effect.
  
  

Real Age says you can eat berries for every occasion. With only 79 calories per cup, you're not likely to gain weight from this indulgence. Plus, the antioxidants will do you lots of good.

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One of the best parts about summer is all the fresh fruit that comes into season -- not only does it taste so much better when it didn't have to get shipped across the world but freshly ripened fruit is also full of much more in the way of nutrients, enzymes, and other health benefits. And although pretty much all fruits are good for you in one way or another, here are a few you'll want to make sure you incorporate as much as possible into your summer diet:

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In the market for a tasty, healthy treat? Try blueberries. Why? Read on and you'll find a handful of reasons.

Blueberries are quite low in calories -- there are only 83 calories in one cup, says CalorieKing.com. If for some reason, this is too much for you, you can burn these calories off with any one of the following: 11 minutes of walking, four minutes of jogging, three minutes of swimming, or six minutes of cycling (based on a 35-year-old female standing 5.74 feet tall and weighing 144 pounds). Or you could just pick some berries yourself -- I did the other day and spent about 45 minutes walking up and down rows of bushes, sweating my butt off. I surely burned off a serving or two of these blue berries. Really, though, it doesn't matter to me whether or not I burn them off because they are so darn good for me, the health trade-off is worth the caloric intake.

According to the The World's Healthiest Foods, blueberries are superbly healthy for these reasons.

• They are good for the heart, the brain, and the eyes.
• They protect against colon and ovarian cancers.
• They promote gastrointestinal health.
• They help relieve diarrhea and constipation.
• Their antioxidants neutralize free radical damage to cells and tissues.
  
  

Clearly, blueberries are bursting with health benefits. So buy some, pick some, eat some. They'll do your body good. So will the following antioxidant-rich foods.

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Statistics can sometimes seem like a doomsday language, spoken in callous tones and unfeeling generalizations by faceless analysts. Even a simple Google search on topics ranging from cancer risk to the possibility of an asteroid striking the earth produces a numerical likelihood that, despite it being of questionable accuracy, can leave a person rather unnerved.

This is certainly the case with a statistic I just came across, which highlighted the fact that 1.1 million people will suffer a heart attack in the U.S. this year. What's worse, almost half of those people will not survive. Now, how is a person supposed to read that and then just go on with their day?

Thankfully, just like the lingering fear of a horror film can be subdued by constantly reminding yourself that it's just a movie, the statistics scare can similarly be quelled with knowledge. With regard to heart attack risk, a person can feel much safer knowing that eating blueberries can reduce a person's risk of heart attack by as much as 60 percent. Good - so I'll be sure to buy blueberries the next time I'm at the supermarket. But what about my mother? And my grandmother? And my father? And every person I've ever met in my entire life? How can I make sure they're all eating blueberries and protecting their hearts?!!!!

And so goes the panic and hysteria, caused almost entirely by what Mark Twain himself stated were not much more than damned lies: statistics.

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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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Life is too short not to be fully "turned on." The Daily Turn On! energizes all aspects of "you." Every Monday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will provide you with ideas and tips to awaken your mind, your body and your life as you journey through each day of the week! Check in each Monday to get your tip for Turning On every day of your life.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Alexandra Harris

Age: 51

Occupation: Life Coach

How often do you exercise? I eat seven days a week, and I exercise seven days a week!

What type of exercise do you do? Power walking, light weight training (for muscle tone), and yoga (for balance, flexibility, and occasionally turning my organs upside down). I think there's something really healthy about moving your organs around!

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Did you just eat a Big Mac? If so, what should you do next? According to new research, the answer to that question is to grab yourself something else to eat right away -- only this time, make sure that it's healthy!

Eating antioxidant-rich foods like kiwi, blueberries, cherries, nuts, tea, and grapes during meals can help reduce the oxidative stress caused by foods containing high amounts of saturated fat and fast-digesting sugars, say researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vascular inflammation and a number of other diseases can result from consistently high oxidative stress levels, which is why it may be a good idea to add an antioxidant-rich food to your next order of Chicken McNuggets. However, the calories and fat will still do a number on your waistline, as there's not much the antioxidant-rich foods can do to help you in that regard.

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Can you name the 50 state capitols? I could in 5th grade. Today is a different story, however. I'd probably remember about 35 of them or so. Just chalk it up to the arbitrary filing system of the human intellect. Being able (or not being able) to recall such facts clearly are indicative of this fact, but in some cases it could be due to a decline in our overall brain function.

To help remedy such a decline, nature has provided us with several brain-boosting foods, many of which are available at your local supermarket.

You would think that we, as a nation, would remember every fact and figure since the dawn of time, given the amount of coffee we consume. It's key nutrient, caffeine, can improve concentration and reaction time. Also, studies from the French National Institute of Medical Research of Montpelier (which is also the capitol of Vermont -- booyah) found that drinking caffeine daily may help aging adults better remember names and words.

Packed with protein, lentils make for a great, healthy meal. But, it's the folic acid they contain that may cause people to have better recall ability than those who are deficient in this B vitamin. And, similarly to caffeine, people who have high blood levels of this B vitamin may see less decline in their verbal skills as they age.

While eating them in pancakes is delicious, blueberries are far healthier when eaten as-is. Taste aside, eating these high-antioxidant berries in any fashion will help combat free radicals and inflammation of brain tissue, thereby helping to ensure that cognitive function remains strong.

I wonder if eating these foods will help me remember those other 15 state capitols. I tell you, it's always the Carolinas that get me. Raleigh ... and ... argh!! Forget it.

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Beans, blueberries, salmon, eggs, and sweet potatoes are essential for sensible eating, according to registered dietitian Robin Plotkin. Why are they so important? Read on.

Dried or canned beans are an excellent source of protein and soluble and insoluble fiber. They are low in fat, contain no saturated fat or cholesterol, and provide nutrients such as folate, potassium, and calcium. Beans can help control weight and minimize the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants which help fight off cancer and cardiovascular disease. They can help improve memory and are naturally low in fat, calories, and sodium. High in fiber, manganese, and vitamins C and E, blueberries are an excellent on-the-go snack.

Salmon, abundant in omege-3 fatty acids and offering heart-healthy benefits, is a great source of high-quality protein and a variety of vitamins. Salmon is fast, versatile, and available at both grocery stores and restaurants.

Eggs are also high in protein and contain 13 important nutrients, including zinc, iron, and folate. Eggs help with weight management, muscle strength, brain function, and eye health. They also aid in the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. Containing just 75 calories each, eggs are inexpensive, natural, and unprocessed.

Sweet potatoes have four times the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin A and nearly 50 percent the RDA for vitamin C. Fat-free and high in fiber, these potatoes provide folate, potassium, and vitamin B-6. They're affordable, simple to prepare, and naturally sweet.

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