Fight Eye Fatigue And Improve Your Memory With This Little Blue Fruit

By Russ Anderson

I don't know about you, but after a long day at work staring at the computer screen my eyes are sore and my brain hurts. Until recently, I simply accepted these dull but throbbing pains as the rewards of working during the technology revolution of the 21st century. That was until I read an interesting story about World War II British Air force pilots who improved their bombing accuracy by eating blueberry jam on their bread. As I read the story I learned those pilots who ate the jam were far more accurate in their bombing missions than other pilots. I was intrigued to say the least.

I decide to conduct more research about the blueberry and see if any "real" research actually supported the experience and claims of these pilots from over 50 years ago. After a few minutes searching the Internet, I was amazed to read about the amazing eye and brain benefits offered by blueberries. This fruit has a well documented history of helping to reduce eye fatigue and irritation, night blindness and improving vision and memory.

Research has been conducted across the globe on this tiny blue fruit. Several studies from Europe document the benefits of bilberries, which is the European cousin of the blueberry, on improved eyesight. Japanese research has shown blueberries can help ease eye fatigue which is great news for the billions of red-eyed office workers across the globe.

What Makes the Blueberry an Effective Eye and Brain Food?
Research indicates the blueberry has high amounts of a natural compound called anthocyanins. In fact, anthocyanins is what gives the fruit is blue hue. These anthocyanins have an amazing effect in the human body such as strengthening capillaries and peripheral circulation. This may mean it helps to increase the blood in and around the eyes and this improved blood flow may be responsible for the countless claims of improved vision and the reduction of eye related irritations and problems.

However, the good news doesn't stop with the eyes, upon further research I also learned that blueberries help the brain function better too. In 1999 a study funded by the USDA and published in the September 1999 edition of Journal of Neuroscience indicated that a diet rich in blueberry extract improved short term memory and reversed some loss of coordination and balance in aged rats. In 2003, a study from Tufts indicated that daily supplementation of blueberry phytochemicals can improve age-related temporal processing speed in the primary auditory cortex. In other words, blueberries can improve brain function.

Once I learned this amazing blueberry secret I soon became my local grocery store's best customer. I bought all of the blueberry products I could find and I must say my eyes and brain did feel better. However, my waistline soon began to suffer. The reason for my increasing belly size was I was eating blueberry jam, frozen blueberries, blueberry syrup and nearly anything else that was made with blueberries. I soon realized I needed a more concentrated form of blueberry without all of the added sugar and I soon found it.

A friend recommended Fruit Advantage Brain Support formula made from 100% Wild Blueberries. www.fruitadvantage.com Each daily serving of Fruit Advantage Brain Support delivers a 10 to 1 concentration of wild blueberries. This means it would take a whooping 10 lbs of fresh wild blueberries to make just one pound of the blueberry powder used to make the blueberry capsules. Fruit Advantage Brain Support delivers a highly concentrated form of the phytochemicals naturally found in the blueberry. My eyes, brain and waist line has thanked me since I started taking these blueberry supplements.

So the next time you visit the grocery store, make sure to pick up some fresh blueberries to fill the candy dish next to your computer instead of the sugar-rich candy. Or if you can't find fresh blueberries locally contact Fruit Advantage toll-free at 1-877-746-7477 and order some of the Fruit Advantage Brain Support. The company will even ship the product to you free of any shipping and handling charges.

Tony Anderson is a entrepreneur and fitness and nutrition writer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russ_Anderson

Give Color to Your Party With Blue Birthday Invitations

By Trevor Mulholland

Parties are designed to be special - and if they're not, they should be! Birthday parties should be especially memorable, and representative of the celebrant's tastes and preferences. Birthday parties that have a theme end up being more memorable than most - character birthday parties, retro birthday parties, candle parties, paintball parties, and color-themed birthday parties among them. If your celebrant's favorite color happens to be blue, having a blue theme for your party and your invitations is bound to be a hit. Blue birthday invitations should be part of the planning stage.

Blue may be a sad color, but it doesn't have to be if you're going to use it as a birthday theme. There are many shades of blue, after all - light, dark, somber and vibrant. If you're using a blue color for your decor, giveaways and even your icing, you should use a light and happy shade of it. Blue birthday invitations are no exception.

Light-colored blue party invitations may still seem happy and light-hearted. Light blue and white are easy colors to mix and they could create a comfortable, easy atmosphere. Light blue being the most dominant color in an invitation made out of pastel colors would still make for a great blue invitation.

The choice of graphics also matter. Even if you want your invitation to be made out in monochrome, the pictures and clipart that you use would help a lot in setting the mood for your invitation. If you want your invitation to look fun, make sure to include balloons, cakes, gift boxes and even confetti made out in light blue colors. Glitter or blue foil is also an option - an invitation made of shiny blue material makes for a cheery invitation.

For invitations that have a more formal approach, feel free to use darker shades of blue. Dark may be offset with lighter neutral colors like gray, white or silver. Silver is especially elegant, so if you want a blue birthday invitation for an important event, such as a debut or a 50th birthday party, silver glitter, foil or ribbons would make for excellent additions to monochrome invitations.

A photo of the celebrant would also be a great addition to any invitation of any color scheme. Tone the shade of the blue coloring down to either the shade that the celebrant would most approve of, or a shade that best represents what the celebrant wants the party to feel like. Get the "mood" of the party right. This is always a mark of a good invitation.

And of course, the lettering also matters. Even with a blue coloring, you may control the mood of your blue birthday invitations - you can make it happy, sad, formal, informal, quirky or serious. It's all up to how you make blue work for you.

Find loads of birthday invitation information and advice, articles and blue birthday invitations at your #1 Birthday invitation resource: http://www.birthday-invite.com