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

The Magic of Memory Lane

By Kevin Eikenberry

On a recent early autumn evening, I walked around the farm of my kidhood. In the spring, my father passed away, so I have spent more time here this year than in recent years. And on this particular evening I was on the farm alone. As the sun began to set a different memory seemed to arrive with each new step; memories of being a boy, of growing up, of mistakes made, of lessons learned and so much more.

I don't share this to be sappy or sentimental, though I can be both of those things. And to say that a tear drop didn't hit the ground would be a lie. But those are not the reasons I write this.
I write this for what happened after the tears fell and about the time the moon began to rise. I stopped thinking about those memories for a minute and started thinking about the day I had just spent as a professional 45-year-old man, doing things that seemed so far removed from this place and those memories.

And then the magic happened.

I began to connect those lessons and memories of the past to the things I did today, noticing things I could have done differently or better. I recognized that how I handled some things were a direct reflection of those lessons I had just remembered, though clearly they had been with me earlier in the day, I just didn't make that connection consciously.

The magic of learning happened.

It happened because I had stopped to reflect.

I stopped.

I reflected.

I took time to think, even though my laptop and a to-do list awaited me in the house.

I took time to think.

I thought about lessons from long ago and how they applied to me today. Though separated by time, context and circumstances, there were lessons remembered and learned that night that helped me be more effective, productive and successful the following day.

You can do what I did.

You can experience what I experienced.

You don't have to be at a farm in Michigan, or your childhood home. You could be walking down your street or across a college campus. You could be riding in a subway or sitting in your office.
The where doesn't matter; what matters are the actions we must take.

You must turn down and turn off all the noise around you.

You must tune in . . . to your inner voices.

Scan the memories.

Ask the questions.

Listen to the answers.

Reflect.

Think.

And learn.

Your walk down memory lane may really happen (as mine did), or it may be in your mind; regardless of the where, the memories will offer lessons and learning opportunities - both long remembered and brand new.

And both will be magic.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on Unleashing Your Potential go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.