Give your brain a boost with blueberries

I'm all about fitness. Healthy heart, healthy mind and all that. But I can't seem to find the energy for a professional life, social life and running miles a day to keep fit and healthy. Am I asking too much? I don't think so. So when I was promised  more energy simply by necking a shot of blueberry, I was intrigued.

My BlueberryActive Concentrate arrived just as I went out for a run. After 30 minutes of satanic hill sprints, I added two dessert spoons to a glass of water for a post-workout pick me up. I'll admit, I drank it to quench my thirst, as I was dying in a pool of my own sweat on the kitchen floor, rather than savour the flavour. I have to say, it tastes divine, the most blueberry-tasting thing ever. And the smell is amazing too, not like a cordial or synthetic aroma. Ribena this ain't.

It's made of 100% blueberries and no preservatives (win) but each serving is a terrifying 100 calories – so I was quite nervous that if it didn’t work I’d just be consuming extra calories I'd have to then burn off. However, a recent experiment by The Food Hospital showed a mid-morning blueberry smoothie helps avoid the dreaded 2pm slump. Results concluded memory and concentration levels increased by 3% in the afternoon during week two. So, it was worth a shot. Literally.

On the first day I was full until dinner, which for a picky eater like me was ideal. Subsequently, I tried BlueberryActive swirled through yoghurt atop pancakes, in orange juice, berry smoothies and added to elderflower concentrate. All were delicious. Try the pancakes. It's amazing.

I don’t know if it was the placebo effect that made me snack less, or if blueberries are truly the most super of all super foods, but during the week I did eat a lot less junk than usual. I’d taken a week off, which is often a huge danger zone for my healthy eating. I go snack crazy because I lack structure and end up munching because I’m bored. While I was berried up I still snacked (it was baking week. So much good bad stuff), but I didn’t have a single ‘three cupcakes and a packet of crisps washed down with a milkshake and five cookies’ moment.

I’d like to attribute this to my commitment to health and wellness, but it’s far more likely to be the berry concentrate than my dietary restraint. I’m a little oinky piggy sometimes, and anything that assists me in limiting my refined sugar intake is worth it to me.

Would I buy it with my own English pounds? Yes, I probably would. I’d quite like to try it during my usual weekday routine when I’m busier – I think the effects would be even more noticeable. If you’re prone to snacking and need something to boost your energy and general alertness, I’d really recommend giving it a go. Unless you hate blueberries that is…

You can pick a bottle up from any Holland & Barrett store, or online at CherryActive.