Why are berries so special?

All fruit and vegetables are valuable in a good diet because they provide a whole portfolio of nutrients, from vitamins and minerals, to dietary fiber and carbohydrates. Berries are especially high in a group of nutrients called antioxidants, which play a vital part in maintaining the immune system and keeping us healthy, both in the “here and now” and for lifelong wellness.

So why are antioxidants good for me?

Antioxidants are the body’s “clean-up” team – they help to remove the end products – known as free radicals – left by our metabolism and prevent them from building up and creating potential health problems.

Any sort of stress on the body, whether it’s just everyday work, working out, recovering from illness, or just living in a polluted environment, will result in more free radicals. So the more stress on your body, the more important it is to have plenty of antioxidants from your food, to help support your immune system.

Do athletes really take nutrition seriously?

Serious athletes do. If you are competing at a high level, you will take any “winning edge” you can get, and nutrition is certainly one of those. In competition there are many things that you cannot do anything about – wind, rain, or sun, bad playing surfaces, the opponent being very good. Athletes have to learn to focus on the things they CAN change – and eating right on that list. Trying to stay well hydrated, starting matches with a good reserve of muscle fuel, and using food adjust body composition and enhance recovery are just some of the ways athletes use nutrition to help them perform as well as possible.

Can berries really help athletes?

Athletes in any sports who are training, practicing and competing in are pushing their metabolism to the limit on a daily basis, so it is inevitable that they will produce more free radicals – that is why they need more antioxidants than the average person. The advantages to them include reduced muscle soreness, better recovery after workouts, practice and matches, and improved support for their immune systems, which can be suppressed with a big training load. Fruits such as berries that have a high antioxidant content make it easier for athletes to incorporate them into their daily eating.

What are the different ways to eat them?

Tennis players in particular have to travel a lot to compete, so keeping their nutrition as good as possible can be challenging. Berries are great because they don’t need to be cooked, and can be used in many ways:

- Throw a few blueberries or strawberries onto your cereal in the morning – with either low fat milk or yogurt, that makes a great start to the day

- Add a handful of blackberries or raspberries into a smoothie based on milk or yogurt plus a banana and you have a great “instant” light meal that is mega-healthy.

- Try adding a few berries to a salad for a real flavour kick e.g. some berries with chopped walnuts perk up the most mundane salad

- Some berries team very well with cheese – add a few raspberries to Lancashire or Brie cheese, with watercress and whole wheat bread for a sandwich with a real antioxidant punch!

- Desserts need not be off limits – add some berries to Greek yogurt and a spoonful of honey. Or even try topping a bowl of mixed berries with crème fraiche or fromage frais and brown sugar and popping under a hot grill.

Is it true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

Absolutely! Even if you are not an athlete in training or about to walk onto centre court, overnight you will have drained the carbohydrate reserves in your liver, so you need to start the day by raising your blood sugar and provide all the working parts of your body with the vital nutrients they need.

A perfect breakfast, nutritionally, is one that majors on good carbohydrate food – cereal, oatmeal, or bread – but also includes some protein – milk, yogurt, egg, low fat cheese or lean ham – and provides a small parcel of some form of antioxidants – like berries or fresh 100% juice.

For athletes and normal people- hitting the gym or the practice court with a good breakfast under your belt means better energy supplies for muscles, better focus and concentration, and also protects working muscles and helps to start the repair and recovery process.

Dr Sally Parsonage B.Bc, Ph.D, R.Nutr, CISSN

Head of Nutrition Division, IMG Academies Performance Institute