Calling all dads… You’ll have to wait a year to celebrate the next Father’s Day – but you have until month end to participate in our Father’s Month promotions. We suggest you don’t delay.

While focussing on your speedy reaction, we recommend that, after visiting us, you pop into a supermarket and buy a packet of blueberries for you and your family.

‘Why?”, you may ask. Not necessarily because 8 July is National Blueberry Day in America, but because blueberries are an antioxidant superfood. Packed with flavonoids – one of the largest groups of phytonutrients – consuming blueberries regularly can improve vision and strengthen blood vessels in the back of your eyes. They also contain anthocyanins, that help lower high blood pressure, reduce inflammation and also prevent blockages in the arteries that feed oxygen to the retina. Regular consumption of blueberry products averts myopia (near-sightedness), can significantly enhanced eyesight and eliminate eye fatigue.

Although seasonal – with the South African harvest season running from September to mid-February – we are fortunate that blueberries can be frozen, successfully. The berries in our country are still picked by hand, and pickers generally pack them directly into the punnets in which the fruit will be sold. This prevents unnecessary handling.

We are confident you can find many creative ways to add blueberries to your diet. Here are a few examples we found.

• Blend them into your smoothie.
• Include them in your salads.
• Beat summer’s heat by eating them frozen.
• Add them to yoghurt or whipped cream.
• Make them into ice cubes.
• Serve them with muesli or porridge.
• Blueberry juice

Please remember, fresh blueberries have a laxative effect…

Good eye health starts with the food on your plate. We encourage you to read a previous blog, entitled Healthy Lifestyle, Health Eyes.