Raspberries are one of the most popular berries in the world – sweet, slightly tart, soft and perfect for serving in all sorts of dishes and 
raspberries are a super versatile berry that the whole family can enjoy and they are great for including on your Lose Baby Weight plans and in your Healthy Mummy Smoothies.
Raspberries are both super delicious and super nutritious. They are rich sources of numerous vitamins and minerals, including copper, iron, lutein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and much more.
Raspberries are also rich in a number of antioxidants, including ellagic acid and manganese, which both help to prevent cell damage (which can lead to various degenerative diseases) by getting rid of potentially damaging free radicals.
Raspberries also contain flavonoids, which give them their rich pink colour, which help to prevent infection – flavonoids are antimicrobial and so they help to limit the damage that bacteria can do to your body.
Recent research into the health benefits of raspberries has also shown that they may have cancer-preventing properties. It’s thought that certain properties, exclusive to raspberries, help to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells by preventing them from multiplying.
Research has shown that eating a wide range of fruit is a good way to reduce your risk of certain types of cancer, and because raspberries contain more antioxidants and vitamins than many other types of fruit, they’re a great fruit to eat for both health and taste.
A diet rich in antioxidants is known to reduce a person’s risk of macular degeneration – which means that if you eat plenty of fruit, including raspberries, you’ll help to keep your eyes healthy.
Raspberries & weight loss
Raspberries are also a great food to eat for including on your pregnancy weight loss plan.
Raspberries are rich in fibre, containing around 4g of fibre per cup, along with just 60 calories. Some of this fibre is insoluble fibre, which can help you to lose weight in a very simple way. Insoluble fibre cannot be absorbed by the body, so when you drink water, it swells up in your tummy, helping to keep you full without you taking in any extra calories.
The fibre then needs to be expelled from the body as waste material, so it helps to keep you regular, which improves bowel health and reduces your risk of bowel cancer.
Raspberries also contain soluble fibre, which helps to lower your levels of blood cholesterol. Because raspberries are low in calories and high in insoluble fibre, they are known as a low energy density food, which means that they provide a large portion of food for a small number of calories.
They are also completely fat free and rank as a low GI food, meaning that they release their energy into your bloodstream slowly, preventing blood sugar spikes and therefore blood sugar lows. Blood sugar lows can cause cravings for fatty or sugary foods, which can lead to weight gain, so eating foods low on the glycaemic index can help to control your weight.
Including raspberries in your diet could really help to improve your health and to kick-start your weight loss. Whiz fresh raspberries into your Healthy Mummy smoothies (see an easy recipe below) or use them to top yoghurt and cereal, press them into a salad dressing or even toss them into your favourite salad.
[pb_vidembed title=”Berry Bang Smoothie” caption=”” url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFApDh8LgRA” type=”yt” w=”580″ h=”435″]
If you are ready to lose weight then the Lose Baby Weight plans offer a healthy and safe exercise and diet routine.
And don’t forget to check out our current promotions and discounts page to see what specials we have on this week on our Healthy Mummy product range
