One cup of berries nets 21.45 grams of carbohydrate and only 84 calories. Blueberries, in addition, are low in fat, sodium free, and a good source of fiber as well as vitamin C and vitamin E, both antioxidants.

Now, don't expect me to explain antioxidants, as I am really not sure what they are all about except that they seemingly protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals (whatever that is). If the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center says blueberries are good for you, then that is good enough for me.

They also said that all the antioxidant activity has an effect on the aging process. No, no, they won'tmake you look young again, but the Human Nutrition Research Center neuroscientists did discover that one cup of blueberries a day could help prevent some of the problems of aging. The rats used in their experiments proved to bemore active and alert … a good reason to include blueberries in one's daily diet, don’t you think.

Before white man stepped ashore the North American continent, the Native Americans gathered blueberries and consumed them both fresh and preserved.

Because the blossom end of each berry formed the perfect shape of a five-pointed star, the Native Americans referred to them as "star berries".

Blueberries were dried under the summer sun and stored for winter. Every part of the blueberry was used … the leaves were brewed into tea, the juice used for coughs and to dye baskets, and the dried berries crushed and rubbed into meat for flavor. The roots were used for medicinal purposes. Blueberries helped sustain the pilgrims of Plymouth and a beveragemade with blueberries was an important staple for soldiers of the Civil War.

North America is the world's leading producer of blueberries and accounts for about 90 percent of the world production. The state of Michigan leads in our nation's production, producing about 32 percent of the berries consumed in the United States.

Blueberry season runs from mid-April through early October with the peak harvest in July, the National Blueberry month.

A Wisconsin friend sent me this recipe for Blueberry Boy Bait. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it … especially if you are trying to rekindling a spark into a flame, whether it be husband or otherwise. Well, Blueberry Boy Bait might be thematch needed. After all, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" as the saying goes.