#blue doidy

What is the darkest rainbow colour? Of course, it’s the purple blue... Some of us like this colour very much, others treat it distantly. One thing is for sure – no one passes by blue- and blackberries, plums indifferently. And now is their time...

In this summer time it is so wonderful to walk into the woods and search for its delicious treasuries! The woods are perfect oxygen manufacturer, and thanks to conifers - full of aromatherapy oils, such as pine, larch, spruce or mountain pine. Inhaling this type of air, our lungs regenerate and our brains relax. If you suffer from asthma or chronic and recurrent respiratory infections you should become a frequent guest into the coniferous forest.

However, the woods are not only the trees. Getting slightly lower we come across the delicious and so healthy richness of undergrowth. In August numerous little bushes are bending over the heavy dark fruits, which are not only very tasty but also have very versatile use. Blueberry has been famous for its healing qualities for centuries. It’s rich in A, B1 and C Vitamins, tannin and plant acids, but the most importantly - in anthocyanins. This plant pigment of an exceptional value gives the fruits their purple-blue colour, plays the preventive role in our organism, and has multi “anti” (-allergic, -micotic, -cancer and -ulcerous) effect.

Blueberries, a treasury of anthocyanins, are a perfect heal for both constipation and diarrhea. Their dried fruits have anti-diarrhea and antibacterial effect, and their leaves are used while cystitis and digestive tract inflammation. While the season for blueberries doesn’t last very long, it is worth to use it for harvesting and preserving them for a later time. You can also frozen some of your harvest – unfortunately our organism is unable to accumulate anthocyanins, therefore it is crucial that we provide it with those important substances all year round in order to supplement its deficiency systematically.

Just above the undergrowth we may find another dark-colour fruit, of a high edible and healing properties – blackberry. So popular blackberry bush can be found almost everywhere, not only in the woods, but also on field paths, in trenches, gardens and brake. Its fruits are very sweet and famous among wood-wanderers, but not everyone knows how many types of preserves we can use it for. Just to name the few, such as jam, wine or simple juice. Blackberries are known for its vitamins richness (C, E and B), just next to many others nutritive components, such as magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorus or calcium. This fruit supports digestion, has anti-febrile effect, as well as prevents diarrhea and constipation. Similarly to blueberries, blackberry is rich in anthocyanins. Its flowers and leaves have similar (although much weaker) effect to its fruits, however when dried and combined with leaves of raspberry, wild strawberry and thyme become a fantastic aromatic tea, of a diuretical and expectorant effect.

We are now slowly leaving the woods and heading towards the garden, where we can find blackcurrants, berries of aronia, plums, dark grapes and very ripe at this time of year, almost black cherries. All the above are first of all the source of anthocyanins, however it is the blackcurrant, which combining the already mentioned with the abundance of Vitamin C (making the blue-pigment unusually active) becomes one of the most immunizing fruits ever.

Purple-blue fruits and vegetables are relatively rare in nature, and this is because we consider this colour not so fetching and appetising. Moreover, many of us believe the “blue products” to be dangerous. There are some people keen on blueberries, aubergine and blackcurrants, however the statistics show this colour is the least inviting “to be eaten”. Our ancestors considered blue food rotten. And you have to admit – there is something to this - only think about the blue cheese ;)

And eventually – here’s the yellow surprise – a sunny sky-colored Doidy Cup!