We get the blues sometimes. Life happens, things strike, and we feel in a rut. How do we stay out of (or get out of) the blues? (if you have true blues, such as depression, please read the last paragraph of this article as well).

Although there are many countless ways, here is a list of just few:

• Serve others! (this is probably the best way. Focusing on someone else and helping them feel good helps all involved. Sometimes the person serving ends up getting more from it than the person who was served.)
• Live gratefully
• Believe in something
• Live with others in mind
• Spend time with those you love
• Eat healthy
• And for a bit of a silly one: Enjoy a dessert (here and there)

The above list could be focused on or looked at in many ways. My focus is something extremely blue….the good old blueberry.

I LOVE BLUEBERRIES! They are beautiful in color, flavor, and in what they can do for you. Eating blueberries are a great way to give your body nutrients it needs, which will help you stay healthy, and in turn, help you stay happy. Not a cure for true blues, but healthy eating is one way that can help us stay happy.

How coincidental that blueberries can help us with the blues?! (not that it is a complete solution, it’s just a way to keep your body energized with good nutrients).

What do blueberries do? What makes them so great?

Blueberries are bubbling over with phytonutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. Looking into them, there were many studies conducted where blueberries came into play. They might help cognitivity, obesity, high blood pressure, intestinal disease, artery hardening, and strong bones.

I’m not claiming that blueberries will cure or completely prevent these ailments. Do the other basics, too. However, I do know blueberries are good for you and are packed with nutrients. Just ¾ a cup of blueberries has a whopping 2.7 grams of fiber and 10.8 milligrams vitamin C. It doesn't hurt to eat blueberries, so why not hope they help out? The sad thing is that they can get pretty expensive, but they freeze well so buy them on sale.

I’ve included a recipe below that will capture a lot of the above suggestions.

First, it uses blueberries, and we just learned why those are so awesome! Second, it’s a dessert, which, when eaten in moderation, is a great way to get above the blues. (Too much dessert will probably have the opposite effect, but a little is fun sometimes.) Third, if you are creative, it can bring in a lot of the other ways listed at the beginning to rise above the blues. Share it with a friend in need. Invite loved ones to try it with you. Invite someone new to try it with you. Take it to a church function or some other good cause. And lastly, be grateful for everything about making it. That you have tastebuds to taste, money to supply the ingredients, or whatever else that makes living possible.

As a side note, if you are suffering from true blues, depression, please seek help. It is nothing to be ashamed of, it is a true illness. If you are in a blues you can’t seem to pull out of, please find help through family, friends, doctors, counseling, etc. It’s just like any other illness, sometimes you can’t cure it on your own. I have someone very close to me struggling with this. I literally just came across this article that was helpful to me as how to help her, and am hoping it might help her too. I’ve listed the link in the sources if you also feel a need to help someone or are needing help yourself. Once again, it is not something to be ashamed of! Hold on, there is good in the world and good things still await. Believe and press on. Know you are loved by God and know there is help to be found through him and others.