Healing Lifestyles & Spas

From Cherry Pie to Sports Beverage

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By on Diet, Food & Nutrition, Health, Nutrition, Prevention

Celebrating this Homegrown Super Fruit and its evolving reputation at the National Cherry Festival

 

The route to Traverse City is like a real life walk down the yellow brick road. The only thing that’s different is that instead of the flash of Emerald City, you see sparkling rubies. Driving down the windy roads through the farmlands of northwest Michigan, in the lushness of the deep greens of summertime, it’s as though your eyes are playing tricks on you as you pass orchard after orchard filled with cherries so bright and red they really might as well be dazzling rubies.

Everyone loves a local summer festival. A coming together of community and a time to celebrate the season, local accomplishments and time to play and to eat. 2010 marks the 84th anniversary of the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan, affectionately and deservedly recognized as the Cherry Capital of the World. The star is the beloved cherry, featured in countless foods and beverages from cherry pie to trail mixes and from fruit smoothies to cherry wine. (P.S. Be sure to read more about topical benefits of cherries (and find a cherry-inspired treatment near you, by clicking here.)

Trends Converge

This year is an interesting and exciting one in the cherry world. There are more cherry inspired applications and in particular more nutritious ones in the food industry and culinary world than ever before. This coincides somewhat conveniently with a growing body of research showing that this little red gem is worth looking at to help fight what ails us including muscle and joint pain and protect our health as we age.

Homegrown Super Fruit

In an era where there is a renewed and sometimes new interest in local foods, shopping at farmer’s markets, and supporting the U.S. farmer, it’s comforting to learn that nearly 95% of all cherries consumed here are homegrown in the United States. And 75% are grown in Michigan where the climate, soil and farming community are just right for growing tart and sweet cherries. While the lion’s share is from Michigan, cherries are also grown in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada.

For the Love and Health of Cherries

Cherries come in both sweet and tart varieties and each provide nutrients from potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, nearly 50% of your daily recommendation of vitamin A (as beta carotene) and high levels of antioxidants. Known for their bright red color, cherries are particularly rich in anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds linked to reduced inflammation associated with reducing risk factors for heart disease, arthritis and most recently to aiding in relieving pain and muscle soreness after exercise.

In fact, two particular anthocyanins in tart cherries account for the fruit’s unique anti-inflammatory and recovery benefits. Recent research from Oregon Health & Science University showed that runners who drank a little more than a cup of tart cherry juice twice a day for seven days prior to and on the day of a long-distance relay had significantly less muscle pain following the race than those who drank another fruit juice beverage. Another study from the St. Mary’s University in the U.K. showed similar effect with recreational marathoners. Runners who consumed tart cherry juice for 5 days before, the day of and for 2 days after a marathon showed reduced inflammation and oxidative stress compared to a placebo.

This is good news for athletes and also for the increasing number of active adults who are looking to manage the aches and pains of physical activity as they age. As a result, many athletes from recreational to pros and individuals to teams are seeing the ‘Power of Red’, and starting to incorporate tart cherry juice into their training routines.

Inflammation has been identified as an important contributor to and risk factor for a wide range of health conditions associated with aging from heart disease to arthritis. And interestingly enough, growing research has shown that cherries powerful anti-inflammatory profile and unique antioxidants can help reduce heart disease risk, arthritis and gout.

Enjoying Cherries Year-round

While the thousands of daily visitors at the National Cherry Festival are reminded by the many offerings that summer’s a great time to enjoy cherries fresh, you also quickly see that you can find and enjoy cherries year-round whether dried, frozen or as juice. Incorporating them in a healthy anti-inflammatory diet is easy with just a little creativity since they’re actually easy to pair with sweet and savory dishes from breakfast to dinner, from snacks to beverages, and from salad dressings to desserts. Here are some old and new favorites:

Stir some dried cherries into your yogurt in the summertime and oatmeal in the wintertime.
Make a trail mix of dried tart cherries, walnuts and almonds for a portable snack on the go.
Blend up a post-workout smoothie with tart cherry juice, frozen cherries and low fat vanilla yogurt.
Delight the taste buds with a refreshing Cherry Salsa with grilled poultry, roast pork or tortilla chips.
And it’s ok to indulge occasionally too! Ann Gregory of Cherry Bay Orchards, offered up her famous Grandma Ann’s Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookie recipe to Healing Lifestyles & Spas readers.

The National Cherry Festival is an 8-day festival each year in Traverse City, MI celebrating the harvest season, the farmers and the many people who love cherries. . .featuring all things cherry for visitors to enjoy.

by Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD

Wendy Bazilian is a doctor of public health, registered dietitian and freelance writer in San Diego. She is also the Nutrition Specialist at the renowned Golden Door and Co-owner of Bazilian’s Health Clinic with her husband and business partner, Dr. Jason Bazilian. Dr. Wendy is author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet (Rodale).

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