Why You Should Eat Cherries This Summer

John Douillard is one of my favorite health experts. A doctor who teaches the importance of natural health, he has focused in on Ayurvedic medicine (which I find riveting), Listening to him speak, it is hard to not be inspired by his path in the natural health world, and sports medicine. He has had an amazingly interesting career path, and walks his talk. I particularly love that he has 6 children and feel comforted that he says they complain as much as mine do when he tries to steer them on a healthy path as they grow. Ha!

He shares some wisdom on one of my favorite summer fruits that deserves to be shared.

The bright, hot days of summer are upon us, and what better way to beat the heat than with nature’s bounty: cherries! I think of cherries as half berry and half fruit – the last berry of the spring and the first fruit of the summer. While they look like a small fruit, they deliver all the lymph-moving and fatty tissue-cleansing properties that berries do.

Unlike many fruits that are on grocery store stands year-round, cherries’ growing season lasts only about four months long – from late spring through early summer – so get them while you can!

Summer’s seasonal harvest naturally provides a high-carb, low-fat diet (including lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that have been cooked by the sun on the vine) to keep us energized for long, hot days in the sun.

While sweet cherries possess many health benefits, some of the very best lymph-moving support comes from tart cherries. Tart cherries can be harder to find than the ever-popular sweet cherries, but look for them at your local farmer’s market or in the frozen foods section of your natural foods grocery store – they are often sold frozen, as they are popular for baking.

You can also get a tart cherry concentrate and make a great summer drink when mixed with water.

Due to their high phenolic and anthocyanin content, tart cherries have been found to support the following:

• The health of joints, muscles, the cardiovascular system, lymphatic movement,weight, and blood sugar balance.

• The superior antioxidant qualities of tart cherries have been found to help increase our antioxidant defenses and protect us against the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

• Enhance our exercise – tart cherries have been found to support quicker recovery times and better strength during and after exercise.

• Help relieve muscle and joint discomfort, without side effects, from inflammation associated with regular exercise.

• Boost natural melatonin production, which can help in enhancing how long and how well we sleep.

Cherries have been found to be particularly high sources of melatonin, which makes them not only a great agent for improved sleep, but also a powerful seasonal tool in your circadian clock repair kit.

Enjoy summer’s bounty of tart cherries – delicious, naturally cooling, and packed with health benefits. But, as their growing season is coming to an end, get ‘em while it’s hot!

Read the whole article here.