If aches and pains, high blood pressure and a little extra weight are health issues
you’re dealing with, you may want to move to Michigan and eat the fruit that’ll help
you alleviate all three issues.

Michigan?
Yes, according to researchers, Michigan is the state that produces about 70% of
tart cherries and if you want to ease aches and pains, slim down that midsection
or lower blood pressure, then, you too, must include more tart cherries in your diet.

Here’s a more detailed list on how tart cherries can help you with the aforementioned
health issues.
a) Slim Down Now!
Eating a bowl of tart cherries can help you lose those stubborn pounds on
your midsection. Special compounds in cherries (anthocyanins) quiet signals that
cause cells to hold on to fat. Researchers say include a bowl (or two) a day and
you can lose 15% of your body weight in about 3 months.

b) Lower Blood Pressure-
A high reading from your doctor (or nurse) can put the fear in a lot of people
and if they (medical professionals) recommend blood pressure meds right away,
resist and say “let me work on it through diet.” And by diet, we mean, add more
tart cherries to your daily menus. Cherries help keep blood sugar levels in check.
Plus, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in cherries act like ACE
inhibitors, relaxing arteries and lowering blood pressure by up to 7 points.

c) Ease Aches & Pains!
Using cherries to ease gout pain has been around for decades, but if knees, backs
and fingers are also painful, eat more tart cherries. Plant compounds in cherries
stop the output of inflammatory enzymes that trigger joint soreness, plus lower
levels of uric acid, which can build up in joints and cause pain. Eating cherries daily
cuts the risk of uric-induced pain flare-ups in half in just 2 days.

One more tip: If you find cherries on sale at your local grocery store or roadside
Farmers’ market, buy a bunch, clean them and then place in ziploc bags and freeze
them. Or buy bottles of unsweetened tart cherry juice, pour about 1/4 cup of
tart cherry juice into a glass, add 1 or 1 1/4 cup of water, stir and drink up.

Three recipes using tart cherry juice.
If you get tired of eating bowls of tart cherries or drinking tart cherry juice,
here are 3 delicious drinks using the tart red beauties.

Recipe no. 1-
Lemon-Cherry Sipper!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of tart cherry juice
2 tsp. of honey
1 tsp. of lemon juice
2 sprigs of mint leaves
To make:
In cocktail shaker, muddle all ingredients. Strain into an ice-filled glass.
Enough for 1 serving.
Calories per serving- 140, Prot-1g. Carbs-35g.

Recipe no. 2-
Cherry-Vanilla Whirl!
1/2 cup of tart cherry juice
1/2 cup of low-fat frozen yogurt, vanilla
1/4 cup of frozen tart cherries, (freeze a few cherries for 30 to 60 mins.)
1/4 cup of almond milk
1/2 tsp. of coconut or vanilla extract
To make:
In a blender, puree all ingredients for 30 to 60 secs. an then pour into
tall glass. Place a few cherries on top for garnishment.
Calories per serving- 190, Prot-4g. Carbs-39g.

Recipe No. 3-
Cherry-Citrus Crush!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of tart cherry juice
1/4 cup of ruby red grapefruit juice
1 Tbs. of lime juice
1 cup of crushed ice
1/4 cup of lemon-lime soda (or Sprite)
To make:
In a glass, stir together cherry, grapefruit and lime juices; add the
ice. Top with soda. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of lime.
Calories per serving- 117, Prot-1g. Carbs-29g.

Sources:
* University of Michigan, Research Dept.
* American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
* The Juicing Bible
* Juice Magazine

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