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With over 1,200 types of cherries worldwide to choose from, it's difficult not to have your very own kind of go-to cherries you like indulging in, regardless of whether it's in the summertime or during any other season. The cherry is a fruit of the genus Prunus. There are two well-known types of cherries. These include the species derived from the Prunus avium (the sweet or wild cherry) and those derived from the Prunus cerasus (the sour cherry).
My fav - Rainier cherries!!
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses fruit and the pit in different medicinal preparations. You can even get a Chinese medicine practitioner to make you an external decoction of cherries soaked in wine to be applied to pain issues in the body, such as arthritis. (I know it sounds delicious).
TCM properties: Sweet, warm; spleen, stomach and kidney meridians entered
TCM Actions: Tonify blood and replenish the kidney.
TCM Indications: Benefits skin and overall body, rejuvenates, strengthens the spleen, stimulates appetite, stops dysentery and diarrhea, quenches thirst, regenerates fluids, stops seminal emissions, prolongs life
It's important to know that in Chinese diet therapy (Shi Liao), a practitioner will tell you not to overeat. This is because these are rich fruits, and too much can use diarrhea and stomach upset. Unfortunately, though, I have yet to come across this, haha.
Nutrition:
One cup (approximately 138 grams) of sweet cherries has about: (15)
87 calories
22 g carbohydrates
1.5 g protein
0.3-g fat
3 g dietary fibre
10 mg vitamin C
306 mg potassium
0.1-mg manganese
2.9 mcg vitamin K
0.1-mg copper
15.2 mg magnesium
0.1-mg vitamin B6
0.5-mg iron
0.3-mg pantothenic acid
29 mg phosphorus
17.9 mg calcium
88 IU vitamin A
One of the most important nutritional facts about cherries is that they have a good ratio of copper to iron, which helps iron be absorbed in the body and used instead of hanging around in the tissues.
The Rainier cherry is different from the other cherries since it was developed by Harold Fogle, in 1952, at Washington State University. It's a cross between two different cultivars, the 'Van' and the 'Bing' cultivars. Making it a low-acid type of cherry with a caramel taste perfectly matches its yellow-orange colour.
5 Ways Cherries are totally awesome:
1. Blood Sugar Champions
Rainier cherries have a glycemic index of only 22 while also providing great dietary fibre content, making them one of the few fruits people with diabetes can eat. These cherries also have high natural sugar content, but they have also been shown to lower glucose levels; they boost insulin production, which will help you keep your blood sugar levels at safe rates.
2. Sleep aid
Melatonin is a crucial component of Rainier cherries, and it's known for being an excellent aid in regulating your body's natural sleep-wake cycle. By adding them to your daily diet, you'll soon notice a soothing effect on your body and a healthy normalizing of your sleep patterns. I will usually instruct my clients to eat a few an hour or two before bed and see how they feel after a month.
3. Heart and Nervous Systems
Rainier cherries are a fantastic source of potassium. Potassium is a miracle mineral providing relief from hypertension and may thus prevent strokes from happening.
Additionally, potassium will relieve heart disorders while protecting the body from the damaging effects of stress and anxiety. Potassium also enhances electrolytic functions and water balance, which means the nervous system will be better cared for to continue its healthy functioning.
4. Inflammation
One benefit that is also applicable to most cherries is their anti-inflammatory properties in the body. However, this marvellous effect only happens due to their anthocyanin content.
Sufferers of gout and arthritis will often feel relief from pain whenever they suffer from specific attacks. In fact, not only do Rainier cherries alleviate the symptoms of gout, but they've also been shown to decrease the frequency of gout attacks. Rainier cherries thus inhibit oxidative stress and reduce inflammation, making them a heavy hitter for these conditions.
5. Detoxes and cleanse internal systems
The nutrients in rainier cherries help complete body cleansing, especially for the liver, kidneys, and spleen. Regular consumption of cherries or cherry juice helps flush out toxins by eliminating unwanted waste material from the body and assisting the organ systems to be more efficient and less bogged down. Cherries help improve our organs for better performance with how messy our everyday lives are with the number of toxins we come in contact with.
Buy local and organic (if you can). Eating within your community and the seasons (you can freeze them to eat all year round) will help you get the most out of cherries. But, of course, you want them fresh and juicy to get the maximum nutritional value, and the taste will be the best.
Melanie xo