Posts Tagged ‘fruit’

Who loves cherries? I do! I do! Sweet and tart all at the same time, these tasty suckers are easy to pop in your mouth one after the other. Before you know it, the whole bowl is gone. Also, some people like to compete with fellow cherry eaters by seeing how far they can spit their pits. Fun times, I know.

It's a good thing we all anticipate the arrival of cherries every summer, because they are nutritional powerhouses. Keep on reading to find out why.

Yum yum cherries!

4 reasons cherries are so good for you
1. Cherries contain vitamin C, which will help boost your immune system, maintain the health of your connective tissues and improve your skin. Vitamin C is also attributed to reducing stress.

2. A good source of Vitamin K, cherries play a role in promoting proper clotting, developing and maintaining a healthy nervous system and keeping your bones healthy.

3. Cherries contain potassium, helping your muscles and nerves function properly, lowering your risk of high blood pressure and helping your body maintain healthy electrolyte levels.

4. Cherries also have antioxidants, which help to neutralize free radicals in the body, helping to eliminate any danger they may cause.

Did you know
• Charles V of France loved cherries so much he had 1000 cherry trees planted on his property
• February is National Cherry Month
• One average size cherry tree produces about 7,000 cherries (Charles V was eating A LOT of cherries)
• In 2007, two million tonnes of cherries were produced worldwide
• Cherries can help ease gout pain

4 amazing cherry recipes
1. Very Cherry Whole Wheat Muffins (from Everybody Likes Sandwiches)
2. Cherry Clafoutis (from Closet Cooking)
3. Sweet Cherry Compote (from The Kitchen Sink Recipes)
4. Sour Cherry Buckle

Do you also love cherries?

There is nothing like the taste of sweet summer Ontario strawberries. Even the smell is irresistible - it carries me back to my days as a carefree child, sitting at the counter while my mom hulled these addictive red berries by the kitchen sink. I still eat them like they're candy.

It's no secret that berries are good for you, and strawberries are no exception. Read on to find out why strawberries are considered a nutritional powerhouse.

Mmmm ... I could eat them all!

5 reasons why strawberries will boost your health
1. They are high in antioxidants. According to WHFoods, they're rated the fourth highest in antioxidants out of all the fruits, only to be beaten by blackberries, cranberries and raspberries. Antioxidants play a role in keeping our cardiovascular system in tip top shape

2. They're a great source of vitamin C, which plays a large part in keeping our immune system strong and healthy. Vitamin C can also help fight stress.

3. Strawberries contain magnesium, a mineral that helps our body produce energy and maintain strong bones and healthy teeth.

4. Because they contain potassium, strawberries can help your muscles and nerves function properly, lower your risk of high blood pressure and can help your body maintain healthy electrolyte levels.

5. Given their high antioxidant and anti inflammatory benefits, strawberries are considered a cancer-fighting food.

Did you know
• There are more than 600 varieties of strawberries
• The average strawberry has 200 seeds
• Madame Tallien, an important social figure during the French Revolution, purportedly bathed in strawberries to keep her skin soft. It's believe 22 pounds of fresh strawberries were added to her bath.
• Strawberries were once thought to be an aphrodisiac (maybe they are - you give it a shot and let us know!)

5 delicious strawberry recipes
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Pecan Salad
• Fresh Strawberry Crepes
• Healthy Strawberry Oat Squares from Oh She Glows
• Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler from Whipped

Do you also love strawberries?

Delicious. Who knew?

Do you have any idea how delicious fruit is?

I really had no idea. I picked up some pre-washed, pre-cut strawberries, pineapple and kiwi on a whim at the grocery store the other day and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it.

I snacked on it while I made dinner last night (Quick Fisherman's Stew) and it kept my hands and mouth too busy for me to bother pouring myself a glass of wine. No small feat.

And while I suddenly find fruit to be a surprisingly tasty snack, I still can't accept the idea of having it for dessert. Even fruity pies are suspect. I am unwavering in my belief that dessert should be chocolaty (and preferably gooey).

So you can imaging my delight when I came across a Chocolate Fondue recipe this afternoon. It meets all the criteria for an indulgent little weekend reward: It's chocolaty! It's gooey! It includes my new BFF, fruit! And you can spike it with amaretto, brandy or rum!

Each tablespoon has 64 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs and a gram of fibre, which makes it a reasonable weekend treat to reward another successful week of healthy living with Boot Camp.

How will you reward yourself this weekend?