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SPOTLIGHT
Orchard of Health – Natural Health
Benefits from Everyday Fruit
(ARA) - Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life. Studies show
Americans are living longer and enjoying more active lifestyles. Due to
advances in food technology, we are only just beginning to discover the
health secrets Mother Nature placed in simple everyday fruit. In fact,
in early 2005, the U.S.D.A. revealed the updated version of the food
pyramid that suggests five to nine daily servings of fruit and
vegetables.
As daily consumption of fruit is fast being recognized as a vital
component to maintaining a healthy body and enjoying an active
lifestyle, it makes sense to understand the "science" behind the health
benefits of fruit. Recent studies have indicated that the antioxidants
in fruit provide a whole host of health benefits: the anti-aging power
of blueberries and the joint pain relieving properties found in cherries
are two.
The multitudes of health components found in fruit are truly a gift from
Mother Nature. Here are a few everyday fruits for healthy living:
Cherries – The Supercharged Fruit:
Are cherries truly fruit for a healthy you? Recent studies have revealed
that cherries afford an assortment of health benefits, including the
potential to offer natural relief from joint pain caused from gout,
arthritis and joint inflammation. Many are choosing to drink cherry
juice, eat cherries or consume tart cherry dietary supplements to enjoy
the natural benefits of this tiny red fruit.
Linda L. Patterson is a living testimony of the soothing affects of
cherries. “I enjoy crocheting and lately my hands have been so painful,
I couldn’t crochet for more than about 30 minutes,” says Patterson. In
an attempt to find relief from her pain, a friend recommended Fruit
Advantage Tart Cherry, www.fruitadvantage.com a dietary supplement made
from red tart cherries. “Within the first week of taking the tart cherry
capsules, my hands felt so much better,” says Patterson. “I am now able
to crochet without the pain in my hands.”
Blueberries – Nature’s Top Antioxidant Fruit:
Blueberries have emerged as the top antioxidant capacity fruit in a
laboratory testing procedure called ORAC - Oxygen Radical Absorbance
Capacity developed by the USDA. ORAC has become the definitive
measurement of antioxidant capacity.
James Joseph, Ph.D and chief of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center
on Aging in Boston, is working with blueberries to examine their
potential to help improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory
loss that comes with aging.
"The blueberry has emerged as a very powerful food in the aging battle,"
said Joseph. "Given the possibility that blueberries may reverse
short-term memory loss and forestall other effects of aging, their
potential may be very great."
Terry Johnson, a resident of Grand Rapids, Mich., munches on dried
blueberries for the convenience and taste. “I work behind a computer for
eight hours a day and I like to snack. I began eating dried blueberries
instead of a candy bar from the vending machine. Now I feel good when I
snack because I am eating fruit instead of candy.”
Strawberries
Studies have shown that strawberries can help promote a healthy
digestive system and may help lower cholesterol. A handful of
strawberries can go a long way toward helping you maintain a healthy
lifestyle.
The Michigan-based company Traverse Bay Farms www.traversebayfarms.com
offers free shipping on all 3-pound orders of dried fruit, including
organic dried blueberries.
If you are interested in learning more about the natural health benefits
behind simple everyday fruit, you can enjoy a relaxing stroll though the
Orchard of Health section of the website: www.fruitadvantage.com . The
Orchard of Health is the Internet’s first directory devoted exclusively
to the natural health benefits of everyday fruit.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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