Healthy Snack of the Week

Cherries!

I seriously have not been able to get enough of this lovely little fruit this week. Every time I get hungry at work I grab some cherries and they are the perfect snack. Now I am typically not a fan of “cherry flavored” items and do not care as much for the tart cherries, but fresh bing cherries taste like sweet little plums and I just love them. And since this blog is about being healthy it is good to know that this is a very healthy and beneficial snack for you! Though some may not be certain just how healthy both sweet and tart cherries really are, both are very high in anti-oxidants and a great snack.

Did You Know: Cherries are the New Antioxidant "Super Fruit"

“A growing body of science reveals tart cherries, enjoyed as either dried, frozen cherries or cherry juice, have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, when compared to other fruits. They also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.

Emerging evidence links both sweet and tart cherries to many important health benefits – from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout, to reducing risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process.”

So if you are looking for a healthy snack this week, grab yourself some tasty cherries!!