This charming little fruit belongs to the same genus of the rose family as apricots, peaches, and plums. There are over 500 varieties of sweet cherries grown, the most popular being the Bing and the Lambert varieties. Cherries are native to Europe and west Asia, dating back as far a s 300 B.C.E. In the 1600’s, early settlers brought cherries to America. Michigan, with its ideal growing conditions is now the “cherry capitol of the world”. Sour cherries have a slightly superior nutritional profile but sweet cherries offer significant amounts of several nutrients and health promoting qualities.
1. Rich source of flavonoids – anthocyanidins and proanthocynidins, these are the flavonoids that give cherries their deep red-blue colour. The darker the cherry, the better it is for you because it contains a higher concentration of flavonoids. These are the same compounds as used in pain lowering medicine to block our brain from receiving inflammation pain. Therefore: eat cherries, feel less inflammation pain. These same flavonoids have been found to have the same antioxidant power as vitamin E!
2. They help you sleep better! Montmorency tart cherries have been found to contain significant amounts of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that influences healthy sleep patterns and is also a powerful antioxidant. Montmorency cherries contain 0.1 -0.3 mg of melatonin per serving (about 20 cherries), which is enough to effectively induce sleep. Therefore, eat cherries, get a sweet night of sleep!
3. Anti-cancer protection – two of the anthocyanidins, isoquerxitrin and quercitin, have been found to inhibit the growth of colon cancer. Tart cherries also contain perillyl alcohol, a compound that has powerful effects on reducing the incidence of all types of cancer. They do this by shutting down growth of cancer cells by depriving them of the proteins they need to grow.
Decadent Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie
2 cups almond milk
1 cup sweet cherries
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp raw cocoa powder
1 Tbsp bee pollen
1 tsp vanilla
1 scoop vanilla protein powder, I prefer Sunwarrior Vanilla Raw Vegan Protein
How to make:
All all ingredients to your blender and buzz until smooth!
Delightfully Charming Cherry Coconut Pudding
2 cups sweet black frozen cherries
1 cup young coconut meat
1 cup coconut milk
1 lemon juiced + zest of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp raw honey
3 Tbsp ground chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of sea salt
Blend all ingredients in the blender until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Makes enough for you and 3 friends.
Makes enough for you and 3 friends.
Tip: zest the lemon before you juice!
Cherry Chia Jam
1 cup fresh or frozen cherries
2 Tbsp chia seeds
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp Maple syrup
How to make:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and buzz until smooth.
Tip: if you’re using frozen cherries, make jam a couple hours before you plan to use it so it isn’t frozen!
Sending you sweet cherry love:)
Sources: Murray, M (2005).The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York: Atria Books.(P.263-66)
