Summer CleanTox Tips- #8 - Cherries

Want that sundae with a cherry on top? Well, skip the sundae and go for a whole bowl of cherries. The benefits are unbeatable!

With less than 100 calories and a half of gram of fat per serving, this sweet fruit is great to snack on or add to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Delicious when added to some Chocolate-Avocado Pudding.

While cherries are available in the freezer section all year long there is nothing like a fresh bowl of cherries, and your body will totally agree with your tastebuds. Let's get to the facts:

• Shed Pounds

  • Similar to Watermelon, cherries are made up of more than 75 percent water. The water content makes cherries a perfect weight loss food. Foods that are high in water and low in calories keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time than foods and drinks that are higher in calories. Cherries are also loaded with fiber, at almost 3 grams per serving. The fiber helps accelerate weight loss and reduces your cholesterol levels by slowing its absorption into your blood.

• SuperFood = Antioxidants

  • Antioxidants found in cherries help prevent cancer and heart disease, as well as fight off free radicals. TIn addition they also work to slow the signs of aging. Lastly, sour cherries have the most antioxidants beating out even blueberries as a top contender.

• Sleep Tight

  • Some cherries naturally contain melatonin which is a natural substance that is typically produced by your brain to regulate your sleep cycles -- reports a study published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in 2001. While your body does have the ability to produce its own melatonin, it typically does so only in darkness and not everyone is able to produce all the melatonin that is needed. Factors such as the artificial lighting that is found in many offices and homes limit how much melatonin is produced by your body. Eating cherries may help boost your melatonin levels.

Need some recipe inspiration, check out my Farro, Cherry and Celery Salad or just grab a bowl to snack on.

Now I ask you this... how do you eat cherries? Whole and spit out the pit? Or eat around the pit?

xo,

Lauren Courtney