Strawberries: Sweet Little Hearts of Goodness <3

There are a couple of basics to know about strawberries. First, they are one of the top four healthiest fruits per serving on the planet. Second, the healthiest strawberries are organic strawberries, even though they may be a little smaller. The industrial agriculture industry douses strawberries with pesticides because they are delicate and prone to maladies like pests and disease, so if you’re eating them regularly, grow your own or go organic. Third, they should be eaten as soon as possible after harvest and purchase because they lose their nutrients quickly after two days off the plant.

They are an ancient fruit—and a fruit, not a real berry as the name suggests—and the Romans wrote about them. By the Middle Ages, strawberries were taken from the wild and cultivated, though it would be the mid-18th century before anyone developed a true garden variety, which happened in France.

Here are some more strawberry facts to enjoy with some shortcake:   

• They are grown throughout the world, but the United States annually produces at least one million tons more than any other country and grows 25 percent of the world’s strawberries.  

• All 50 states grow strawberries, and 94 percent of American households eat strawberries at least once a year.

• This fruit is a member of the rose family.

• Each strawberry has approximately 200 individual seeds, and birds are responsible for much of the seed distribution in the wild.

• One cup of strawberries has 46 calories and 113 percent of the daily recommendation for Vitamin C. They have exceptionally high anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which promotes heart health and fights cancer. Research shows that strawberries also regulate blood sugar, even after a heavy dessert. During the Middle Ages strawberries were used to treat depression. They’ve even been used as toothpaste.

• In folklore, Bavarian farmers tie small baskets of spring strawberries to cows’ horns to appease elves into getting the cows to give more milk and healthy calves. Another superstition says that two people who share a double strawberry with fall in love. <3 

Cherries: The Delectable Drupe

Get ‘em while you can. Cherries have a short season—just 3-4 weeks in May and June—and only grow in certain climates with cold temps, not tropical. Washington state and Michigan produce most of the United States crop, and that is labor intensive for this somewhat delicate fruit tree. But the sweet, or dark, cherry is a healthy, tasty snack on its own, and the tart cherry is the better cooking cherry. Here are a few more facts about this fleeting drupe (stone fruit, from Latin drupe [olive] originating from [wrinkled olive] Greek druppa.)

• Cherry pits were found in caves dating to the Stone Age in Europe. Greek scholar Theophrastus mentioned them in his “History of Plants” around 300 BC, saying that Greeks had been cultivating cherries for centuries. The cherry arrived on North American soil with the colonists in the 17th century.
• There are 1,000 different types of cherry trees in the US now, but only 10 are grown for commercial production. In fact, none of the 3,700 trees on the Mall in Washington, DC yield edible fruit, and many of them are cultivated to be sterile and produce only the flowers.
• Each tree can harvest up to 7,000 cherries annually, according to the Cherry Marketing Institute, which is enough for 30 pies. There are approximately 44 cherries per pound, and one cup—10 to 12 cherries--contains around 90 calories. However, one piece of Mrs. Smith's Cherry Pie (1/8 pie) racks up 330 calories. 
• As early as the 15th century cherries were used for medicinal purposes. Today’s research and studies confirm their anti-inflammatory properties for arthritis, post-workout muscle soreness, and gout. Other studies indicate benefits in reducing the risk of stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If insomnia is your problem, try drinking a half to one cup of 100 percent cherry juice an hour before going to bed. The melatonin will help regulate body rhythms.
• In the US maraschino cherries are not quite the real thing. The Marasca is a sour Morello cherry and grows in Eastern Europe and Italy. This bitter, dry variety was used to make liqueur, and the Marasca cherries were bottled with it, a treat for the wealthy. The popular maraschino used on ice cream and in sweet drinks is really a sweet cherry called Royal Ann that, per FDA description is “dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.”   

Yogurt: Health Benefits in Six Ounces a Day

All yogurts are not created equal. If you’re a fan or want to get the most out of that little cup, keep reading.

•  “Greek” yogurt is strained, which removes whey, sugar and lactose. It isn’t as sweet (sometimes only 25% of the sugar,) but is thicker, creamier and has more protein.  Conventional yogurt has more sugar, but strained yogurt has more saturated fat.
• In fact, there is no such thing as “Greek” yogurt in Europe. It is a marketing term used by a Turkish businessman in the United States that caught on. It refers to the process of straining the yogurt, used for many Mediterranean dishes. There is no “standard” in the US for how that is done or for insuring the quality.
• Both types have bacteria beneficial to the digestive system, but here is where reading individual labels is important. Look for “active live cultures” as close to the top of the ingredients list as possible, preferably second or third. Compare this to a mainstream brand of traditional yogurt like Dannon or Yoplait, and you’ll see that “sugar” and other ingredients like preservatives often precede the bacteria listing.
• High quality yogurts provide the bacteria that the body can use and are less expensive than the “probiotic” yogurts. If stomach distress and bloating is a particular issue, try out the specialty yogurts for two weeks to see if they make a difference.   
• Yogurt is an excellent post workout food. It has some carbs to replenish energy, it has up to 20 grams of protein containing amino acids for muscles. More yogurt health and weight loss benefits from www.fitnessmagazine.com . 
• Women can especially benefit from quality yogurt. It lowers the risks of high blood pressure, yeast infections and osteoporosis in addition to acting as a natural, healthy skin masque. Check out some in-depth information and recipes (including making your own yogurt and an easy skin masque) at www.jenreviews.com..
• Summer is a great time to eat yogurt because it pairs so well with fruit. Purchase plain or vanilla and add fresh or frozen berries and stone fruit for a cool, light meal or snack. Add chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans for additional nutrients, or half a teaspoon of cinnamon for an extra digestive kick. 

Holy Guacamole--There's More to Avocados than You Think

Likeable, versatile with “super food” qualities, in 2012 Americans consumed 1.6 BILLION avocados. By now, most foodies are aware that the avocado is not a vegetable, but, in fact, a berry. One tree has the ability to bear 500 of these fruits annually, but the average is around 150, all of them picked by hand.

While guacamole is a tasty common use for this fruit, it can really help you stay healthy and beautiful inside and out. The season in California (where 90% of the US crop is grown) runs from March to September, so they’re plentiful in stores a good part of the year. Here are a few facts and uses that don’t involve tortilla chips. 

• Bananas are known for their potassium with a large one weighing in around 487 mg per. One avocado has TWICE the potassium at 975 mg. The body needs this mineral to keep the heart pumping, keep the kidneys filtering and keep the muscles moving.  
• All Hass avocados—the most popular kind in the world—can be traced to one tree in a mailman’s California backyard in the early 1930s. Rudolph Hass patented his tree in 1935.
• Avocados grow but don’t ripen on trees because of a substance in the leaves. They can be stored on the tree for up to 7 months.
• These fruits contain biotin and Vitamin E which gives a healthy boost to hair, skin and nails. Applied topically as a mask or treatment, even without egg whites or olive oil, the pulp will hydrate and enrich the skin.
• To exfoliate AND enrich, combine the pulp/inside of one avocado, an egg white, a teaspoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of oatmeal. Apply it to the face and relax for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and repeat this ritual every two weeks. You can also place a couple of slices of avocado to the under-eye area to reduce bags.
• Ready to put those winter boots away? The whole avocado can be used to exfoliate and soften the feet. Try this foot scrub recipe from YourBeautyBlog while relaxing with a glass of wine and your favorite TV show.    

Simple is usually better, and the first time I had avocado not in guacamole form was at my friend Marga's house for lunch. She sliced one up and served the crescents sprinkled with lemon pepper. Done. I never looked back. Now for lunch once a week, I do the same, or sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and some chopped almonds or walnuts or pecans.  

Oranges: Have a Little Sunshine

It’s 62 calories of Vitamin C and fiber, and this time of year that’s important. Winter is cold and flu season, and we like to hibernate from the cold after the holiday season full of goodies. So oranges are a no-fat, medicinal sugar fix. Here are some other sweet facts about this popular fruit:

• There are sweet oranges, which we eat and drink, and bitter oranges, used mainly for perfumes, solvents, and essential oils.  

• Native to Asia, the sweet orange was cultivated in China at least 4,500 years ago. It finally made its way over to Europe and the Middle East by the 1400s via trade routes. By the end of the 1700s, oranges had been planted in what is now Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, California and Hawaii. Today it’s the most cultivated tree in the world with Brazil as the largest producer. 

• Technically, it's a berry. 

• The word “orange” comes from the Sanskrit “naranga,” meaning “orange tree.” The word was also used to describe the color by the 16th century. There are no actual English words that rhyme with “orange.”

• Orangina, a bottled natural drink made with essential oils and orange pulp, was introduced at the Marseille Trade Show in 1936.

• Blood oranges have more health benefits than other types of oranges, specifically more flavanoids, less acid and up to 40 percent more Vitamin C.

• The orange cognac liqueur, Grand Marnier, was created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It was named by Cesar Ritz after Marnier-Lapostolle helped Ritz buy and establish the Hotel Ritz in Paris.