Don't Let the Time Change Keep You Down!

This weekend marks the end of Daylight Saving Time as we "fall back" an hour on Sunday, November 3.   Research shows that sleep is just as important to good health as diet and exercise, and preparing for the time change will help you adjust your sleep patterns for the winter season.

·      More than 10 percent of Americans suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy.  Nearly 30 percent of American adults sleep less than 7 hours per night. What can you do to get a better night's sleep?

According to published studies, regular consumption of tart cherry juice has been shown to increase natural levels of melatonin in the body.

Tart cherry juice may help regulate the body’s natural sleep cycle and increase sleep efficiency, including decreasing the time it takes to fall asleep.

And because tart cherries have so many other antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, you get important health benefits as a bonus. Try our Cheribundi RELAX every evening. You'll be in dreamland before you know it!

Here are more sleep facts and tips:

·      Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.  Also, women who sleep less than 5 hours a night gain significantly more weight over time than those who sleep 7 hours or more.

·      Sleep deprivation has been linked to health problems such as obesity and high blood pressure, negative mood and behavior, decreased productivity, and safety issues in the home, on the job and on the road.

·      Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%, which is considered impaired in some states.

·      Caffeine has been called the most popular drug in the world. Everywhere, people consume caffeine on a daily basis in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, soda and some OTC drugs.

·      Experts say one of the biggest sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the Internet.  Just a two-hour exposure to light from electronic displays suppresses melatonin by about 22%.

·      Even tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt the sleep cycle even if you do not fully wake, causing levels of melatonin to decline within minutes.  Before electric light, adults slept nine to 10 hours a night with periods of rest changing with the seasons in line with sunrise and sunsets.

Sources: The National Sleep Foundation, The Better Sleep Council and The Cherry Marketing Institute

This week's review and giveaway!

The latest Cheribundi review is from Jenelle at Mile Twenty Eight.  


She says, "I really liked the taste of the Tru Cherry.  I told my husband it tasted exactly like I was drinking a cherry.  He tried some and quickly agreed.  We both think that anyone who likes tart cherries, would like this flavor."

She also says, "If I had to pick a favorite, I would choose the Skinny Cherry.  Great taste and fewer calories!"


Jenelle's contest will run until August 10, so click over to read her review and enter to win a 12-pack of Cheribundi!

Bloggers love Cheribundi

Check out the latest Cheribundi reviews around the blogosphere:


Roya, at Life of Roya, says, "Each small 8 oz. bottle is jam-packed full of nutrients. It’s amazing how so much goodness can come from such a small package. If you love cherries, then you will love Cheribundi."

Alison, at Racingtales, writes, "I’m a big fan of tart cherry juice and often add it to my smoothies. But I wasn’t sure I would like drinking it straight from the bottle. I started with the Ginger Cherry. You could definitely taste the ginger – subtle but not overbearing, it allowed for the tart cherry flavor to come through. The Tru Cherry was obviously the same but without the ginger, and the Skinny Cherry, with about 2/3 the calories and sugar of the other drinks (it contains Reb A, a natural stevia leaf sweetener), didn’t taste any different. I tasted the drinks straight from the bottle, refrigerated, of course, and also over ice. I liked them both ways."

Amanda, at The Nutritionist Reviews, says, "I'm sure you have probably heard about the possible awesome health benefits of drinking tart cherry juice. This one is not only good for you but tasty as well. The juice is not from concentrate and contains 50 cherries per little 8 oz bottle! I would definitely buy this juice in the future and think that it is a great healthy choice for a beverage."

Get a Good Night's Sleep the Natural Way!

Getting a good night’s rest is so important to your health, which is why the topic of quality, restful sleep has been in the news a lot recently.  Sleeping better obviously helps you feel more alert, but it can also improve your productivity, keep you on track with your diet, help you live longer, and make you a happier, healthier person in general. And did you know that people who have been awake more than 16 hours perform the same as those who are legally impaired in a roadside evaluation? Yikes!

More sleep keeps you healthy and can result in weight loss because of the production of two specific hormones during REM sleep. Leptin and gherlin are hormones that regulate the appetite and our feelings of “fullness.”  If we have too little sleep leptin levels plummet, resulting in the feeling of not being satisfied after a meal.  At the same time, gherlin levels rise, causing us to feel more hungry.  Recently scientists have discovered that high levels of gherlin not only make us gravitate toward food, but also crave higher carbohydrate, fatty foods.  Being awake longer does not necessarily mean we are burning more calories, however, so we gain weight.

Although some people turn to medications to fall asleep at night, there is new research that shows this may not be the best way to manage sleep issues. In a recent study, use of prescription sleeping pills was linked with increased risk of earlier mortality, including cancer deaths. The study found people who took18 sleeping pills or fewer per year had more than 3.5 times higher a risk for death than those who didn't take any sleeping pills.

What can you do to sleep better without prescriptions? It shouldn’t be a surprise that regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you get better sleep, but there are specific natural foods that also aid in quality sleep.  Recently, Dr. Oz featured five foods on his television program that can help you get a more restful sleep—including tart cherry juice!

Tart cherry juice made from Montmorency cherries contains a high level of melatonin, a naturally occurring compound produced by humans, animals, plants and microbes. Melatonin has several important functions in the human body, including in the sleep cycle. In our modern lives, many things are thought to disrupt the natural cycle of melatonin production in our bodies, including artificial light, electronics, jet lag and shift work. Drinking one or two 8 oz. servings of tart cherry juice everyday provides a steady supply of melatonin that can help you get a deeper, more restful sleep.  

Here in Cheribundi Land, we like to drink ours late in the afternoon, around 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. How about you?

New Scientific Report Spotlights Tart Cherries as Today's Hottest Super Fruit

More Than 50 Scientific Studies Support the Power of RED

LANSING, Mich., Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ 

Once known only for its pie persona, tart cherries have emerged as one of today's hottest Super Fruits, with leading health and trends experts buzzing about the fruit's promising benefits. Today, with the help of leading health expert Dr. Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD, the cherry industry launched The Red Report, a new look at the power of tart cherries, featuring more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific studies on tart cherries.

One of tart cherries' key claims to fame is their powerhouse of antioxidants. According to top trend forecasters, antioxidants remain a top indicator of health-promoting foods, with nine (93%) out of 10 adults aware of antioxidants, and one-third (31%) are making a strong effort to consume more.(1,2) Tart cherries have among the highest levels of antioxidants of other super foods, ranking 14 in the top 50 for highest antioxidant content per serving size, according to a recent study.(3-7) And, tart cherries have as many, if not more, antioxidants than many other fruits.(5,8)

"The power of this Super Fruit is clear, and what's so remarkable is how far tart cherries have come over the last few years," said Dr. Bazilian, author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients. "For example, the fruit has long been believed to have pain relief benefits, and today, there's a strong and significant body of evidence backing that up. I love when modern science confirms what people have anecdotally known and experienced for decades."

"Beyond their health benefits, tart cherries are shaping today's key health and nutrition trends, called out in some of the latest reports as 'the' Super Fruit to watch," added Dr. Bazilian. Currently, nine in 10 adults (91%) think it's very important to get their nutrients from foods that are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals, with vitamin A a key nutrient in demand.(9) Tart cherries contain 19 times more vitamin A than blueberries or strawberries.

The Science Behind the Power of Red

Anthocyanins are the key antioxidant compound in tart cherries, responsible for the fruit's bright red color. In fact, tart cherries contain significantly more anthocyanins than other fruits, including sweet cherries.(10,11) A growing body of research has linked the anthocyanins in tart cherries to reduced inflammation, at levels comparable to some well-known pain medication.(10, 12) This inflammatory benefit is likely behind cherries' ability to reduce risk for arthritis and gout, promote cardiovascular health and most recently, to aid muscle recovery and reduce oxidative stress in athletes. The Red Report is the first compilation to include the latest research supporting tart cherries' exercise recovery and pain relief benefits. Key highlights include:

Recent research published in the American College of Sports Medicine's journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise revealed that tart cherries could help athletes reduce muscle damage to recover faster from a tough workout.(13)

Other research supports the pain relief benefits of incorporating tart cherries in a training routine. In one study, runners who drank cherry juice twice a day for seven days prior to and on the day of a long-distance relay had significantly less muscle pain following the race.(14)

Increasingly, sports nutritionists and endurance athletes are following The Red Recovery Routine at www.choosecherries.com , designed to support athletic performance and recovery with a focus on tart cherries ability to reduce exercise-induced inflammation.

While researchers continue to explore the benefits of tart cherries, The Red Report also gives a nod to tart cherries' emerging benefits, including preliminary research linking tart cherry juice to improvements in sleep patterns.

Why Go Red Instead?

Available every day of the year in dried, frozen and juice forms, and versatile enough to include in any dish, tart cherries can be a powerful way to boost fruit intake and meet current dietary recommendations of two daily fruit servings. In fact, experts suggest that 1-2 servings of cherries daily can help provide some of the health benefits identified in the research.

"Now more than ever there's good reason to choose cherries," said Dr. Bazilian. "With just one in five adults eating enough fruit each day, it's my goal as a doctor of public health and dietitian to encourage people to add a variety of fruits to their diets and specifically think about form and color to help guide their fruit intake."

In addition to being a versatile Super Fruit, "tart cherries have that unique sweet-tart taste that people are seeking," added Dr. Bazilian. According to the IFIC Foundation 2011 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes Toward Food Safety, Nutrition & Health, taste remainsthe top driver of America's food decisions making it essential to findgreat-tasting fruit options. Tangy and sour flavors are quickly becoming two of America's favorite flavors, ranking among the top ten.(15)

For more information on the science supporting the unique health benefits of cherries and for cherry recipes and menu ideas, visit www.choosecherries.com.

Press Release from the Cherry Marketing Institute
Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-scientific-report-spotlights-tart-cherries-as-todays-hottest-super-fruit-138925049.html

Tart Cherry Juice & Melatonin - Your Beauty Rest Secret

From HUFFPOST STYLE

No matter what makeup you put on, how you do your hair or what clothes you wear, none of it will look good unless you get your beauty sleep. So is melatonin the answer to waking up gorgeous? Here are some quick facts:

Melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, which is found at the base of the brain, helps control other hormones as well as control the body's clock or circadian rhythms. In other words, it helps regulate when you snooze and when you wake up -- and your levels are affected by light exposure. Our bodies produce more melatonin in the dark (ie. typically when we are asleep) and less in light, so as you may already know, jet lag and shift work can throw off your melatonin levels.

Available in supplements, it is often recommended as a sleep aid for those who suffer from insomnia or to reduce the symptoms of jet lag. Studies from the University of Granada in Spain have found that this natural hormone works better at promoting sleep than somniferous medications.

Melatonin, which is also an antioxidant, can also be found in foods. Small amounts can be found in oats, rice and sweet corn, and in smaller amounts in foods such as bananas, tomatoes, ginger and barley. Drinking tart cherry juice may be the natural sleep potion of choice as it contains a significant quantity of melatonin. One study, published in 2011 in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that drinking two glasses of the juice helped people sleep 39 minutes more than those who did not drink the tart cherry juice (not to mention the juice drinkers experienced six percent better sleep efficiency, that is, more time sleeping than awake while in bed). And in study from 2010 published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, drinking the beverage helped alleviate insomnia symptoms and cut the time spent awake after going to bed by 17 minutes.

Besides promoting more sleep, there is also some evidence that melatonin can slow down the aging process. In a study published in the journal PloS One, researchers in France found that in tests on a small mammal (an animal called the Greater White-toothed shrew), giving the animal melatonin delayed the signs of aging typically present at 12 months of age by three months -- a significant time period given the animal's average lifespan.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/01/23/melatonin-sleeping-aid_n_1210954.html

The Benefits of Tart Cherries are Endless

Forget the goji berries, pomegranate, and acai berry for now.

This year, with all the rising costs in the supermarket, we are leaning toward the more familiar fruit, tart cherries, for top nutrition.

Their rich, red flesh boasts plenty of antioxidants and is comparable to blueberries.

Tart Cherry Health Benefits

• Reduced cancer risk: Cherries contain the anthocyanin, the main antioxidant found in red, blue, and purple foods.
• Anti-aging: Contain flavanoid antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress.
• Lower risk factors for heart disease: Lower cholesterol and triglycerides
• Reduced inflammation and pain: If cherries were able to be used medicinally, they could have the same effect as aspirin.
• Reduced symptoms felt with gout and arthritis: The anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries reduce joint pain.
• Calming and improved sleep: Cherries contain melatonin which can have a relaxing effect and regulate the body's circadian rhythm.
• Good fruit for diabetics: On the glycemic index, cherries are rated at 22 (low). This means they are less likely to cause a fast blood glucose spike.

Research


The good news is that most researchers have seen outstanding benefits with consumption of just 20 cherries or about 1.5 cups per day!

For other super foods, you often have to eat cups and cups of that food to see any health improvement.

Cherry Recipe Ideas

• Healthy cherry cobbler made with a nut crust
• Add tart cherry juice to your favorite juicer or smoothie recipe
• Add to oatmeal
• Add to a quinoa dish
• Stew the cherries with balsamic vinegar, and serve over yogurt
• Create a cherry sauce to serve over chicken or fish
• Chop a cherry salsa to serve with whole grain crackers

 Source:

"Tart Cherries: Should They be Mandatory?", Nicole German, www.diet-blog.com.

Sleep Better this Holiday Season with Tart Cherry Juice

During this time of year we find ourselves busier than ever – whether it’s entertaining during holiday parties, playing host to out-of-town visitors, or shopping ‘til we drop for every last gift on the list – we can become exhausted and in need of sleep to replenish our energy and maintain our overall health.

We’re in luck! Scientific studies continue to emerge that show the benefits of tart cherry juice and its effect on sleep quality as well as duration.

Most recently, researchers at Northumbria University, whose findings were published in the European Journal of Nutrition, conducted a study  where 20 participants were given two 30ml servings of the juice for seven days - once when they woke up and another before bed. The results were longer sleep time, less daytime  napping and up to a 6 per cent increase in sleep efficiency. People who drank two glasses of tart cherry juice also had increased ‘sleep  efficiency’ - the ratio of time spent in bed to time spent sleeping. They slept an average of 39 minutes longer.

Researcher Jason Ellis said, “When darkness falls, the body produces melatonin to signal it is time to sleep. The juice provides an additional service to what we already have to strengthen the internal signal of the body clock.

“It would definitely be beneficial to people with jet lag or coming off shift work -anywhere your internal clock has been fighting the external world.”

Why tart cherries? The Montmorency cherry (a type of tart cherry) naturally contains the hormone, melatonin, which is critical in regulating sleep-wake cycles. With the consumption of tart cherries, the body’s level of this powerful antioxidant increased significantly and thus affected sleep patterns in a gentle and natural way. 

Sources:

http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/10656/2011/12/16/glass_cherry_juice_increase_sleep_time.html

http://www.naturalhealth365.com/nutrition/tart-cherry-juice-for-insomnia.html