May 1-5, 2017
Can You Guess What It Is? Cherries!
What kind of fruit is small, grows on a tree, and has a tiny pit? It's a cherry! We had a cherry jubilee this week in Nutrition Expedition!
As it's a tad too early for Michigan cherry season, I brought in dried Montmorency cherries (a tart cherry grown mainly in Michigan), and 100% cherry juice. Both were a bit tart, but it was an adventure for our taste buds! Yum!!
Check out these cool cherry facts:
*Michigan produces both tart and sweet cherries. We rank # 1 in the nation for our production of Montmorency tart cherries (70-75% of these grown in the U.S. come from Michigan)! We are ranked #4 in the nation in production of sweet cherries (20% of these grown in the U.S. come from Michigan)! Most of Michigan cherry production happens in the northwest counties of our beautiful state (Traverse City is known as "The Cherry Capital of the World").
*Montmorency cherry juice can improve the duration and quality of sleep (natural source of melatonin), reduces muscle pain and weakness (magnesium replenishes/recovers muscles), reduces inflammation related to arthritis and gout, lowers cholesterol, etc.
*Many athletes, particularly runners, drink cherry juice before and after a race or workout because it can help decrease muscle damage, recover strength, and decrease muscle soreness faster than compared with other beverages.
For more information on the benefits of cherries and cherry juice, follow these links: Montmorency Tart Cherries and Michigan Cherry Facts.
Super Sleuth Questions
1. What kind of fruit did Ms. Kelli M. bring for Nutrition Expedition this week? (answer: cherries)
2. What good things can cherries do for our bodies? (answer: they help us sleep, they are good for our muscles, blood, digestion, etc.)
3. Which type of cherry did you like the best? The dried cherries or the cherry juice?
