Tart Cherry Follow-Up

After my post about tart cherries and going to the SCAN Symposium, I’ve been thinking more about tart cherries and anti-inflammatory foods in general. Along with the industry sponsored studies, there have now been a few more that were done without industry sponsorship which I like to see! As I said before, tart cherries have been shown to  ease muscle soreness by reducing inflammation in muscle tissue after intense exercise. It is important to remember that in all of these studies, the subjects consumed tart cherries (or juice) for at least a week prior to strenuous activity as well as afterwards. I still would like to see a study comparing cherries to other foods (for example raspberries are are said to have high amounts of the same anti-inflammatory found in cherries) but for now it’s cherries that we have the data on!

Since I like the taste of dried tart cherries, and my activity level can certainly support the extra calories, I decided to incorporate some cherries in my training for the half. I had about 1/3 cup (45g) of dried tart cherries every day. I have to say that despite all of the hard work I put in while training over the last few months, I really haven’t been feeling excessively sore! Of course I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t also taking my own advice and eating a ton of vegetables and other fruits in the meantime. I also make sure to have a recovery meal or drink soon after strenuous training, and have been spending some quality time with my foam roller. All in all I’d say it’s a winning combination!

What’s the best way to incorporate cherries into your day? I have sprinkled them on salads (especially delicious in combination with some cheese and nuts!). I’ve also mixed them with some dried cereal for a trail mix that can be stowed in a resealable container or bag. This is something I can have with me if I know I’ll be out and about all day so I’m prepared if I get hungry. Dried cherries are also delicious when cooked into oatmeal. I combine a half cup of old-fashioned oats, 1/3 cup dried cherries, a splash of vanilla, and 1 1/2 cups water (it’s important to add extra water because the cherries really absorb a lot of it), after it’s cooked, I top it off with some milk. Those are just three ways with cherries and there are many more out there. Please let me know if you have a favorite you’d like to share!

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