Now that the pumpkin craze seems to be dying down from its
Autumnal fevered pitch, cranberries are in the bullpen warming up. I am on
Pinterest all the time occasionally, and I have seen the myriad of
cranberry crafts (wreathes, flower arrangements, garland), cranberry foods
(sauce, salads, desert) and cranberry drinks. My closest personal relationship
with cranberries usually involves vodka. I have found that a Cape Cod provides
an excellent excuse to enjoy a cocktail and take care of your urinary tract health all in one delicious and
refreshing sip, just mind that it is 100% juice and not “cocktail”. Cranberry
cocktail has as much sugar, if not more than, a soda and very little health benefit,
not to mention the additional calories.
We are aware that cranberry juice can help block urinary
tract infections, especially women. Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, which
help to prevent E. coli bacteria from lingering on the walls of the uterus and
bladder. One glass of juice a day is all you need to prevent and heal urinary
tract infections. That’s pretty amazing, and a whole lot cheaper, than a trip to
the doctor.
Don’t feel left out men, cranberries are great for you too! Cranberries
contain citric acid and other nutrients that can prevent kidney stones and
other kidney and bladder problems. I have been told that if a man ever wanted
to know the pain of childbirth, they needed to experience the passing of a
kidney stone. No thank you. I have two children and the thought of passing a
stone sound awful…and without the reward of a sweet little bundle of joy! All
the pain. No gain.
I also wasn’t aware that cranberries are high in antioxidants, which help to flush out your
system. This in turn improves your metabolism and digestive system so that you
can begin to lose weight quicker. Quicker?? Darn. This would have been helpful
when I was stuffing my face on Thanksgiving. All I had to do was add a bit of
cranberry sauce to every forkful. I wonder if the delightfully gelatinous sauce
from a can counts? ( Don’t lie, you know the kind from a can is your favorite
too…)
These same antioxidants in cranberries pull double duty to
help flush out the harmful toxins within the body that can suppress the immune
system. Once these are removed, your immune system will be better equipped to
ward off sickness during the pesky cold and flu season.
For optimum health benefits its best to consume fresh
cranberries and make your own juice at home with a juicer, or opt for
unsweetened, 100 percent pure cranberry juice. At this point I am contemplating
either buying a large amount of stock in Ocean Spray or learning how to
cultivate my own cranberry bog. If those two dimwits in the commercial can do
it, so can I… Let me just find my waders.
