Cranberry Craze!

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.