Dry pavement, warm days, and a beach that is no longer buried in snow means winter is on its way out—and post-hibernation workouts are on the way in. According to nationally-recognized sports dietician Leslie Bonci, cherries are a secret to fighting post-exercise pain. In addition to being good, the cherry serves up serious anti-inflammatory benefits. Chugging a 10-ounce glass of cherry juice before a workout, and slurping down a cherry smoothie after exercising can actually reduce muscle pain and joint soreness.
Lucky for us, we’ve got fresh options from around the tip of the mitt to keep you powered by red all season long:
Cherry harvest may not be happening for a few months, but Antrim County’s King Orchards has mail order Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate available by the quart, and the farm website has a slew of ideas on how to serve up this one-ingredient drink. Visit kingorchards.com to order.
Click to learn about Brownwood Acres/FruitFast Cherry Flex gel packets develop so you can down them on the run (or right after).
Keep your energy strong by munching whole grain toast spread with American Spoon Food’s Sour Cherry Preserves spread on it. The tart treat was ranked number one in a 2007 Detroit Free Press blind taste test, and its use of northern Michigan fruits can leave you feeling extra good. spoon.com. Also check out the cherry
Follow a hard day of training with a night of restoration in the form of Cherry Republic’s Cherry Sangria. We know it’s a stretch, but still, it has the yum factor, and a glass of wine to accompany the setting sun of spring can’t be bad for you. cherryrepublic.com.