Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cherries, halved and pitted (or unsweetened dry)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped celery (optional)
1 tbsp flour (or corn starch for gluten-free)
1/2 cup red wine (preferably the wine that you will be pairing your food with)
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
pinch of thyme
kosher salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

Directions

1. Heat saucepan over medium-low. Heat oil and melt butter in pan. Add onions, cherries, and celery and saute until onions and celery turn slightly clear–about 1 minute.
2. Add flour and continue cooking for approximately 1-2 more minutes to cook off the flour. Add thyme and flour.
3. Add wine. Simmer for a couple minutes, whisking frequently. Add broth salt and pepper, simmer. Continue whisking.
4. Lower heat. If you are making the sauce gluten free, and did not add flour, add corn starch slurry at this step. (Corn starch slurry-add a tablespoon of cold water to corn starch and stir until starch is dissolved.) Whisk until sauce is combined. As sauce cools, it will thicken.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. For turkey, chicken, or fish, add orange zest as an option to brighten the flavor of the sauce.

When considering bicycle commuting or sport cycling, consider these details: equipment and traffic laws. The following list is a condensed version of our bike safety guidelines.

Equipment
1. Ask for assistance in choosing the correct fitting bike. Many bicycle shops have bike fit specialists who will help you select the appropriate fitting bike. A properly fitting bike will be easier to maneuver and be more comfortable.
2. Use a properly fitting helmet. The prices range between $15-$250. The level of protection it provides you does not vary that greatly. (The higher priced helmets are designed for sport cyclists, who prefer lighter head gear and need more air vents to keep their heads cool during long, strenuous rides.) Be sure that the helmet you select does not have any cracks, which compromises its effectiveness.
3. Wear reflective clothing. Use lights and reflectors at dawn, dusk, and night to increase your visibility to drivers.
4. Carry an equipped bike kit with you: spare tube, CO2 cartridge with adaptor or hand pump, and bike tool set. Again, your bike shop will be able to make recommendations for the necessary items for your kit. All of it may be stored in a small saddle bag that attaches to and tucks under your saddle.

Riding in Traffic
1. You must obey all traffic laws, signs, and signals, as if you are driving a car.
– Signal to notify other vehicles of your intention to turn or stop.
– At four-way stops, yield to the vehicle on the right, and always yield to pedestrians.
2. Ride on the right side of the road, immediately right of the traffic lane. Ride in a straight line, avoiding the gutter and weaving between parked cars.
– On very narrow roads, take the middle of the lane. You don’t want to give drivers the illusion that they can overtake you on a narrow road. If there are five or more cars behind you, then yield to the faster moving vehicles.
– When riding between alongside parked cars, distance yourself a car door’s width between your bike and the parked cars, in order to avoid an accident with an opening car door.
3. When approaching intersections, avoid overtaking vehicles on their right, since they may be turning right.
4. When bicycle commuting during peak driving times, if possible, avoid major avenues of travel where there are no bike lanes. Reroute to adjacent streets, where there is less traffic congestion.
5. Use defensive biking sense. Do not assume that vehicles can see you or will yield to you. Be aware of your surroundings–cars backing out of driveways, car doors being opened in front of you, cars exiting parking lots, and vehicles making sudden turns.
6. Do not multi-task. Keep your cell phone, smartphone, and other handheld devices stashed away; keep your focus on the road.

Bike commuting is great for all of its health benefits. However, before you begin, we encourage you to use the proper equipment, become familiar with your local bike routes, be alert, plan your commute before you head out (including having an alternate plan in case you are unable to arrive at your destination via bicycle), and browse the recommended websites, below, for more safety guidelines. (You may take a training program from the League of American Bicyclists.)

References and Recommended Websites
– Los Angeles Department of Transportation
– BicycleSafe.com
– League of American Bicyclists

Eat slowly and recognize when your hunger is satisfied. Then push back your plate, and say “all done!”

Whole-wheat couscous, olive oil and cherry juice concentrate vinaigrette with pistachios, dried cherries, basil and fresh mint

Courtesy of Cheryl Forberg – www.choosecherries.com

Ingredients:
For couscous:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
5 ounces whole-wheat couscous (about 1 cup)
For dressing;
1 tablespoon cherry juice concentrate
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons canola oil

For salad:
1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachios
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Prepare couscous:
In a quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.

Prepare dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together cherry juice concentrate, lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in oil until emulsified. Set aside.

Assemble:
Add dressing and remaining ingredients to the couscous and mix well. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info:
Calories 142, Total Fat g 6, Sat Fat g 0, Chol mg 0, Sodium mg 180, Total Carb g 21, Fiber g 3, Sugars g 7, Protein g 3

Rather than dismiss physical activity through the months of Spring, make use of some other exercise options in order to attain the enviable summer season bod:

1. If you have a gym membership, use it.
2. Without a gym membership, you may still workout indoors by taking advantage of workout videos you find at the local library or finding neighborhood studios that allow you to take group classes for per session fees.
3. Still like exercising in the open air? Commit to early morning workouts, when the pollen count is low and other nasal irritants have not yet been stirred up.
4. Avoid outdoor workouts on windy days and the day after; refer to suggestions 1 and 2, above.

To prevent any more irritants from entering the body and causing annoying allergy symptoms after exercise, immediately wash the clothes that you had been wearing, wash your face, and shower. Saline washes for your eyes and nasal passages also help some allergy sufferers, as well.

 During this time, it is wise to add more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, such as cold water fish (like salmon, mackeral, and halibut), flaxseed oil, and walnuts. Omega-3 fatty acids aid your body with suppressing inflammatory responses to allergens, which cause teary eyes and runny noses.

Some studies also suggest that foods high in anti-oxidants also aid in inhibiting inflammatory responses to airborne irritants. Anti-oxidant rich foods include an array of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables.

Allergy sufferers do not have to become victim to this season’s wind and pollen count while prepping for the warmer summer months. Make adjustments to your workout routine and be prepared to join the swimsuit clad population on the beach very soon.

Complacency breeds mediocrity in life, your lifestyle, your health, and your fitness. Push yourself to try something that will make you uncomfortable: that weird-looking vegetable, jogging up that steep hill, the dance class, going for the fresh fruit instead of the cheesecake. Before you know it, you’re on your way to living YOUR BEST LIFE!

Cherry Oatmeal Muffins

Recipe from http://www.choosecherries.com

Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned or quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup frozen tart cherries
Coarsely chopped Granulated sugar (about 2 tablespoons)

Directions:
Put oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Combine buttermilk, egg, oil, and almond extract in a small bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture into oats mixture; stir just to moisten ingredients. Quickly stir in cherries (it is not necessary to thaw cherries before chopping and adding to batter.) Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Fill muffin-cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 12 Muffins

Nutrition Info:
Nutrition Facts per muffin: 166 cal., 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 25 g carbo., 19 mg chol., 3 g pro., 1 g fiber, 75 mg sodium. Daily RDA values: 2% vit. A, 0% vit. C, 6% calcium, 6% iron.

A top ten list fit for Leno: the top ten health benefits from eating cherries.

1. Cherries, known as a “super-fruit”, are packed with antioxidants called anthocyanins.  The health benefits of cherries and other plant foods containing anthocyanins are many. Anthocyanins are used by the body to produce essential amino acids. As antioxidants, they protect the cells of the body from the damaging, aging and disease producing affects of oxygen, nitrogen and UV radiation.  Anthocyanins are also natural pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. They inhibit the production of COX-2 enzymes, as do over the counter and prescription pain relievers. Natural anti-inflammatories are believed to reduce the risk of many types of cancer.

2. Cherries are one of the few food sources that contain melatonin, an antioxidant that helps regulate heart rhythms and the body’s sleep cycles. Cherries contain melatonin, another natural pain reliever and COX-2 inhibitor. Melatonin also helps to regulate sleep cycles and has been sold as a natural sleep aid. Reduced levels of melatonin have been associated with heart disease and increased cancer rates in night workers. The human body naturally produces melatonin, but primarily in darkness. So, one of the health benefits of cherries to modern day man has to do with replacing some of the melatonin that has been lost to artificial light, unhealthy work schedules and unnatural sleep patterns.

3. Cherries are an excellent source of beta carotene (vitamin A). In fact they contain 19 times more beta carotene than blueberries and strawberries.

4. Cherries are rich in vitamins C, E, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and fiber.  The proven and suspected health benefits of cherries and other vitamin C rich foods are too numerous to be covered in this short article. One of the most exciting and newest discoveries has to do with cancer treatment. In both clinical trials and test tubes, vitamin C has been shown to kill cancer cells and inhibit their replication.

5. Cherries are referred to as “brain food”, aiding in brain health and in the prevention of memory loss.

6. Because cherries contain anthocyanins, they can reduce inflammation and symptoms of arthritis and gout.

7. Eating cherries reduces the risk of diabetes.

8. Cherries are a good source of fiber which is important for digestive health.  Diets high in fiber are believed to reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer and most other diseases involving the digestive tract.

9. Cherries are a great snack or dessert choice important for weight-maintenance.

10. Because of their powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, cherries are said to reduce pain and joint soreness for runners and athletes after workouts. Cherries contain at least 17 antioxidants, including powerful antioxidants egallic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol and quercetin, an antioxidant that may help boost immunity…keeping your training schedule on track.

Ease into a greener lifestyle; choose to adopt a few of these habits, one-at-a-time.

At home

1. Whenever possible, wash your outerwear after every second or third wear. When you do laundry, use the cold water cycle, and hang your clothes to dry. You will conserve energy and water and prevent overconsumption by extending the life of your wardrobe.

2. Switch to non-toxic cleaning solutions, like your own mixture of water and vinegar, eco-home kit from Organic Authority,or switch to a green brand like Seventh Generation. You will minimize the pollution in your home and in our water supplies.

3. Keep recycling bins near your trash cans to make recycling more convenient. Your guests will be less inclined to throw their bottles and cans in the garbage.

4. Grow your own herb and/or produce garden (you can find in-home garden kits at your local garden store). You will ensure you are getting organic and reduce your carbon footprint.

5. Turn off all lights when they are not in use. Keep your home electronics on a power strip and turn it off when you go to bed. This will minimize your carbon footprint and save you money on your energy bill.

At Your Local Retailer

1. Buy products that were made locally. There are less carbon emissions when a product travels a shorter distance to get to you.

2. Bring your own tote bag to the grocery store and on your shopping excursions. Reuse the plastic bags you have at home to use as your produce bags, while at the grocer or farmers’ market.

3. Bring your own takeout container when you anticipate having leftovers at the restaurant or going to the salad bar at your local cafe. Bring your own travel mug to the cafe when ordering your morning coffee or tea. Most of this wasted will take thousands of years to biodegrade!

4. Don’t buy it if you don’t need it. As much as we love new things, reduce your consumption. Whenever possible, buy used.

 At the office

1. Walk, bike, or carpool to work whenever possible. You’ll save on your fuel expense and reduce carbon emissions.

2. Power down all of your electronics when you leave work.

3. Opt for direct deposit and electronic paystubs to reduce waste.

4. Review your email attachments and proof-read documents electronically to reduce more consumption.

5. Use the stairs, instead of the elevator. You’ll be heart-healthy and energy conscious.

6. Use your own reusable mug or water bottle and refill at the water cooler, instead of using disposables.