Cranberries - Building your pantry
CRANBERRIES need to be released from their Thanksgiving tethers and become a year-round staple in our pantries. These tart berries are rich in cancer-fighting anthocyanins and trace minerals. The cranberry’s best-known medical action is on the urinary tract; it even has the power to reverse an active urinary tract infection. The berries acidify the urine and inhibit the ability of infection-causing bacteria to grab onto the walls and stick around. Regular use (every few hours while symptomatic) of cranberry pills or unsweetened 100% juice is best for this antiseptic action. Check out my UrinaryTract Tonic (page 617) for effective UTI relief. (A UTI can get serious fairly quickly, so if this isn’t doing the trick, or you have a fever or low back pain, see your doctor!) Lesser-known actions, which are just as impressive, are the cranberry’s ability to thin the bile and dissolve gallstones and kidney stones.
Many people don’t realize that cranberries can be purchased fresh and used raw in a variety of ways. Toss in smoothies (keep in the freezer for this), blend into salad dressing, slice, and add to salads, or throw into a porridge while it cooks. Cranberries can, of course, be simmered into sauces or jellies. My family most often purchases them dried (sweetened with just apple juice), keeping them in a jar where they are ready to brighten a bowl of cereal, cookies, rice dish, or a dull afternoon when eaten by the handful.
Explore some of my recipes that incorporate cranberries, listed below, in the Nourish Me Kitchen Book set (Volume II):
Make-Your-Own Oatmeal Mix, page 547
A Variety of Granola Recipes, page 555
Urinary Tract Tonic, page 617
A Variety of Bars, page 639
Matt's Super Slaw, page 658
Chocolate-Cherry (or Cranberry)-Chia-Cookie, page 868
Want more essential health wisdom and nourishing recipes? The Nourish Me Kitchen 2-volume book has got you covered. Explore functional-medicine foundations and 300 family-friendly, body-thriving recipes by Dr. Erika Siegel here.
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