* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

This perishable fruit and its many benefits has a short shelf life and is available fresh for only three weeks a year. Underwood Fruit, a functional food company offering premium 100% fruit supplement and food products, uses their proprietary process to make the benefits of red tart cherries available year round.

“CherryFlex offers red tart cherries in several different forms that are 100% fruit without the preservatives, additives, fillers or solvents, plus they are convenient and available in several different products,” says process inventor and company owner Bob Underwood. “It’s a good feeling to know that our products are quality, laboratory-tested and clinically studied.”

Underwood Fruit products include CherryFlex Softgels, CherryFlex Liquid, CherryFlex Whole Fruit Gel that’s available in squeeze pouches and in a 10 ounce jar. Red tart cherries and their natural phytonutrients help;
Maintain healthy joint function*
Support a healthy immune system*
Maintain healthy cardiovascular function*
Speeds relief of muscle recovery following strenuous exercise*

“It is believed that the synergistic combination of anthocyanins and other antioxidants – found in tart cherries, pomegranates and wild blueberries – are effective in supporting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Russel J. Reiter, endocrinologist and research scientist, University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. “Good nutrition over a long period of time, which these fruits provide, will likely improve your health.”1

Whether your dog is a puppy or senior, large or small, active and working, or a house pet, CherryFlex® for Dogs will help him or her maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

CherryFlex® for Dogs is made from whole fruit using a proprietary process in a special formula designed just for dogs.  These natural beef-flavored softgels help promote joint flexibility, promote muscle and joint health and provide antioxidant protection.

Made from whole fruit utilizing our proprietary process, including the skin and pulp, CherryFlex for Dogs Softgels have a great-tasting natural beef flavor without preservatives, by-products or fillers. Designed to help your dog maintain healthy joint function, CherryFlex for Dogs special formulation is available in 60-count bottles.

Recommended dosage:
one softgel daily for canines 24 pounds of weight and under
two softgels daily for canines 25 pounds and over.

Taken with or without food as a treat, the 800 mg fill wt softgels are bio-available, easy for dogs to swallow or chew, and do not require refrigeration.

Active Ingredients per softgel: Tart cherry paste 500mg
Inactive Ingredients: Beef flavor, beeswax, olive oil, gelatin, glycerin, soy lecithin, water.

That’s a tough choice and no one should have to choose between the two.  If a healthy body is important to you and to those you care about, then both nutrition and activity/ fitness must be priorities.

With the start of the new year comes the raft of resolutions.  Like most other important aspects of life, adhering to any big change in lifestyle takes dedication, determination and discipline.

Try these 9 New Year’s resolutions on for size from our health-conscious friends at Reader’s Digest with a few of our own:

1.   Downsize your food portions to promote weight loss

2.  Find a physical activity and do it 30 minutes a day, every day

3.  Get rid of the salt

4.  Increase your intake of Antioxidants – You’ll find them in CherryFlex!

5.  Quit smoking now

6.  Floss your teeth

7.  Wear sunscreen all year

8.  Strength train with weights for energy, strong bones, better metabolism

9.  Improve your attitude with positive thinking, down time and by helping others

Here’s to a happy, fun-filled and healthy 2012 from CherryFlex !

Eating right and exercising regularly between Thanksgiving and New Year’s often go on hiatus, and catching up and finding your groove again can take weeks, months….or longer. So what’s the short answer to planning a happy and healthy Holiday Season?

It’s all about making the right choices and finding the balance. See if you might be able to use some of these pointers from Athletico.com’s physical therapists and fitness trainers.

• Feasting mania: whether you’re the cook or the invited guest, make or bring a dish that fits your palette and everyday diet – and we aren’t talking baked jams with marshmallow topping. Cut-back on the sugar and the salt and look for recipes that feature fresh vegetables and low fat ingredients.
• When it’s time to romp in the snow, play a game of tag with the kids – join in! Don’t be left on the couch when you could be sledding, hiking or doing anything but ‘acting your age.’
• Pitch in if you are the invited houseguest. Shoveling snow, housework, cooking or walking the dog all burn calories.

Other ideas to beat the bloats of over-eating and inactivity:

• Drink water
• Enter a local 5 or 10K event where you can walk or run
• Have healthy snacks handy and eat them before the party begins
• Wake up early and walk, then do it again right before bedtime

Staying active and trying to maintain a healthier diet means more energy, helps lower stress and burns off those unwanted calories. It also melts away the guilt for a happier holiday.

“Exploring winter since 1949, Warren Miller Entertainment has inspired audiences to keep their snowriding dreams alive. Whether voyaging into unskied territory, braving avalanches, or flying off massive jumps, our films are sure to blow you away!”

Check out the trailer for “Like There’s No Tomorrow”:

Here are some tips to make leaf-raking easier, effective and less strenuous:

• Choose a sturdy, lightweight rake with metal or plastic tines
• Make sure the rake has a comfortable grip handle to reduce blisters and fatigue
• Wear leather or well-padded gloves
• To avoid back fatigue and pulled muscles, walk with the rake rather than standing stationary and avoid twisting when standing still
• Switch hands often, rest frequently and drink plenty of water
• Dress appropriately for the outdoor weather
• Use tarps to collect and dispose of leaves or compost leaves around plants and shrubs
• Mow thin layers of leaves to create a light, protective mulch

For an earth-friendly approach to leaf disposal, rake instead of blowing and avoid burning leaves.

And take CherryFlex!  Click here to find our where to buy.

It’s no mystery why Jill relies on her CherryFlex to help relieve sore muscles* so she can pursue her rigorous race training and participate in area running events year round.

“It was a great race,” beamed Jill who took up the sport just 2 1/2 years ago.  “My recovery was a little better after this race.  I did not sit down, but kept moving which seemed to help.  Yes, I was sore for two days but felt great Wednesday and was ready to run Thursday, but a few days of recovery is advisable after a Marathon.”

Her CherryFlex regimen reflects her mileage: the further she runs,  the more CherryFlex she takes.  On race day and for two days after, Jill took four pouches of CherryFlex daily, then reduced it to three and says she is now back to her normal training regimen of one to two pouches a day.  Because the Tart Cherry Whole Fruit Gel contains only fruit, there are no side effects.

“The times I have run out of CherryFlex or forgotten to take it regularly, I notice a huge difference with soreness, so I am careful to not let that happen.”

Conditions were near perfect for this 42^nd Annual Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. Temperatures were in the 50’s at race time and the rain had all but stopped before the 26.2 mile jaunt that wound through downtown, along the riverbank and on paved, woodsy paths.

Besides the beautiful Fall scenery along the way, many runners commented about how well organized this event is with an impressive expo, plenty of aid stations, great volunteers and chili and beer at the finish. Plus every runner gets a handshake from the race director.

“One of the things that chokes me up still was seeing myTeam Triumph (teams of FAST runners) taking turns pushing people with disabilities in racing strollers. They give that one individual the chance to participate and earn a medal. It’s awesome!”

It’s the second and larger double blind, cross-over study conducted by Winona State University in Minnesota on CherryFlex®, the proprietary Montmorency red tart cherry product made from whole fruit.

College-aged male students participated in the study, with all subjects completing both a placebo and CherryFlex supplementation.  The study participants performed five sets of 10 maximal eccentric contractions of the elbow flexor immediately after ingestion of the tart cherry gel or placebo.  Both the supplement and placebo were also ingested for five days after the strenuous exercise period.

Lead researcher, Dr. Gary Kastello, said the study results demonstrated an acute analgesic effect decreasing muscle tenderness and discomfort perception after subjects ingested the tart cherry supplement.  The current study differed from a similar study completed two years ago.  The most recent study investigated the acute effects of CherryFlex with subjects ingesting supplement immediately before strenuous exercise, whereas the previous study investigated chronic effect with subjects ingesting the supplement for 16 days prior to the strenuous bout of exercise.

“Any athlete in training or everyday individuals subjected to strenuous activity can become sore when muscles swell following strenuous exercise,” said Dr. Kastello of Winona State University’s Department of Health, Exercise & Rehabilitative Sciences.  “The tart cherry supplement decreased muscle tenderness and normal discomfort following exercise.”
Click here to view the scientific abstract.,

This is the second larger study abstract, which was accepted and published by the American College of Sports Medicine using CherryFlex ProSport Shots, supports the company’s mission.

“For over 35 years, we have heard anecdotal support of the tart cherry’s health benefits from our customers,” said CherryFlex developer and former fruit farmer, Bob Underwood.  “This current study validates the whole fruit’s effectiveness and the unique process only our company uses.  As science continues to unlock the secrets to why dark-skinned fruits offer positive health properties, CherryFlex will continue educating consumers on the benefits of daily fruit supplementation.”

CherryFlex helps maintain healthy joints* and helps maintain healthy cardiovascular function.*  Using a proprietary process, USA grown Montmorency whole tart cherries, including the skin and pulp, are the main ingredient in convenient one-serving squeeze pouches and softgel capsules, along with Liquid CherryFlex and CherryFlex Fruit Bars.

“Promoting healthy living continues to be our goal with products that are made from premium whole fruit that’s healthy, tasty, convenient and affordable,” said Underwood, who developed the process, which remains unmatched in the nutraceutical and functional food world and whose company funded the Winona study.  “This, coupled with our philosophy to use nature’s formula without preservatives, fillers, coloring without the use of harsh solvents in our products, is the reason we are the leader in this technology.”