Body + Soul- Cherries...

When I outlined this post, I planned on talking about a craft I'd recently done. However, when I finally found the time to sit down and look through June's issue of Body + Soul, I knew that had to change!

First off, I hate to sound like a broken record, but- if you don't read this magazine- you should! This issue is, by far, my favorite. It has a fabulous article on migraines. It has a priceless guide to skin care for the summer months. Those are two of the three things I loved the most- though this issue is laden with jewels and something fantastic on almost every page!

The one thing though, which I knew I had to touch on, was the Power Food article on page 43: Cherries. For those of you who aren't aware of the natural abilities of cherries, I want to take a few moments to share what I know about them, and then a small reason as to how I know...

I developed arthritis in my hip and right knee when I was in high school. It stemmed from an injury and during specific colder periods, would really wreak havoc on my body. As I aged and found semi- holistic ways to help (which seemed to work for a time, but never consistently) I watched my grandmother suffer from debilitating arthritis. I watched as her fingers bound up in knots and as she lost her independence because her arthritic body no longer worked with her. This was when, in my research, I first learned about the power of cherries.
I began drinking atrociously bitter cherry juice and begging my grandmother to do the same. She refused, and eventually I gave up. The expense, along with the taste, wore on me...

Time passed, and in August of 2006 my grandmother passed away. On April 30th of 2007 I injured my left shoulder and neck so severely that I had little to no movement with either. In tremendous pain and on extremely potent medications, I endured painful therapy which never helped. Six weeks into the injury, which had only worsened, I was ready to give up. My left arm had turned grey and shriveled up 8 inches. My fingers were unusable. I was completely unable to use it. Sleep was a rarity as, I couldn't lay on my back or my side. I was miserable.

Being a lover of fruit, my husband came home from a business trip one day with a huge bag of cherries. He'd passed a stand with a great price so he'd bought 6 pounds. He wanted to cheer me up. I ate it up. Literally. With the cherries sitting, washed, in a bowl- I ate them. Nothing else, just cherries. All day, everyday. They were so sweet, and truly the bright spot in my gloomy and pain filled days...
But, as the cherries wore on, my arm began to relax. And turn pink. Feeling was returning, (other than pain) and tears of joy came when I realized I could move my fingers. When the cherries were gone, we went straight to the farmer's market for more. For two months I ate only cherries. When I would cook a meal, I would somehow incorporate cherries in to it. I began to drive my family insane with this cherry obsession- but i didn't care. Today I have 95% use of the arm/hand, along with mostly sleep filled nights. It still hurts, at times far worse than others, but nothing like it was this time last year.

Check out the article and the issue, and pick up some cherries... They are expensive, but they are also incredibly worth every penny!