CherryFlex Softgels, made with Montmorency tart cherries, can help maintain healthy joints.

Richard Cauldwell of Fortville, Indiana is a busy man. Between working in the broadcasting industry, having just completed his 44th year, and maintaining his 40-acre property in the central part of the Hoosier state, Richard leads an active lifestyle – and prefers to keep it that way.

“It’s almost like having two full-time jobs,” Richard said in a recent conversation with FruitFast, “I have 40 acres with a creek and woods. There’s a lot of moving, tree trimming and other upkeep to stay on top of.”

Though it’s a lot of work, Richard feels that staying active means staying happy and healthy.

“I just enjoy being outside on the property. When you can get outside and work and exercise, it just makes life better.”

When Richard began experiencing discomfort in his joints several years ago, it began to affect his mobility and his ability to perform some basic tasks.

“I was in my late 50s. My wrists were soft and tender and I had a tough time doing certain things with my hands.”

He decided to do some research online to see if he could locate an all-natural product to help manage his discomfort.

“It’s much better to take something natural rather than something man-made,” Richard said. “I’ve always been a big believer in natural things. I’d known for a long time that cherries are good for your joints. Some of my friends had used them.”

Richard’s research told him that there are many misconceptions about joint health.

“I was under the misimpression that certain types of joint pain happened strictly in the feet, but it can show up in fingers, knees and other joints. I’d had trouble with all of these. Sometimes it got so bad I’d have to walk with two canes.”

It was during this initial research that Richard discovered the health benefits of cherries, finding that, while eating healthy is always good, a natural fruit supplement can help maximize the naturally-occurring antioxidants and anthocyanins found in cherries and other “super fruits.”

“You can’t do it just by diet,” Richard said. “My research online told me that I needed to supplement my diet with cherries, ideally tart cherry juice or other health supplement like cherry pills or softgels.”

Richard decided to give CherryFlex Softgels a try. All-natural CherryFlex Softgels are 100% fruit, made with FruitFast’s proprietary process that includes the skin and pulp of the cherry, retaining all of the natural phytonutrients found in Montmorency tart cherries.

“Cherries are very high in antioxidants. Anything natural – softgel capsules, cherry juice concentrates – they’re good for your heart, too, and it’s sure not going to hurt to take something natural. When I started, I followed directions and was taking 2 capsules per day. If I experienced more pain than usual I increased the dosage to 4 per day.”

After using CherryFlex Softgels for nearly 5 years, Richard says the health benefits of cherries have helped him to make daily tasks more manageable – both at work and at home.

“ I wish I would have known about this when I was in my 20s. I was an accomplished pianist and had trouble with the joints in my fingers which forced me to stop playing the piano. It even made computer work hard. The CherryFlex capsules have increased finger dexterity enough to at least type on the computer keyboard.”

Richard has made the power of cherries – and CherryFlex Softgels – part of his daily routine, which he believes has helped him to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle.

“I’m a big believer in CherryFlex so I’ve stayed with it. Which would you rather do? Sit around, or take on your normal actvity? CherryFlex helps you manage the pain and gives you much more ability to do the things you want to do.”

Bottles of FruitFast Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate are prepared for shipping via USPS regional box.

We do a lot of shipping here at FruitFast. We ship orders of our tart cherry juice concentrate, CherryFlex Softgel cherry pills, and other natural fruit supplements all over the U.S. and to a number of countries around the globe.

We were thrilled recently when the United States Postal Service approached us about featuring Brownwood Acres and our all-natural FruitFast products in a video segment and brochure to promote their regional box shipping services.

“We were approached by Campbell Ewald, the agency that handles the advertising for the U.S. Postal Service, to see if we would be interested in being a part of a promotional campaign for the USPS,” said FruitFast President, Steve de Tar. “We were one of a number of companies to be considered during a selection process that lasted about six weeks, and we’re thrilled to be one of three companies selected.”

Steve and National Sales Director, Mary Waller, were part of a two-day still photography and video shoot at FruitFast headquarters in January.

“The production company was here for two days,” de Tar said. “They brought in makeup artists and a still photographer from New York City the first day. The second day a video crew from Michigan was onsite to record interviews and other video. They got probably an hour of video to get the footage you see in the finished version.”

So, you ask, how did FruitFast get the attention of the United States Postal Service? According to Steve de Tar, it’s likely a function of volume, which he says has helped them to keep shipping costs down.

“We ship between 700 and 1000 boxes every week,” de Tar said. “The regional rate box has allowed us to offer a lower rate for shipping, and we like to save money for our customers. The amount of shipping we do also keeps our local post office quite busy with the high volume of USPS regional rate boxes coming out of our headquarters.”

A print brochure for the USPS campaign will go out to 2.5 million households around the country, which will introduce FruitFast and the Power of Fruit” – like the health benefits of cherries – to plenty of new customers.

“The campaign should give us some great exposure for FruitFast, no question,” said de Tar. “It was a fun experience and we’re definitely excited. Most importantly, we’ll be able to help a new group of people to lead a healthy lifestyle with our natural fruit supplements.”

Click play below to view the video segment featuring Brownwood Acres and FruitFast.

FruitFast Pomegranate Softgels

Pharmacist, Cal Patel, RPH, is a long-time believer in the power of pomegranates. In Cal’s native India, pomegranate seeds mixed with yogurt and spiced with nutmeg are a very popular dish. In fact, this combination is eaten by many for more than just its delicious taste.

“People in India often take advantage of the health benefits of pomegranates – specifically for help with digestive irregularity,” said Patel. “As people get older, their digestive process slows down, and many people use pomegranates to help maintain a healthy digestive system.”

While in India, Patel worked for a pharmaceutical company as a production manager, overseeing the production of capsules and tablets.

“It was interesting to learn about the effectiveness of gel-based capsules,” Patel said. “The solubility of gel caps is faster than tablets that use a powder base, so the benefits are delivered to the body faster.”

Patel relocated to Florida 12 years ago, eventually acquiring an Apothecary Shop in Lake Wales, near Orlando. As a practicing pharmacist, Patel suggested pomegranates to customers looking for a natural way to maintain digestive health based on his experience with the fruit in India.

As more customers became interested, Patel decided to look for a natural product that offered his customers access to the health benefits of pomegranates all year long. With his knowledge of gel-based capsules, Patel wondered if pomegranate pills could be found online. He did a quick Web search for “pomegranate fruit gel caps,” which led him to FruitFast.

“Pomegranates are seasonal and are not available year round,” said Patel. “When I found FruitFast Pomegranate Softgels online, I ordered two bottles to give them a try.”

Patel began taking one FruitFast Pomegranate capsule each morning before breakfast, and was happy with the results.

“I found that the FruitFast softgel tablets worked very well, so I began recommending them to my customers,” Patel said. “I now have a number of customers who use them regularly. In fact, I still take one every day myself during the winter months.”

Want to experience the health benefits of pomegranates for yourself? From Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Concentrate to our Pomegranate Softgels, Liquid Supplement, and Fruit Bars, FruitFast offers several ways to take advantage of the power of pomegranates.

Are you already enjoying pomegranates as a part of your healthy lifestyle? Tell us how in the comments!

Skating on a frozen mountain lake is one of the many outdoor activities that Carol Dussault enjoys with her family.

The scenic mountain town of Gunnison, Colorado is an outdoor recreation paradise. For Gunnison resident, Carol Dussault, getting outside to take advantage of the area’s bounty of recreational opportunities is part of her daily lifestyle.

“Gunnison is an active community, that’s why we live here,” Carol says. “We’re active and we get out and enjoy the beautiful setting as much as possible.”

Whether it’s hiking, biking or tennis during the warm months, or ice skating, nordic skiing or downhill skiing during the winter, Carol’s family has literally been raised in the outdoors.

“I raised all six of my kids here. They’re all downhill and nordic skiers.”

Carol uses FruitFast tart cherry juice concentrate to help her maintain healthy joints – and, she says, to help her stay active. “I want to keep my body active and agile so I drink my cherry juice,” she says, adding with a chuckle, “I’ve got these kids and they push me along a little bit.”

Carol isn’t the only one in her family who has discovered the health benefits of cherries. Her brother, Charles, is also a FruitFast customer and prefers CherryFlex Cherry Pill Softgels.

“We’re in our 60s and got started with tart cherries to help with our joint health. Charles is one of your biggest salesmen. He tells everyone about your CherryFlex Softgel cherry capsules.”

Carol adds two tablespoons of FruitFast tart cherry juice concentrate to a glass of water every afternoon. So, has it made a difference?

“I feel great. My joints are real happy so I’m happy with the all-natural cherry concentrate. I’m definitely going to keep taking it.”

Has tart cherry juice, CherryFlex Softgels, or another fruit supplement from FruitFast helped you? We’d love to hear about it! Let us know in the comments or share your story with us on our Facebook page or by email at info@brownwoodacres.com.

Happy Holidays from all of us at FruitFast.

We are fortunate to live in a place that is not only ideal for growing fruits like Montmorency tart cherries, but is also blessed with great people, beautiful scenery and vibrant communities. With the holiday season upon us, we thought we would share a little bit of northern Michigan with all of you.

Our 10 Holiday Activities – in no particular order – are below. If you live nearby, we hope you’ll enjoy these suggestions with friends and family. If you’re across the country (or even further), give us your impressions of our northern home in the comments. Happy Holidays!

The Christmas tree in downtown Traverse City.

10. Christmas Eve “Light-Seeing” Tour
From our headquarters here in Eastport, Michigan to downtown Traverse City, there are plenty of beautiful displays of Christmas spirit adorning the homes and businesses along the way. If you’re visiting northwest Michigan this holiday season, join us in a favorite tradition: Christmas Eve “light-seeing.”

Gather everyone in your family/group together and hop in the car – or two vehicles if necessary. Put some Christmas music on the stereo and drive slowly through the neighborhood admiring the Christmas lights. If you know of a house that does a little extra (or a LOT extra), which can be found in most communities, pull over and allow for a little extra viewing time. If you’re close to downtown Traverse City, don’t miss the traditional Christmas tree at the intersection of Front and Cass streets.

9. Cross-country skiing on the VASA Trail
Home to the internationally-known North American VASA cross-country ski race each winter, the VASA Trail winds its way through the hills and valleys east of Traverse City, offering cross-country skiers over 20 miles of groomed trail and beautiful scenery.

8. Movies at the Historic State Theater
If you grew up in northwest Michigan, there’s a good chance you went to the State Theater in downtown Traverse City to see a movie or two during your Christmas break from school. Re-live fond memories and create new ones at this completely renovated, classic movie house. Christmas Eve screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas are sure to inspire the Christmas spirit in even the biggest Scrooge. Read the holiday schedule at the State.

7. Shopping in Local Shops & Boutiques
Whether you’re picking up a few last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve or browsing the windows with a peppermint mocha, northwest Michigan’s downtowns are perfect for holiday shopping. Quaint waterfront villages like Leland and Suttons Bay are popular stops, as is Traverse City’s vibrant downtown, which offers special evenings for Men’s Night and Women’s Night during the holiday shopping season.

6. Sledding Down Your Favorite Sledding Hill
Connect directly with childhood holiday memories by grabbing a sled and heading to the nearest sledding hill. If you still have your Flexible Flyer in the rafters of the garage, pull it down and show the kids what sledding was like in the time of A Christmas Story.

5. Toast the Season with Local Beer
It’s no coincidence that Michigan has developed a reputation as the “Great Beer State,” and the Grand Traverse region is a big contributor. Enjoy hand-crafted brews at brew pubs and restaurants throughout the area, including Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire and Jolly Pumpkin on Old Mission Peninsula. Downtown Traverse City offers three options: Right Brain Brewery, Mackinaw Brewing Company, and North Peak Brewing Company.

4. Snowshoeing at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Snowshoeing at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Snowshoeing is high on our list of winter activities for a number of reasons. It’s an opportunity to burn some calories, it’s relatively easy and requires no instruction (outside of putting on the snowshoes), and most importantly… it’s fun!

The 70,000-acre Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers virtually limitless opportunities to explore the outdoors during the winter, many of which offer stunning views from bluffs high above Lake Michigan. Join a ranger-guided snowshoe hike, held on Saturdays during the winter beginning January 7, 2012, and enjoy the natural setting.

3. Wine Tasting on the Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas
Michigan tart cherries aren’t the only fruit that thrives on the rolling hillsides of northern Michigan. Wine grapes have become a significant part of the agriculture in the area, and now support a thriving wine region with over 30 wineries between the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. Wind through country lanes and historic farms between tasting rooms at Leelanau Peninsula Wineries, or explore the narrow finger of land between East and West Grand Traverse Bays as you visit the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula.

2. Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding
Northwest Michigan is home to some of the best skiing & snowboarding in the Midwest, averaging over 150″ of lake-effect snow per year in many areas. Get the kids bundled up and hit the slopes at Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa, west of Traverse City, Holiday Hills in Traverse City, or Shanty Creek Resort, near Bellaire. Further up the road are Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands or Nubs Nob near Petoskey and Harbor Springs.

Ring in the New Year in downtown Traverse City. Happy 2012!

1. New Year’s Eve in Downtown Traverse City
In 2009, Traverse City “dropped” a new holiday tradition on northwest Michigan: The Cherry-T Ball Drop. Drawing inspiration from its larger cousin in Times Square, this now-annual event attracts thousands to downtown Traverse City to watch as a giant electric cherry is “dropped” to celebrate the beginning of a new year. Come early and start the celebration at one (or more) of TC’s bounty of restaurants, bars and breweries. Happy New Year!

Beyond the Holidays
Northwest Michigan is a popular travel destination all winter long – and with good reason! Aside from numerous winter sports opportunities and lively communities, our part of the world is home to some great winter events. Here are just a few:

Winter Trails Day – January 7, 2012
Learn to cross-country ski or snowshoe for free at several participating resorts and trail systems.

Women’s Winter Tour – February 5, 2012
Billed as the ultimate “Celebration of Wine, Women and Chocolate,” this popular annual event for women focuses on outdoor winter sports, and of course, fun!

Winter Microbrew & Music Festival – February 11, 2012
Craft brews and live music at historic Grand Traverse Commons.

Winter Wow Fest – February 17-20, 2012
An annual celebration of winter over President’s Day Weekend.

Wherever you are celebrating this year, all of us at FruitFast hope you enjoy the holiday season with friends and family, and wish you happy, healthy New Year!

Happy Holidays from all of us at FruitFast.

Dear Friends,

Your support this past year has not gone unnoticed! YOU are the reason we continue to grow and prosper and YOU will continue to be the main focus of our efforts.

I spend time each day listening to Ken, Mary, Jodi, Quinton and Paulette taking phone orders for everything from our CherryFlex cherry pills to our popular Wild BlueberryIQ blueberry bars, conversing with customers like you. The staff prides itself on answering questions, offering suggestions and sharing experiences with old-fashioned kindness and personal attention. When you call here, we want you to know that you are talking to a friend that has a personal interest in your well-being.

It humbles me to receive your emails lauding our efforts. Without your continued support and complete satisfaction, we would be just another fruit supplement company in the crowded Internet space.

One area that we are focused on improving is our website shopping cart. We have heard your concerns and  are working to create a much-improved online shopping experience. The result of these efforts will be a newly designed website and shopping cart, which will be launched in the next few weeks. Designing and building the new site has been a challenging 7-month process, and one that I will be delighted to see completed. Let’s just say it is my Christmas present to me! I will be sure to let you know when we launch the new website and I am anxious to hear from you once you have had a chance to navigate the site and shopping cart.

I am thankful for each and every one of you and hope that this joyful season finds you optimistic that we can move toward a nation and world that offers peace, prosperity, personal responsibility, innovation and motivation for future generations!

God Bless, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

Steve de Tar

Save 10% On Your Order, Use Coupon Code: SAVE10

Enter SAVE10 into the coupon code box on the first page of the shopping cart checkout. This offer applies to all products and there is no minimum purchase required.

Reminder: Free Shipping On All Fruit Softgel Capsules!

Offer expires Sunday, December 11th at Midnight EDT

One-pound bags of FruitFast premium dried fruit are on sale through Sunday.

Looking for an easy way to add the Power of Fruit to your daily diet? Perhaps you’re helping your family take advantage of the numerous health benefits of these wonderful fruits. It’s easy to do both with premium dried fruit from FruitFast!

Add dried montmorency tart cherries to your salad with lunch or dinner. Mix a handful of dried wild blueberries or dried cranberries into your yogurt or oatmeal with breakfast. There are some many ways to enjoy these delicious, all-natural dried fruits. Find plenty more on the FruitFast Blog.

Now through Sunday, save 25% on one-pound bags of premium dried fruit!

Stock up for the coming holiday season, purchase gifts for family and friends, or replenish you personal supply with our lowest prices ever on premium dried fruit!

• Sweetened Montmorency Tart Cherries
Regular Price $9.00, Sale Price $6.75
• Unsweetened Montmorency Tart Cherries
Regular Price $16.00, Sale Price $12.00
• Wild Blueberries – Sweetened
Regular Price $14, Sale Price $10.50
• Cranberries – Sweetened
Regular Price $5.00, Sale Price $3.75

Tart cherries covered in dark chocolate make an excellent holiday gift.

Know someone who deserves a great gift or special thank you? Treat them to a one-pound bag of our chocolate-covered dried cherries! Choose from Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries or Milk Chocolate Covered Cherries. Both make excellent holiday gifts!

• Dark Chocolate Tart Cherries
Regular Price $9.00, Sale Price $6.75
• Milk Chocolate Tart Cherries
Regular Price $9.00, Sale Price $6.75

These are the lowest prices ever offered on our 1 lb. bags of dried fruit. Take advantage of this special pricing and fill your shopping list for:
• Holiday Hostess Gifts
• Thank-You’s
• Stocking Stuffers
• Cookies, Muffins, Desserts and Entrees
• Personal Indulgence – Don’t you deserve a treat?

Click here to shop online or call one of our customer service specialists at 877-591-3101 to order by phone.

FruitFast all-natural fruit supplement bars are a delicious, healthy snack any time of day.

A healthy lifestyle is all about choices – especially when it comes to eating. FruitFast All-Natural Fruit Supplement Bars make the healthy choice easy!

These delicious and nutritious fruit bars are perfect for a light snack prior to your workout or for a healthy after-school treat for the kids.

With the holidays approaching, we’ve found ourselves with a large stock of our Mixed Berry and Dark Chocolate Mixed Berry Bars, and for a limited time we’re offering special pricing just in time for healthy holiday shopping!

MixedBerry Fruit Supplement Bars are packed with premium-grade raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and other natural ingredients for a nutritious between meals treat.

MixedBerry Bar Ingredients: Apple Puree, Red Raspberry and Strawberry Concentrates, Red Raspberries, Black Raspberries, Blueberries and Strawberries, including skin and pulp.

Chocolate lovers will revel in the robust taste of the MixedBerry Fruit Supplement Bar with Dark Chocolate. The same premium fruits found in our Mixed Berry Fruit Bar are combined with 8g of delicious dark chocolate. Each bar provides 2 servings of fruit and only 280 calories!

MixedBerry Bar with Dark Chocolate Ingredients: Apple Puree, Red Raspberry and Strawberry Concentrates, Red Raspberries, Black Raspberries, Blueberries and Strawberries, including skin and pulp, Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla).

Purchase a case of 16 Mixed Berry or Mixed Berry with Dark Chocolate Fruit Bars and save 50%! That’s only 87 cents each! No coupon code is necessary. Pricing is already in place in the shopping cart. Can’t decide? Try a box of 8 regular and 8 Dark Chocolate!

Click here to shop online or contact one of our customer service specialists at 877-591-3101.

CherryFlex Softgels provide easy access to the power of cherries.

A local barbershop can be a source of all kinds of information. From neighborhood gossip to the best fishing spots, you never know what you’ll learn while you’re in the barber’s chair. Jim Kroetsch knows this all too well after a haircut about 15 years ago had a significant impact on his life.

While visiting his barber in his hometown of Port Huron, Michigan the two got to talking about the recurring aches that Jim felt in his joints and bones. The barber pointed to a small poster on his wall and asked Jim if he’d tried tart cherry juice.

“A friend of mine who happens to be a barber had a poster that said, ‘Cherries, Miracle Fruit.’ He asked me why I wasn’t taking cherries.”

“Cherries?” Jim asked at the time, puzzled as to what the fruit known to many for its delicious flavor and bright red color might have to do with joints.

Taking his barber’s advice, Jim decided to give tart cherry juice a try. “I started with tart cherry juice,” Jim recalls. Drinking a serving of tart cherry juice concentrate (mixed with a few ounces of water) each morning and evening, Jim had good results and developed a routine. “The FruitFast tart cherry juice really helped so I stuck with it.”

Jim continued with his daily intake of tart cherry juice for several years, until a phone call to FruitFast led to a new discovery. While preparing for his annual trip south for the winter months, Jim called FruitFast to order his winter supply of tart cherry juice.

“I called to order two cases of cherry juice one fall before we headed south for the winter and the operator suggested CherryFlex softgels.” The convenience of a Cherry Pill appealed to Jim so he opted to give them a try.

“I ordered a case of tart cherry juice and a case of softgels. I started taking the softgel cherry pills and have been taking them ever since.”

Jim has since become an advocate for the health benefits of cherries and has introduced CherryFlex Softgel tablets to a number of friends. ”I tell them how it helps me,” Jim says. ”Ever since I switched to CherryFlex tart cherry capsules. I wouldn’t be without them.”

So what suggestions does Jim have for others who are interested in trying CherryFlex Softgels? “You have to make sure to give them time to work. You can’t just take one cherry pill and expect to see results overnight. Give the nutrients in the cherries a couple of weeks to work and, trust me, they’ll make a difference.”

Want to learn more about CherryFlex softgel cherry pills? Read “CherryFlex Softgels: Delivering the Power of Cherries” on the FruitFast Blog, visit the CherryFlex Softgels page on our website, or give one of our customer service specialists a call at 877-591-3101.

Fall is a great time of year to exercise outdoors.

As we transition into fall and adjust to cooler temperatures and shorter days, our natural response is to stay closer to home. Schedules change as school starts and work gets busier. Free time is often dedicated to catching up on projects that got overlooked during the summer months.

As a result, it’s common for many of us to get outside for exercise and recreation far less than we would in the spring and summer. Ironically, the fall, with its pleasant weather and smaller crowds, is a great time for outdoor fitness activities.

Here are five simple tips for staying active this fall, whether you have an established workout routine or you’re just looking to add more exercise into your healthy lifestyle.

1. Take a walk.
One of the easiest things you can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to walk regularly. It’s easy, free, and accessible to virtually anyone. Walk around the block in your neighborhood or find a local park with a walking path.

2. Hit the trail.
Want to burn even more calories? Instead of an afternoon on the couch watching football, take the family on a scenic hike to view the fall colors. Not only will you burn calories and get cardiovascular exercise, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful scenery and quality time together.

3. Ride a bike.
With the summer heat behind us, an extended ride can be very pleasant during the fall months. Many communities have rails-to-trails bike paths that are perfect for peddling. For more advanced exercise, take a mountain bike to your local trail system and explore the outdoors on two wheels. Want to make even more difference? Ride your bike to work when the weather allows.

4. Turn everyday chores into exercise.
Those leaves in the yard aren’t going to rake themselves, but instead of paying a lawn maintenance company or the neighbor kid to do it, grab a rake and burn some calories. According to Livestrong.com, a 150-lb. person can burn about 150 calories while raking leaves for 30 minutes.

5. Bring a friend.
Exercise is much more fun when you have someone to share it with. Plus, when you have a partner – or even a group – to walk, ride or run with, it much easier to establish a regular routine.

Now that you’re inspired to get outside this fall, take advantage of the health benefits of cherries to help speed muscle recovery following exercise.

Do you have a favorite fall fitness tip? Please share it with us in the comments!