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 softgel capsules 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 Softgel each morning before breakfast, and was happy with the results.

“I found that the FruitFast softgels 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? FruitFast offers several ways to take advantage of the power of pomegranates. Try our Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, Wonderful Pomegranate Softgels, Wonderful Pomegranate Liquid Supplement, or Wonderful Pomegranate Fruit Supplement Bars.

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 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 cherry juice. 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 our all-natural pure fruit supplements and 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.

View Our Certificate Of Analysis, MixedBerry

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).

View Our Certificate Of Analysis, MixedBerry w/Dark Chocolate

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 CherryFlex Softgels appealed to Jim so he opted to give them a try.

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

Jim has since become an advocate for the health benefits of cherries and has introduced CherryFlex Softgels to a number of friends. ”I tell them how it helps me,” Jim says. ”Ever since I switched to the softgels. 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 softgel 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 Softgels? 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 power of fruit to help speed muscle recovery following exercise. Our tart cherry juice concentrate and CherryFlex products offer easy and effective ways to help your body recover from fitness activities.

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

Blueberries pack a powerful punch of natural antioxidants.

September is blueberry picking time in many parts of the country and, chances are, you have more than one way that you like to enjoy this flavorful fruit. From blueberry pancakes to grandma’s blueberry pie, blueberries are a favorite fruit for a variety of reasons.

Here at FruitFast, we love the blueberry for more than just its natural burst of flavor. Called “Miracle Berries” by Prevention Magazine, “Super Food” by Health Magazine, and “Fruit of the Year” by Eating Well Magazine, these little blue berries are making big news.

“When we talk about the ‘Power of Fruit,’ many people naturally think of cherries due to their abundant phytonutrients,” said Steve De Tar, FruitFast’s president, “But the blueberry is a powerful fruit in its own right.”

Wild blueberries are rich in antioxidants and other naturally-occurring compounds that can help to maintain healthy brain function* and healthy urinary tract function.*

A cup of blueberries has only 80 calories and virtually no fat, so fresh blueberries fit nicely into any diet. But what about the rest of the year when fresh blueberries aren’t in season? FruitFast offers a a full line of all-natural wild blueberry products that are perfect for getting your daily fruit intake.

Our 100% Wild Blueberry Juice Concentrate is flash pasteurized and cold filled, which allows it to retain more antioxidant capacity than shelf-stable concentrates that are exposed to extreme heat. One tablespoon of concentrated pure blueberry juice is equal to the fruit juice from over 1 cup of fresh Blueberries. In fact, it takes over 24 pounds of fresh Blueberries to make one quart of our wild blueberry concentrate!

Our Wild Blueberry Softgels are also made from 100% pure wild blueberries. These delicious blueberry softgels can either be chewed or swallowed and are a convenient way to get your daily dose of blueberries.

And there’s more where those came from… FruitFast offers a number of additional all-natural blueberry products, including Wild BlueberryIQ Fruit Bars and Dried Wild Blueberries.

They may be small, but blueberries offer BIG health benefits to those who incorporate them into their healthy lifestyle. Want to learn more about blueberries and health? Dont hesitate to email us or give us a call at 877.591.3101.

Save 20% on CherryFlex Whole Fruit Gel - plus FREE shipping!

We’ve had a tremendous response to our newest product, CherryFlex Whole Fruit Gel. As a thank you to you, our loyal customers, we’re celebrating the enthusiasm for the next generation of CherryFlex with a special offer!

For a limited time, save 20% on CherryFlex Whole Fruit Gel – plus receive free shipping!

Just enter coupon code GEL20 at checkout to receive 20% off and free shipping!

“The response to CherryFlex Whole Fruit Gel has been exceptional,” said FruitFast President, Steve De Tar. “We’ve already had many of our long-time tart cherry juice concentrate and CherryFlex Softgel customers call or write to tell us how much they love it.”

This delicious and nutritious cherry product is made using our exclusive proprietary process, which preserves the benefits of whole fruit, protecting the naturally-occuring phytonutrients found in cherries that typically are destroyed when high-temperature processing is used.

Click here to shop online – but hurry! The special sale ends Saturday, September 3, 2011 at midnight EDT.

Like free shipping? We always offer free shipping on our CherryFlex Softgels.