Food labels don’t tell us what foods to eat, but they contain vitally important information in making your decisions of what to buy and consume. 

Basically there are two important parts to reading a food or supplement label; the nutrition or supplement facts and the ingredients.

Nutrition and Supplement Facts -  The nutrition or supplement facts tell us the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, sugars, fiber,  saturated fats, vitamins and minerals that a product contains per serving.  Be sure to note the amount of sugars, saturated and trans fats as these compounds should be limited, according to the USDA.

Ingredients List -  The list of ingredients is key to note when purchasing any type of food or supplement.  It lets you know what a product contains, such as unhealthy chemicals.  If a label contains more than a few unpronounceable compounds, chances are it’s not a nutritious choice.  The Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers to list the ingredients with the largest quantities first and the smallest quantities last.

Read and compare our FruitFast labels with others.  Take, for instance, our juice concentrates, they contain only one ingredient – 100% juice without added water, fillers or preservatives.  And our proprietary line of fruit softgels, like CherryFlex, Wild Blueberry and Pomegranate, contain USA grown pure fruit as their first listed ingredients.

FruitFast recognizes the importance of letting our customers know the nutritional facts and ingredients in all our products.  You’ll find certificates of analysis conducted by outside professional laboratories posted on our website.  Have  questions about our product ingredients?   We invite you to give us a call toll free at 1-877-591-3101.

Conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), survey findings indicated that 89 percent of respondents agree certain foods have benefits beyond basic nutrition.  And this is a significant increase from just two years ago, says the IFIC.

The Health Consumer Trending Survey found Americans making the connection that they are what they eat.  Elizabeth Rahavi, RD and associate director of wellness at IFIC, said “Consumers’ awareness of many food and health relationships has reached an all-time high.”

According to the survey, the top functional foods named by consumers are: 1) fruits and vegetables; 2) fish, fish oil, seafood; 3) dairy (including milk and yogurt); 4) meat and poultry; and 5) herbs/spices, among others. But beyond consumer interest in individual foods, research shows people are increasingly associating nutrients with specific health benefits for:

• bone and heart health
• antioxidants for protection against free radicals
• healthy immune systems
• omega 3 fatty acids for cognitive health 1

But as you might expect, saying and doing are two different things.  Maintaining a healthy diet – that includes plenty of fruits, antioxidants, beneficial oils and phytonutrients – is the key.

We invite you to browse our website and research the natural goodness that can always be found in FruitFast products.

1   www.foodinsight.org/

Regular exercise is part of the answer, says the online health site WebMD, along with diet and good sleep habits.  It doesn’t mean you have to buy a costly gym membership necessarily, but chances are you will only stick to your fitness regime if you enjoy what you are doing.  Whether it’s walking, biking, running, tennis, or just taking the steps instead of the elevator, you have to  make it an ongoing part of your lifestyle.  Exercising with a friend is another suggestion to help with the consistency, too, and keep you moving.

When it comes to diet,  a healthy dose of willpower doesn’t hurt either.  Eat well-balanced meals three times a day, control your portions and no binge eating.  That last one’s tough, too.  Stay away from the junk food, and as my boss says, if a product has a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce, don’t eat it!

FruitFast has some excellent choices when it comes to healthy foods to include in your daily diet.  I’ll be happy to tell you about our Super Fruit juice concentrates in great tasting flavors like tart cherry, pomegranate and wild blueberry, or our line of popular fruit softgels and our low calorie FruitFast bars.  Talk about good for you – these are delicious and make adding more fruit to your diet easy for you and your family.

So give us a call … toll free at 1-877-591-3101 … and we’ll help you on your way to a healthy 2010!

This time of year brings with it personal promises of ways to improve our lives and associations.  And there’s no harm in reminding ourselves that there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Top 10 lists for a brighter year ahead traditionally advocate a variety of lifestyle changes.  Take www.about.com and their advice to fit in fitness, stop smoking and drinking, spend more time with family and friends and simplify life.  AARP.org takes a similar slant at enhancing our existence:  Get out and party, laugh a lot, take naps, dance, get regular exercise, make whoopee and enjoy the great outdoors.

My approach can be summed up in the word “straightforward.”   To me it means forging ahead with dreams and vision, and setting clear-cut goals for this company.  Simplify whenever possible to keep life less complicated.

As FruitFast greets a new year, we’ll continue taking pure USA-grown fruits and developing down-to-earth products for notable health benefits.  We look forward to offering our customers innovative supplements and food products backed by top-flight scientific research.

In 2010, you can bet FruitFast will once again be straightforward in delivering the power of fruit for healthier living.

Happy New Year!

The clock is ticking but there is still plenty of time to enjoy the 50% off pricing on FruitFast’s popular CherryFlex for Dogs softgels through the end of the year.

The antioxidant health benefits of tart cherries make as much sense for dogs as they do for their owners.  Designed to help your dog maintain healthy joint function, CherryFlex for Dogs special formulation is available in 60-count bottles.

Made from whole fruit utilizing our proprietary process, including the skin and pulp, CherryFlex for Dogs Softgels without preservatives, by-products or fillers.

Lola loves CherryFlex

CherryFlex for Dogs Softgels have a great-tasting natural beef flavor.  Just ask Lola (right), a three year-old Dachshund, whose owners tell us that she “comes runnin’ when she hears the bottle shake – it’s treat time!”

FruitFast has another great idea for stocking stuffers and gift-giving  — CherryFlex for Dogs leashes make practical gifts for all dog varieties – large or small.

Call toll free 877-591-3101 and we’ll fill your order promptly and have it shipped fast!

Through the end of the year, you’ll find savings of $2 on every 1 lb bag of Brownwood Dried Montmorency Cherries, unsweetened Balaton Dried Cherries and Wild Blueberries.  Also on special are our Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate covered Dried Cherries – $2 off on 1 lb packages.

Plump, premium Montmorency red tart cherries and flavorful Maine Wild Blueberries are delicious in desserts, salads, appetizers and sauces or can be enjoyed as a snack right from the bag.  They also make wonderful stocking stuffers or much-appreciated hostess gifts.

Looking for a recipe to “Wow” your guests or bring to your next Holiday gathering?  FruitFast’s gourmet cook, Debbie Colaianni, has just the solution with this  delicious appetizer –
Baked Brie with Dried Cherries and Thyme.

Click here to find this impressive looking and tasting Holiday recipe and many others from festive punch to delectable desserts.

Need Holiday giving ideas?  Call our friendly staff toll free at 1-877-591-3101 for courteous service and fast shipping right to your door!

Just in time for the Holidays, we are offering customers a savings of $2.00 per bag on all of our one-pound bags of dried fruit – that’s USA grown Montmorency red tart cherries, balaton cherries and wild blueberries.

If you are looking for tried and true, tasty recipes, you have come to the right place.  Gourmet cook Debbie Colaianni shares her world of culinary delights on the FruitFast Recipe blog.  She welcomes your favorite Thanksgiving dishes, too, at Debbie@fruitfast.com.

Order today by calling toll free 1-877-599-3101.  We’re here to help you!

Science continues to unlock the secrets to why dark-skinned fruits – like tart cherries, wild blueberries and wonderful pomegranates hold so many beneficial properties. In the case of the Winona study, the subjects were not aging seniors, but active, healthy college students.

It’s always reaffirming to have our studies confirmed by notable and independent sources.

In the meantime, check out the many ways you can enjoy and benefit from FruitFast’s dark-skinned fruit supplements, including our juice concentrates, potent liquids and full line of super fruit softgels.

Bob Underwood
FruitFast

How has life on a farm influenced you and your goals in life?
Angela:

Angela operates a fork lift, loading tanks on semi-trucks for cherry juice concentrate and softgels.

Definitely in a positive manner!  I couldn’t be more proud to be the sixth generation on our family farm.  I am grateful for the generations before me because they have shaped my life and love for the land.  I have a huge sense of pride knowing that the fruit we grow reaches many others.  Working together with my family has taught me how vital hard work and determination are.   It is equally important to be good stewards of the land because I hope to continue our family legacy for future generations.

What would you say to other young people (particularly girls) about pursuing their dreams, no matter how lofty?
My advice to everyone would be to live life and don’t hesitate to take chances!  I truly believe that whatever happens; happens for a reason. If you have faith in yourself and what you want out of life, there is no slowing you down. Find something that makes you happy and don’t be afraid to stand up for it. You will meet people along the way that will support you and guide you along a helpful path.  There is something to be gained from every single life experience, and you have to be ready for whatever is thrown your way.

Angela gives her dad a progress report while running the cherry shaker.

What made you decide to compete for the Cherry Queen title?  And what do you hope to gain from this experience?
Growing up in the area, I have seen the many benefits that cherries bring and I knew that I would love nothing more than to help promote them as well as the industry.  As  the sixth generation of our farm, I recognize how important it is to get involved in something you feel passionate about, and I truly have a passion for cherries! This is a huge honor and I am so excited to see what this year will bring.

How will the title help the cherry industry and the future of agriculture in Northwest Michigan and beyond?
My first goal is to promote cherries.  I am eager to utilize this title by representing the Cherry Capital of the World, the tradition of family farms, and the industry as a whole. I hope to reach out and raise awareness about the importance of cherries to this area as well as nationwide. It is such an amazing source of nutrition, it really is a ‘super fruit’ and through marketing and special promotions others will be able to clearly see the benefits of being involved.  I am also honored to be representing the area farmers that are dedicated to educating people.

How does working on a farm impact you?
First of all, working on our farm has been so rewarding.  I have always appreciated the fact that I was born into this valued way of life.  It has taught me that anything is possible through our strong sense of family pride. I have been given so many opportunities to meet truly outstanding individuals in the industry, and I am excited that my experiences on the farm may help me reach out further to educate others.

Queens Angela (far left) and Sonya take an orchard break with their dad, Rick, and Bob Underwood/FruitFast owner and longtime farming friend.

Anything else you would like to comment about as you get into your year-long reign as the National Cherry Queen?
I am really hoping to get out there and do whatever is necessary to help promote the industry. I am eager to in some way, repay all of the wonderful people who have made a difference in my life thus far.

It may surprise some people but the truth is we have been actively planning for this new venture for some time. The idea began 10 years ago when Janet and I retired from farming and closed our retail farm market operation. We seriously searched for a way to capture the health benefits of fruits in a convenient form that would make them available year-round. It took years of trial and error, but the process we have developed is effective and innovative and we are the only company anywhere with this technology.

The concept of fruit being good for animals is not far-fetched. As lifelong fruit growers, our domestic pets and barnyard animals had fruit in their diets, much like their wild counterparts – deer, bear, birds, raccoons – that depend on berries and seeds for sustenance.

My strong desire has always been to improve the quality of life – and not just for people, but for animals as well. Since discovering the way to lock the fruits’ phytonutrients in a softgel, it only made sense to take it a step further and develop a quality product for animals, too.  We call it the “Power of Fruit.”

After all, our CherryFlex customers have been feeding our softgels to their pets for years!   So we took the same human grade fruit, carefully researched, adapted and tested the formula for canines, and added a natural beef flavor coating.

We’re convinced the pet world is going to like CherryFlex for Dogs, too.

And a reminder during August…customers will receive a CherryFlex dog leash FREE with every order of CherryFlex for Dogs!  So order yours soon.