FOOD-AS-MEDICINE NUGGET: Cherries (especially tart cherries) are a superfood to help with inflammation, joint-pain, post-workout soreness, and gout-like symptoms. In a study of twenty women ages 40 to 70 with inflammatory osteoarthritis, researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice twice daily for three weeks led to significant reductions in important inflammation markers – especially for patients who had the highest inflammation levels at the start of the study, It certainly beats the side effects of many pain medications. It can also help with insomnia, help reduce stroke risk due to the anthocyanins — the pigments that give the tart cherries its red color — that may activate something called PPAR in bodily tissues, which in turn regulate fat and glucose levels and thereby reduce risk factors for high cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes. Not a bad gig for such a small fruit!