Eat Fruit, Live Life Discover how fruit can help fight joint pain and fight the aging process.

Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life for many Americans. Studies show people are living longer and enjoying more active lifestyles. For this reason, consumers are starting to search for natural ways to stay healthy. It turns out that simple everyday fruit may be the fountain of youth (no matter what age you are).

Studies show that fruit contains many natural health benefits. Due to advances in food technology, we are only just beginning to discover the many health secrets Mother Nature has placed in simple everyday fruit. In fact, in early 2005, the U.S.D.A. revealed the updated version of the food pyramid that suggests five to nine daily servings of fruit and vegetables.

Fruit is a great-tasting, antioxidant-rich food that can help maintain healthy joints, help support brain function and even assist in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. All of these health benefits and more are available in the multiple colors, sizes and shapes of fruit.

Apples to Oranges, grapes to strawberries, each offer unique health benefits that that will lead to an active and healthy lifestyle. Here are a few everyday fruits for healthy living:

Cherries The Supercharged Fruit:

Are cherries truly fruit for a healthy you? Recent studies have revealed that cherries offer an assortment of health benefits including the ability to offer natural relief from joint pain caused from gout, arthritis and joint inflammation. Many are choosing to drink cherry juice concentrate, eat dried cherries or consume tart cherry fruit supplements to enjoy the natural benefits of this tiny red fruit.

Geoff Ficke is a living testimony of the soothing affects of tart cherries on the joint pain in his knees. "After fifteen years playing sports my knees had enough. After a friend recommended Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry, I am now able to play sports again. Within three weeks of taking the cherry supplements I am back on the court, what a difference," says Ficke.

In addition, to Mr. Ficke, consumers across America are reporting more active lifestyles after using Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry (www.fruitadvantage.com).

Blueberries Natures Top Antioxidant Fruit:

Blueberries emerged as the top antioxidant capacity fruit in a laboratory testing procedure called ORAC - Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity developed by the USDA*. ORAC has become the definitive measurement of antioxidant capacity.

Terry Johnson, a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, munchies on dried blueberries for the convenience and taste. I work behind a computer for eight hours a day and I like to snack. I began eating dried blueberries instead of a candy bar from the vending machine. Now I feel good when I snack because I am eating fruit instead of candy.

Strawberries:

Studies have shown that strawberries can help promote a healthy digestive system and may help lower cholesterol. A handful of strawberries can go a long way to a helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The Michigan-based company Traverse Bay Farms (www.traversebayfarms.com) offers free shipping on all three pound orders of dried organic dried blueberries.

In fact, a website called Orchard of Health (www.orchardofhealth.com) encourages increased daily consumption of fruit. Orchard of Health.com provides research information on the health benefits offered by everyday fruit. In addition to the research, the site also offers great-tasting recipes made with antioxidant-rich fruit.