chubby cherries
Cherries have to be my number one fave fruit, and also the fruit I've loved the longest. They tick every box as far as I'm concerned- portable, sweet, juicy, fun (who doesn't love the ol' cherry earrings gag?) and just plain lovely to look at. Cherry blossom is also pretty bloody cool 🌸
Cherries are amazingly high in antioxidants which attack free radical molecules, helping to prevent stroke, heart disease, cancers and just plain old aging (the melatonin in cherries helps with this too, as well as regulating sleep patterns). They're also high in Vitamins C and A, iron, beta-carotene (think liver and eyes) and potassium.
What's the Ayurvedic take on cherries though? Obviously, the first thing would be to strongly suggest only eating then in season (late Spring to Summer here in the UK). Secondly, understanding that their taste (guna) is sweet and sour leads us to see that whilst they are beneficial for Vata and Kapha types, Pitta types may want to stay away.
With a high fibre content, cherries are great for intestinal dryness as they are a gentle laxative, helping to create easy but bulky stools. This is something those with a Vata imbalance may be interested in as they often suffer from constipation.
Cleansing the liver and lymphatic drainage are both things that cherries can aid with- interesting for Kapha types who famously have slower moving internal systems.
Pitta types should stay away- particularly on hot days- as cherries have an overall warming effect, and some people are already too hot to handle- both physically and emotionally. You know who you are!
Kapha and Vata types who are feeling frustrated though, may feel a sense of calm whilst eating a bowl of cherries- always remembering of course to only eat them with other fruit (i.e. not with yoghurt, ice cream, in pies etc. etc. The golden rule in Ayurveda with fruit is EAT IT ALONE OR LEAVE IT ALONE!).
Living in the UK, my only big issue with cherries are the fact that they are so expensive, and because we all love them, they go so quickly. However, there’s nothing lovlier than seeing your babies’ faces covered in sticky cherry juice, and their faces as they bite into the sweet, plump flesh. The best cherries are the chubby ones, as are the best cheeks