Guest blogger, Vicki L. VanArsdale is a freelance writer, certified personal trainer and nutrition consultant. By adopting a healthy and active lifestyle, she has lost 100 lbs. Her mission is to motivate and inspire people through her actions and words. Get healthy from the inside, out is her motto. Learn more on Vicki’s blog.

Fall brings cooler weather and beautiful fall foliage on the East coast, which is why it’s my favorite season. In addition, I love the food. Hearty and healthy soups and stews come to life and herbal teas bring comfort. Besides apples and squash, some of my favorite fall foods are figs, pumpkin and cranberries. Other fall favorites are beets, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. These are all nutritional superstars, which should be part of any healthy diet. 
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In general, consuming a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables in one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. However, as with most things, some stand out more than others. And in the food world, one of the winter season’s most nutritional and dynamic options is the cranberry.

Not only are cranberries a sweet, tart little berry that brighten the flavor of anything they are added to, they boast a wealth of benefits that everyone should take advantage of.

Cranberry Health and Nutrition Facts

Some of the many benefits this tiny red fruit offers include:

• Heart Health: Cranberries are good for the heart! With all the antioxidants, resveratrol, anti-inflammatories and anti-clotting agents, fat and cholesterol have a hard time sticking to the arteries. This lowers LDL and raises HDL cholesterols.
• Oral Health: Each sip of 100%, no-sugar-added cranberry juice makes your mouth a healthier place, too. The juice has compounds that reduce bacteria that cause decay and rid your mouth of germs.
• Cancer Protection: Again, the antioxidants and resveratrol make this a positive force in your fight to reduce certain cancers.
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The October Featured Guest Blogger of the Month, for October, are two talented ladies from ChewOnThat Blog. They’re two foodies who can’t help but share their knowledge of and love for the edible everyday on their blog. They’ve always got an engaging anecdote as to why this or that recipe warms their heart, and the recipes are always a hit! Tune in every Tuesday in October to hear what Maxine and Hillary are chewing talking about!

Chew on That here again! I hope you’re enjoying your fall full of tasty ingredients. Maybe you’ve even added some new apple recipes to your repertoire! To continue our agenda of fall ingredients, this week we’re going to focus on cranberries.

Though termed a berry, the cranberry is unlike any of its summer berry counterparts. For one thing, it reigns at a different time of year, harvested in late September and early October, and widely consumed throughout the fall and winter months. The other distinction of the cranberry is its flavor. While most other berries can be eaten alone, cranberries are too tart to be eaten out of hand which is why they’re usually boiled into compotes or baked into all sorts of fall desserts.
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