Do you like cranberries? Cranberries are one of those foods that you either like or don’t like. The tart little fruits that are normally found in your Thanksgiving table in the form of sauce (jelly) or a homemade cranberry dressing.
Cranberries are available year round. You can also enjoy them year round too. I always keep cranberry sauce in my pantry. It’s great with chicken, turkey and pork.
I made my own cranberry sauce and it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!! You can find the recipe here – Brandied Cranberry Sauce. I made it with brandy (the alcohol burns off when you cook it) but you could certainly omit that ingredient.
Here is the final product. Mmm… I need to make it again.
I enjoy drinking cranberry juice too. I love the taste.
I look for cranberry juice that is mostly juice (not loaded down with sugars and artificial stuff). I find the drink very refreshing and it tastes great too.
Cranberries are very good for you. They have a lot of health benefits.
According to WebMD…
Cranberries have vitamin C and fiber, and are only 45 calories per cup. In disease-fighting antioxidants, cranberries outrank nearly every fruit and vegetable–including strawberries, spinach, broccoli, red grapes, apples, raspberries, and cherries.
Cranberries have been shown to help with Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and some evidence suggests that cranberries can help prevent gum disease, cardiovascular disease and aid in the prevention of certain cancers.
Cranberries contain something called Proanthocyanidins – unique, powerful elements found deep inside cranberries, to help cleanse and purify your body.
Ocean Spray is a brand I always associate with cranberries. They make cranberry sauce, cranberry juice and even packages of whole cranberries. Now they have a new product to add to their product line – PACt™ Cranberry Extract Water.
PACt™ is a new cranberry extract water from Ocean Spray that contains PACs, or Proanthocyanidins – unique, powerful elements found deep inside cranberries, to help cleanse and purify your body better than water alone. Not only that, PACt™ also helps you to hydrate your body.
Unlike most extracts which remove and utilize the flavoring component alone (i.e. vanilla extracts), the cranberry experts at Ocean Spray found a way to extract and preserve the unique health-promoting elements inside the cranberry called PACs (proanthocyanidins). PACt™ extract offers more than flavor, it offers the unique cleanse and purifying health benefits of the cranberry.
Since I love cranberries I was happy to review some samples that Ocean Spray sent me.
Currently PACt™ is available in four varieties – Cranberry Pomegranate, Cranberry Raspberry, Cranberry Blood Orange and Cranberry Mango-Passion Fruit.
The one thing I noticed is that PACt™ doesn’t have the bitter taste normally associated with cranberries. The water does taste like cranberries – just minus the tartness.
I’m on the fence as to how PACt™ tastes to me. It’s light, like flavored water, but also sweet and fruity like a juice. I’m leaning more towards a flavored water.
The bottles are a generous size at 16 ounces. I’m especially impressed that they are only 10 calories for the whole bottle. They contain only 2 grams of sugar too.
I enjoyed all of the flavors, although the Mango flavored was my least favorite (I’m not a fan of Mango).
PACt™ cranberry extract water contains 7 natural ingredients that you can see in the nutrition facts posted above.
· Purified water
· 80 mgs of PACs
· Natural sweeteners (Stevia, monk fruit extract, agave nectar)
· Natural fruit flavors
· Sea Salt
Recently PACt™ was unvieled in New York City. The event was hosted by entertainment host Maria Menounos. I was invited to the event but was unable to make it. It looks like a fun event.
Maria also shared some tips on staying healthy.
Maria’s Small Steps to an Even Better Life
Small Step #1: Walk this way! Parking the farthest away from your destination sneaks extra steps into your day.
Small Step #2: Extreme workouts out of the gate might discourage you. Take small steps you know you can achieve
when starting out!Small Step #3: Life is a marathon, not a sprint! Slow and steady changes in diet and fitness are the smartest way
to achieve your goals.Small Step #4: Portion Control: Instead of eating an entire egg and cheese bagel, take a quarter of the top half of
the bagel off. You still get the sandwich and taste but fewer calories. When that’s easy, try taking the top half off!Small Step #5: Freeze your fruit! It takes longer to eat and feels more like a treat.
Small Step #6: Hydrate in a Healthy Way! Experts suggest 8-10 glasses a day to keep your body hydrated and
in good health. Make your hydration work even harder with PACt™ cranberry extract water, which cleanses and
purifies the body better than water alone.Small Step #7: Team up. Working out with friends is a great way to catch up, and it helps keep you motivated.
Teaming up works: You don’t want to let your partner down by not showing up for your run, training session or
Saturday hike.Small Step #8: Do what you can, when you can. Whether it’s a 10-minute stretch session, a walk around the block,
or some pushups at your desk, if your busy schedule prevents you from having a set workout plan, then just do what
you can when you can.Small Step #9: Take 15 minutes to relax and focus on the sensation of breathing—clear your mind of everything but
the present. You may end up finding a better solution to a problem or you may just finish the day less stressed.Small Step #10: If you have a pantry full of chips, you’re going to eat those chips. If they’re not there, you won’t eat
them. Try to keep your fridge, cabinets and desk drawers stocked with snacks that are healthy and nutritious.
These are some great tips.
PACt™ is currently available at select grocery stores, mass merchants (California & Nevada) and online. The product will roll out nationwide in 2015, so keep an eye out for it.
For more information about Ocean Spray products, recipes and more visit OceanSpray.com. You can also find the brand on social media.
Are you a fan of cranberries? What is your favorite way to enjoy this amazing little fruit?
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced n any way.