We’ve all heard this line before, right?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
But how many of us actually eat an apple a day?
And if it’s so easy to stay healthy just by eating an apple a day, why are so many people not doing it and not being healthy?
Hmm, some food for thought.
What is it about apples that make them so healthy and so important, especially this time of the year?
For starters, apples are a super portable, very accessible food and are loaded with a laundry list of health benefits.
Apples are a good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C.
A medium apple, approximately 5 ounces, has only 81 calories and a whopping 3.7 grams of fiber from pectin, a soluble fiber.
A medium apple supplies 159 mg of potassium, 3.9 mcg of folic acid, 7.9 mg of vitamin C, and 9.6 mg of calcium.
Additionally, there are trace amounts of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
What does this mean?
The apple is a nutritional powerhouse in a tiny package that can be eaten raw, cooked, whole or cut up.
But beyond these nutritional benefits, there’s more.
- Apple are easy on the digestion- they contain malic and tartaric acids that inhibit fermentation in the intestines.
- Their high fiber content adds bulk that aids the digestive process, making elimination natural and comfortable.
- Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
- Apples contain flavonoids- antioxidants that improve immune function and prevent heart disease and some cancers.
- Green apples act as a liver and gall bladder cleanser and may aid in softening gallstones.
- Because of their high water content, apples are cooling and moistening and aid in reducing fever.
- Steamed apples sweetened with honey are beneficial for a dry cough and may help to remove mucous from the lungs.
- Eating raw apples gives the gums a healthy massage and cleans the teeth.
There is also research coming out that is beginning to recognize that the apple’s abundant pectin is an aid in reducing high cholesterol as well as blood sugar, a wonder food for people with coronary artery disease and diabetes.
This popular fruit is also said to have properties that are a muscle tonic, diuretic, laxative, antidiarrheal, antirheumatic, and stomachic.
What, really, are apples not capable of?
Why are we not eating an apple a day?
Boring you say?
Did you know that there are hundreds of different types of apples?
I’m sure that there’s an apple out there with your name on it.
Don’t believe me? The link below gives you an alphabetical list of the different types of apples. One for each day of the year!
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Your challenge is simple.
Start with just this week- eat at least 1 apple per day.
If you’re more ambitious, start with the next 2 weeks, 3 weeks or, better yet, take the next month.
Aim to eat at least 1 whole apple per day.
Ready, set, go!
