“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
– Proverbial
Photo by Michał Grosicki on Unsplash
The other day while I was at my health club, I noticed one of the personal trainers eating an apple. Perhaps because I have quotes on my mind all the time, I found myself saying this familiar phrase.
When I got to my office that day—after eating my daily apple—I decided to do a bit of research on this and found that apples:
- Contain about five grams of soluble fiber, shown to reduce intestinal disorders such as diverticulitis and possibly some forms of cancer.
- Contain pectin which can help to reduce cholesterol levels by lowering insulin secretions.
- Can lower the risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma, if eaten regularly.
- Are low in calories and packed with vitamins A, C, flavonoids, and as many as 12,000 other phytonutrients to support good health.
- Apple cider vinegar has been shown to prevent the formation of kidney stones.
Exercise:
Consider going to your local market or specialty grocer, and go on an apple safari. Select at least five and perhaps up to a dozen different varieties – and do a taste test to see which you prefer.
Some of my favorites are:
- Honeycrisp
- Jazz
- Fuji
- Pink Lady
- Granny Smith
- Gala
- Empire
- Northern Spy