Hooray for apple season!

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is certainly a familiar saying to us all. The apple is one of God’s great health-giving foods, and the whole apple — including the seeds and skin — is a powerhouse of nutrition.  Apples contain enzymes, minerals, fiber, iron, vitamin C and more, and a medium apple only has about 90 calories!  Try to consume the whole fruit as opposed to just drinking the juice for the added benefit of more fiber.  The crisper the apple, the better it is!

An apple a day will most certainly help keep the cardiologist away. Eating an apple a day helps reduce the risk of having a stroke, as it helps lower total cholesterol and triglycerides. It is a very good artery and colon cleaner and is even often an ingredient in liver/gallbladder flushes.

Those of you who know me know and that I am a huge advocate of eating the seeds of your apples. The seeds contain organic cyanide, which kill cancer cells but will not hurt you at all. They may be eaten along with the apple or blended into a smoothie, and they are soft and tasteless. Again, just one apple a day is all you need!

Along with helping prevent cancer and strokes, the high level of antioxidants in apples will improve brain function and memory, and can’t we all use that boost!?

The apple is one fruit that you should try your hardest to eat organic. Yes, more money, but worth every penny. It may not look as “pretty,” but that’s because it is not covered in a nice shiny layer of wax.

My personal favorite apple is the Honey Crisp, which are in abundance right now. My second favorite?  The Pink Lady. However, these are just my personal preferences. I love to just eat an apple dipped in peanut butter, but better still is almond butter. This is the easiest way to enjoy the nutritional benefits of the apple along with a good source of protein. But, you can do so many things with apples. If you have a Vitamix, Blend Tech, Ninja or another one of the more powerful blenders, you can easily make your own applesauce, using the apple as the only ingredient.

Dried Apples
Dried apples are a great snack to have on hand and especially to travel with. I use a dehydrator, but you can also use your oven. Just slice them very thin, brush with a little lemon juice and sprinkle with some cinnamon. Spread them out on trays or cookie sheets and dry for 12 hours at 140 degrees in the dehydrator, or 10-20 hours at 150 degrees in the oven.

Baked Apples
I will often bake apples by coring them (yes, I carefully save and eat the seeds), and then filling the cavity with a little butter (don’t be afraid of eating butter) and cinnamon, and then pour a small amount of water over all. Bake at 350 degrees until soft and tender.

Eat up and enjoy!

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