Happy Autumn everyone! This is Cailey, your Tri 4 Schools nutrition guru checking in. One of my favorite things about autumn is that as the leaves change color, so do seasonal fruits! Apples are back in season, bringing with them tons of health (and cosmetic) benefits, which I’ve summarized below.
- Curb several types of cancer
- Apples are rich in flavonol, which has been found to reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 23%. Another compound called triterpenoids, which is found in apple peel has been found to slow growth of cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast.
2. Decrease your risk of diabetes
- The fiber in apples helps to keep blood sugar stable, which helps to prevent Type 2 diabetes.
3. Get whiter, healthier teeth
- Biting and chewing an apple increases the production of saliva in your mouth, which reduces tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria on your pearly whites.
4. Reduce your cholesterol and prevent gallstones
- Gallstones form when there is too much cholesterol in your bile for it to stay liquid. Diets rich in fibrous foods like apples help you control cholesterol because soluble fiber binds with fats in the intestine, allowing you to clear cholesterol from the body.
5. Control your weight
- A diet rich in fiber can fill you up without costing you too many calories. Apples are a great way to pack fiber into your diet and help to keep the scale number down.
6. Detox your liver
- One of the fastest and easiest ways you can boost your liver, which helps to clean toxins from your body, is to eat fruits like apples!
7. Boost your immune system
- Red apples have an antioxidant called quercetin, which has been found to boost and fortify the immune system, especially when you are stressed out.
8. Prevent cataracts
- Recent long-term studies suggest that people who eat a diet rich in fruits that contain antioxidants, like apples, are 10-15% less likely to develop cataracts
Many people like to get their apple fix from sweet desserts like apple pie and apple crisp. While delicious, these treats are not exactly good for a waistline. For a similar, but healthier dessert, try making this recipe for Warm Apple Toast from www.fitsugar.com
Ingredients:
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon all natural peanut or almond butter
Half a medium apple, cored and sliced
Sprinkle of cinnamon
- Preheat toaster oven to 350° F.
- Smear the nut butter on the bread. Top with sliced apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the apples are slightly soft.
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