August 27, 2010
I have recently practiced a new eating habit for a healthier and better looking physique. Of course vanity is my foremost reason for eating right (I’m no hypocrite!) because there are a lot other benefits you’ll get from looking good. It is so much easier to find clothes that fit regardless of style and size. Anything you wear can actually look great! And since I’m the kind of guy who go for tees and jeans, a good physique compensates for my lack of fashion and design elements in my style of dressing. The health benefits which actually will benefit me more in the long run are what I consider bonus! I know, I know, I’m such a shallow guy! But I don’t care, as long as I fit in size 30 jeans! Can you?
Avocado used to be my favorite fruit, still is. But, since that is seasonal in my country it is hard to find the fruit whenever I want it.
So, I’ve substituted avocado with apples, just because they are available anytime and anywhere and thus no hindrance to my diet. And I’m just loving apples now! It’s scent reminds me of Christmas and whenever I see them in the grocery or in fruit stands I feel light and festive. Probably it’s because when I was growing up, my mom used to decorate our home with apples during the holiday season. Green apples in a huge glass bowl served as the centerpiece in our living room and the red ones on our dining table. My mom would replenish the apples by the end of each week as I had mostly eaten them before our house guests would have time to admire them on weekend dinners.
Apples have a good claim to promote health. Are you familiar with the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Whether this is true or not, the fruit is really healthy to eat. Here are some of the benefits of eating apples:
AID THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Apples contain Vitamin C which aid the immune system and help in the healing process.
PREVENT TOOTH DECAY The juice of the apples has properties that can kill up to 80% of bacteria. So there you have it, an apple a day also keeps the dentist away!
REDUCE WEIGHT A regular size apple has between 70-100 calories. Eating an apple when craving for candy or chocolate can make the desire disappear since apple in itself contains sugar, but gives you only ¼ of the calories. So start targeting that waistline you’ve always wanted!
PREVENT CANCERS Notice the “S”. Apples contain bioflavonoids which are believed to be of use in the prevention fo treatment of various types of cancer by inducing mechanisms that help to kill cancer cells and inhibit tumor invasion. Apples target multiple cancers such as colon, prostate and breast cancer.
PREVENT HEART DISEASE The reason it can prevent both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease is because apples are rich in flavonoids.
FIBER Apples have both soluble and insoluble fiber in the form of cellulose and pectin. Both of these fibers have been documented to reduce and keep your cholesterol levels under control. 5-Apples contain phenols, which have a double effect on cholesterol. It reduces bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. And that’s not even an apple a day!
HEALTHIER LUNGS A research at the University of Nottingham Research shows that people who eat 5 apples or more per week has lower respiratory problems, including asthma.
PREVENTS GALLSTONES AND COLON CANCER Research done in Japan has shown that apple pectin can help decrease the chance of obtaining colon cancer. Pectin is also effective in causing regressions in and prevention of gallstones.
ASTHMA AND LUNG SUPPORT Unique to apples is a crucial flavonoid called phlorizin that is believed to be important in asthma and lung support.
IMPROVE VISION AND PROTECT BRAIN FROM BRAIN DISEASE Apples contain a long list of phytonutrients which help in improved vision and a slower brain degeneration. Apples prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinsonism. However, the nutrients of an apple are contained within the apple's skin, so be sure not to skin your apples before consuming them!
So much benefits for an inexpensive fruit that is available all year round! Snow white and Nerissa would be happy to know that without their witches’ poison, they would actually live long lives when they regularly eat apples and not drop dead! Enjoy eating! Oh, and by the way, this is the first part of a series of my 4 blogs about health. Watch out for The Healthiest Fruits, The Fountain of Youth and Miracles of Sleeping. See you soon!
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple, http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/an-apple-a-day.html, http://www.succeedwiththis.com/9-reasons-why-an-apple-a-day-really-keeps-the-doctor-away/
IMAGE BY SAKNIKA in Deviant Art
thanks for the info..love it,
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