An Apple a Day...

Today has been a bad eating day. All I want to do is lie in bed with some ice-cream and salt and vinegar chips (don't ask). I don't feel like doing any exercise and I just feel blah! to make matters worse I had pancakes for breakfast and then got a take out gyro for lunch, so needless to say I feel gross. I HATE that feeling when you eat something bad and your whole body feels bad. Sometimes I think it's alright to have one of those days, just as long as you take everything into moderation. No, I will not sit and eat ice-cream and salt and vinegar chips. However to combat my salt and sweet obsession I will try something different.

My new favorite thing to eat are those mini pickles or gherkins. I first had them when I went for Tapas and they tasted so good.... well they taste like pickles but are small. Since I don't have a garden and don't pickle my own food I obviously don't make my own pickles (that's just stupid and too much work). Tonight I will have some of those delicious pickles and instead of ice-cream I will make one of my most favorite low calorie treats, baked apples.

When I was little I would go to my paternal grandparents for dinner every Friday night for the Jewish Sabbath. I have a ton of memories including my grandmothers cold cucumber soup, oxtail, and her jar of candy that was brought out at the end of the night :) One of my other memories is baked apples. My grandmother would always make these delicious baked apples, and as a child it never felt like I was eating something healthy. There is something about baked fruit like baked pears or peaches that also makes the fruit taste so much better.

Most baked apple recipes call for butter or margarine to be added and some sort of cola, however I have a way to combat all that fat and calories and it still tastes really good. Like I always say I never stick to actual recipes and I use enough of everything just so it tastes good. I haven't made baked apples in a while but I know tonight it will be a treat.

Baked Apple:

Apples (the best to bake is green but if you like yellow or red then go for it)
Cinnamon
Diet cherry cola
Truvia or agave

Set the oven for 350 degrees
Put aluminum foil on a pan
core the apples
sprinkle some cinnamon and Truvia or Agave on the apples
add the diet cherry soda to apple center

bake the apples for 20-30 minutes. I like my apples really well done and soft inside so sometimes I leave them on for more time. If you want you can add some yogurt ice-cream or low fat cream to accompany your dessert :) You can also add what you want to it, like granola or raisins. I like my apple just plain but I have had it with cinnamon ice-cream before and it was delicious!!

There are so many benefits of apples and here are just a couple that I found on the Internet:

Bone ProtectionFrench researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.

Asthma HelpOne recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.

Alzheimer's PreventionA study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Lower CholesterolThe pectin in apples lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.

Lung Cancer PreventionAccording to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of the flavonoids quercetin and naringin in apples.

Breast Cancer PreventionA Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39 percent and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent.

Colon Cancer PreventionOne study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Liver Cancer PreventionResearch found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of liver cancer.

Diabetes ManagementThe pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body's need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.

Weight LossA Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting.

sooooo I guess I will be having 3 apples tonight, Enjoy!!

Picture from http://blog.americanfeast.com/recipes/desserts/
Benefits of Apples from http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-apples.html