We have all heard the saying “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away,” and while this seems to be old folklore, there is a divine truth to it. The apple appears to be the perfect fruit. This fruit is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, fiber and a safe fruit for diabetics, with the peel alone supplying 25 percent of our daily requirements. This is very important because fiber is what binds to cholesterol and helps flush it out.
Fiber alone helps to reverse heart disease and lowers the potential of having a stroke, as well as providing roughage to the digestive system, keeping the digestive system regular. This becomes very important when you realize that more than 75% of ailments that affect the American population begin in the gastrointestinal tract.
We spend millions of dollars a year on fiber drinks, antacids, and stool softeners when all along the answer has been in a 50-cent apple. The real tragedy is because our diets are packed with simple sugars, and fat, we are beginning to see more children suffer from constipation, hemorrhoids and other digestive issues that at one time were reserved for the aging population. It is unnecessary when you consider that children have no real control over what is on the family menu. Children may pout and complain about eating their fruit instead of fruit roll-ups and vegetables instead of veggie straws.
As adults, we must begin to take back the health of our family by insisting on an eating plan that takes into consideration, not just the short-term convenience but the overall health of our family in the long run. Whether our children spend most of their time laughing and playing or sitting in the bathroom with a stomachache, depends on us. Some may lack the willpower to make changes for themselves, but may you have the courage to make changes for those you love. They deserve to live the best life possible, and it can all begin with an apple a day.
