The expression originally appeared in a Welsh publication in 1866 as “Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An’ you’ll make the doctor beg his bread” or “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Love the old English. In 1913, in a book Rustic Speech and Folk-lore, it got its classic reboot.
Why so good? Not only does the expression endure as it speaks truth, it holds us because in the simplicity lies depth. It’s about healthy behaviors and sound advice as much as it is about habits. It’s about the joy of the apple itself as much as it is about loving something that makes your life better. Some even speculate the apple itself was a metaphor and that any fruit, or any natural, wholesome snack can keep you healthy and save money, time, worry, etc..
The joy of an apple habit isn’t a new concept. Romans and ancient Anglo-Saxons, and even those in India ate apples for health over 1,500 years ago. Fermented apple cider became a world-wide daily staple for hydration when water wasn’t safe to drink.
Health benefits: The apple, as a healthy snack, became popular in the US during Prohibition. Suddenly hard cider was illegal and apple growers had a surplus. What better way to take your mind off drinking than to present a whole apple to hydrate, to fill you up, to offer vitamin C, antioxidants, polyphenols, and fiber, and to clean your teeth while you eat it? Bam! Let’s be honest, there wasn’t a lot of teeth brushing back in the day so thank goodness for snappy Macs to do the job.
Fast forward, and the apple is still the symbol of all things healthy. Studies show apples may lower cholesterol levels, prevent strokes, cancers, and diabetes, and may prevent the need for several different medications. No study has successfully proven an apple a day actually reduces doctor visits but, we know in our gut that it’s all good. And speaking of the gut level, apples and apple cider vinegar have been proven to act as prebiotics, helping feed good stomach bacteria. A good gut leads to good moods and so much more.
Here’s a quick Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) recipe to boost your immune system through your healthy gut:
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, or ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
As a bonus…. Good research today says drinking ACV after a meal will help slow the release of blood sugar to the blood stream to a more measured pace providing fewer dangers blood sugar spikes and less pressure on insulin to bust a move. When insulin panics from a spike, a) your body stores all sugar as fat rather than feeding the muscles, and b) insulin gets worse and worse at doing its job properly, forcing cortisol to further complicate fat storage.
Or, how about a yummy baked apple recipe? (super healthy without the pie crust) from the Minimalist Baker or the Peppy Kitchen
Finally, it helps that apples are one of the original and easiest on-the-go foods. They’re utterly portable, prepackaged, low in calories, and high in nutrients, which makes them kind of magical. Get ’em while they are most fresh. Your autumn bounty has arrived!
That brings us to the final benefit of the saying itself: forming a healthy habit. We’ll cover that next month.
See you in November, on the PATH Ahead.
The VEHI PATH Team