When I was younger, we had a great family tradition of making a trip to an apple orchard, picking apples and drinking delicious apple cider and cherry drink after the hard work was done. Nothing tasted better than freshly picked apples from the orchard. As I got older and moved away from home, I always had a craving for apples in the fall. No really! I did and still do. There is something about this time of year and my craving for this sweet and healthy snack. I also find that I have a craving for apples after any type of physical activity, especially after a run. I think I may be on to something…..
Now that the kids are back in school, after school activities and sports are in full swing and very time consuming. You may also be like me and exercise a lot more once cooler temperatures fill the air. As a dietitian working in a retail environment, I get many questions revolving around what foods are the best fit to fuel after school/work activities and workouts. When I think about all the options out there for snacks, I think about my own experiences and really feel apples might be one of the most perfect snacks for all ages.
Here are my “Top 5” reasons apples should be on the top of the food list of any athlete:
1. Apples are an excellent source of fiber. The average medium apple has 5 grams of fiber that aids in the health of your heart. With your heart being your most important muscle, fiber is the key to keeping it healthy.
2. Apples contain pectin, a fiber that absorbs water to make you feel full faster, and binds with cholesterol and sweep it out of the body. Pectin is also a prebiotic and provides food for the friendly bacteria in our gut to increase our immune systems. During sports and exercise, our immune system can become compromised, this is a natural way to increase your ability to fight off illness.
3. Apples contain quercetin, a phytochemical that promotes health in many ways. It may improve cardiovascular health and reduce cancer risks. It has anti-inflammatory properties and can also boost your immune function. Quercetin has strong antioxidant activity that fights the free radicals in our bodies that come from environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, and herbicides. These factors wreak havoc on our healthy cells. But one exciting property that quercetin may provide our bodies is increased endurance. By consuming apples, not only are you getting proper calories or fuel for physical activity, but quercetin may also increase your endurance during a practice, game, gym workout or walk.
4. Apples are one of the leading food sources of boron. Boron is a building block to building muscles and maintaining strong bones that we can only get through food. Boron increases the ability of our body to absorb magnesium and calcium, to maintain bone health and prevent injuries from physical activity.
5. Studies have shown that individuals who consume an apple a day, tend to consume around 200 less calories a day. For those individuals trying to maintain a healthy weight, this could result in close to a 20 pound weight loss over the course of a year. Just by eating 1 apple a day.
Now how does the saying go? “An apple a day, will keep the athlete at play!”
~Crazy
