Healthy Snack: Apple

Mr. SnyderPeriod #9

12/16/2015

General Info

• Preparation: should be thoroughly washed before ingestion to remove pesticides. Cut just before eating to prevent browning.

• Cost: usually sold by the pound

• Availability: apple season is during fall season.

• Types: Red/Yellow/Green (Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, Etc.)

5 Benefits of Eating an Apple

• Nutrition

• Weight Loss

• Heart Health

• Protects Against Metabolic Syndrome

• Exercise Extender

Nutrition

• Apple (with peel), 1 medium (3-inch diameter [about 8cm] )

• Calories: 95

• Protein: 0.5g

• Carbohydrate: 25g

• Total Fat: 0g

• Fiber: 4.5g• *all info on this page found from source #3

Weight Loss

• Lots of fiber (4.5g) – which gives a sense of fullness

• Few calories (95)

• Those two things paired together equates to projected weight loss

Heart Health

• Apples are associated with a lower risk of death from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease [1]

• Frequent apple eaters have the lowest risk of suffering strokes compared with nonapple eaters [1]

• Experts attribute the heart-healthy benefits to antioxidant compounds found in apples, which help prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and inhibit inflammation [1]

• Soluble fiber in apples has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels [1]

Protects Against Metabolic Syndrome

• A survey of eating and health habits, found that people who had eaten apples in any form over the past day were 27 percent less likely to have symptoms of metabolic syndrome than those who didn’t. [1]

• Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of biochemical and physiological abnormalities associated with the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. [2]

• The apple eaters also had lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation whose presence in the blood suggests an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. [1]

Exercise Extender

• Apples deliver an antioxidant called quercetin, which aids endurance by making oxygen more available to the lungs [1].

• More oxygen equates to a better VO2 Max and your body’s availability to supply oxygen to working muscles for a longer period of time.

Apple Recipes

• Apple Sauce

• Apple Cider

• Apple Crisp

• Apple Cake

• Apple Pie

Works Cited

• 1. Jennings, Kerri-Ann. 5 Health Benefits of an Apple. (12/16/201). http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/5_health_benefits_of_an_apple

• 2. Google Search: (12/16/2014)http://www.google./com/search?q=define+metabolic+syndrome&ie=utf-8/&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=ssl&surl=1&safe=active

• 3. Acme Markets. Apple. (12/16/2014). https://www.acmemarkets.com/healthy-living/diet-fitness/?resource=%2fus%2fassets%2ffood-guide%2fapples%2fintro