Many of my clients at Gym Slayer in Elk Grove, CA, bring a snack to eat immediately following a workout. It helps boost their energy level and the right combination can help build muscle tissue, too. One of the easiest snacks to transport is an apple topped with peanut butter, the healthy type that only contains peanuts. It provides the carbs for energy and protein to build the muscle tissue. There are health benefits for apples, which help keep the doctor away.
Apples are nutritious.
Apples contain very few calories, but are great source of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, such as anthocyanin and quercetin. They are excellent sources of vitamin C, higher in vitamin K and potassium, too. They also contain vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and E, plus copper, manganese and high amounts of fiber. In fact, apples contain 30% of the daily required amount.
Apples can help you lose weight and help prevent diabetes.
That fiber in apples and the water they contain will help you feel fuller longer. In fact, a study that compared the consumption of applesauce, apple juice and whole apples showed that those who ate whole apples before a meal ate less. Other compounds in apples may also aid weight loss. A large study and several smaller ones link eating apples to a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes. It didn’t have to be one a day, but a few a week. It’s believed that the protection may come from the polyphenols in the apple.
Apples are heart healthy.
Scientists found a link between consumption of apples and a lowered risk of heart disease. It may be the soluble fiber in the apples that help by lowering blood cholesterol levels. The polyphenols they contain, such as anthocyanin, are antioxidants. Don’t peel the apples, since the skin has the most concentration of those beneficial phytochemicals. Another polyphenol, epicatechin, may lower blood pressure and is also linked to a lowered risk of stroke. One study compared eating an apple a day and found it was almost as effective as taking statin drugs when it came to lowering cholesterol levels.
- Apples may provide lung protection, particularly from asthma. They contain anti-inflammatories and antioxidants that can aid in regulating the immune response. The quercetin in apple skins reduce inflammation and regulate the immune system to protect from allergies and asthma.
- Those same antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that help prevent other diseases, can also be beneficial in promoting bone health. They help prevent the loss of calcium that can cause weak bones.
- It’s not just the flesh and peeling of apples that make them healthy. Animal studies show apple juice may protect the brain by preventing the neurotransmitters in the area of memory from declining.
- People who take NSAID painkillers, like Advil and Motrin on a regular basis may be subject to injury to the stomach lining. Eating apples can help protect that lining from injury.
For more information, contact us today at Gym Slayer