12 Reasons to Eat Apples

by Christina Menefee

An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away…

With all the talk of Superfoods and exotic fruits, we sometimes forget the healing powers of simple, easily accessible foods. Take for instance, the apple. We’ve all heard the saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”. You know that apples are good for you, but do you know just how good?

• The healing value from the apple comes from its pulp, which contains pectin, a soluble form of fiber.
• Studies have shown pectin to be effective in treating diarrhea because intestinal bacteria transforms it into a soothing, protective coating for the intestinal lining.
• Pectin also adds bulk to the stool which helps to relieve diarrhea.
• Apple pectin has also been shown to be effective against several bacteria known to cause diarrhea such as salmonella, staphylococcus, and e. coli.
• If you have problems with constipation, apple pectin can add bulk to your stool and stimulate bowel contractions.
• A high fiber diet is effective in reducing blood cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease and some type of stroke. Fiber from pectin helps keep the cholesterol we eat in the intestine until it is eliminated.
• Apples also contain compounds called flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants that help prevent cell damage that causes arterial narrowing that leads to heart disease.
• The American Cancer Society recommends a high fiber diet to prevent several types of cancer, including colon cancer. Pectin bind cancer causing compounds in the colon and speed their elimination from the body. Flavonoids prevent cell damage that causes many cancers.
• In the Annals of Internal Medicine, a study showed that apple pectin reduces blood sugar level in people with diabetes.
• Some European studies show that apple pectin is effective in eliminating lead, mercury, and other toxic heavy metals from the body. This is especially good for people living in polluted cities.
• The apples leaves contain an antibiotic called phloretin which is effective in treating wounds.
• Some studies have shown that pectin may be effective in keeping cancer from spreading throughout the body.

One note about safety: Apple seeds contain high levels of cyanide, a powerful poison. Stay away from the apple seeds and teach children to do the same.

I always knew that apples were good for me, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn of all the medicinal uses for apples.

It is truly a powerhouse of health and healing.

Now,  go have an apple today and keep that old doctor away!

Fall Blessings to All,

Christina Menefee

www.livingonliquidsunshine.blogspot.com

Reference: The New Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman

Fruity Veggy Smoothie!

I like taking other recipes and changing ingredients but this week I have been inventing my own. And I have now discovered the secret to enjoying green smoothies. Add More Water!

Makes more than one litre

Aran’s Apple Adventure

• 2 Mangoes
• 3 Apples
• 1 bag of spinach leaves or 4 cups of fresh from the garden.
• 1 cup Blackberries frozen or fresh
• 1 head of Celery (you have to like celery or substitute a favourite veggy)
• 8 large Tomatoes
• 1 pint of Blueberries (small box from grocery store)
• 2-3 bottles of Spring or Distilled water

Blend it all together starting with the softer ingredients, and drink!

*Will last me all day.

***Aran is a Blog Coordinator here at Green Smoothie Queen, and will  be featuring Smoothie recipes each week.  She is looking for more yummy Smoothie recipes to share on our Green Smoothie blog.  So, come on you Smoothie fans! Send in your original Smoothie recipes to contributors@therawdivas.com and you too could see your name in (Green) Lights!!!

Sit Back and Relax with this Fresh as the Morning Sun Green Smoothie (Parsley, Sprouts, Apples, Blueberries)

Last night we had dinner at a friend’s house and they had spring rolls that were so amazing. I was a little embarrassed because I had too many to count (I had 5), I told myself that it was okay because they had fresh vegetables in them and were not fried. I think deep down I knew that the peanut sauce for dipping would have been okay if I stopped at 2 or 3 rolls, but I just couldn’t help myself they were so delicious.

So today I decided to make my own version of the spring rolls and guess what, I couldn’t stop eating them. And it’s funny how we can justify what we are doing to convince ourselves that what ever we are doing is okay.

After devouring the spring rolls, I knew that the only thing that would make me feel better was a green smoothie loaded with parsley. Parsley has such an amazing effect on my emotional state. Whenever I drink a green smoothie made with parsley I think of a fresh meadow. I can’t tell you why this is, but it brings a smile to my face. Tera in a previous blog talked about adding parsley to her green smoothies and I totally understand why she said that parsley is “magical.” I totally agree with her!

Not only did I decide to add parsley to my smoothie, I added alfalfa sprouts, apples and blueberries. I decided to find a quiet place in my house and take some time to do some deep breathing and slowly savor the taste of this fresh green drink. I felt as if the parsley detoxed the spring rolls out of my body, or maybe just out of my mind!

If you are ever feeling like life is overwhelming or you’re feeling out of balance, just grab your blender and make yourself the biggest, greenest, tastiest smoothie you can, and let it put the biggest smile on your face.

Blueberries, Apples, Alfalfa Sprouts and Parsley Green Smoothie

• ½ cup blueberries
• 4 large apples (I tend to like the tart sweet varieties)
• 1 handful alfalfa sprouts
• 2 handfuls of parsley (I like the flat leaf variety, but feel free to use either the flat leaf or curly variety. You can use less parsley if just starting out.)
• 1 cup water (optional)
• ¼ cup agave (optional)

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

De-Clutter Paper and Save Trees

I’m more than happy to do my part with helping to save trees! I love looking at trees, I love climbing trees, I love sitting under trees, I love breathing the oxygen that trees allow us to breathe.

Just imagine a world without trees? Not a pretty picture, huh?

De-clutter, Recycle, and Save a Tree

Thanks to the Clutter-Busting element of the Body Enlightenment System(BES), I have restarted my paper de-cluttering project — which ultimately is allowing me to save more trees.

While the paper in my home is lessening more and more each day, and while what remains is well contained for the most part, the fact of the matter is that there is still more paper in my home than I care to have.

Gosh, I’ve gotten really good at quickly recycling the new paper that arrives. In fact, I’ve gotten a little too good at it. One day I instantly recycled a local coupon magazine that had an ad in it of my son with Jaguars’ Running Back, Maurice Jones-Drew. Yikes! The recycling truck took my copy away before I realized the “keepsake” that rested within those pages. (Of course I had to track down another copy elsewhere.)

In any event, what I haven’t been equally as good at recycling, is older paper piles that I let build up sometime back — when I was less mindful of the paper/tree effect on this world.

You know, I really wouldn’t mind seeing just about ALL of this at-home paper gone forever. I’d rather not file paper away anyway, if I don’t have to. I much rather recycling what I absolutely do not have to keep.

Perhaps my strong desire for wanting a paper-free home (as much as possible) is:

(1) A result of my love, understanding and respect of nature having further intensified.

(2) A way of saving the trees, thus helping the Earth.

(3) Due to the fact that I would rather not spend my time keeping on top of paper organization. The less paper I have, the less I’ll need to keep it organized. And, think about all of those papers that get filed away that we end up never returning to anyway. Wouldn’t they have more purpose being recycled?

C’mon! Do we want more trees to assist the flow of Earth’s oxygen and keep the Earth cooler………or do we want more paper? Let’s just simply recycle every piece of paper we do not need and use what has been recycled for any paper supply that we do need.

The way I see it, the more paper I recycle from my home, the more recycled paper I am helping to make available for others and myself when necessary, and hopefully that means a higher level of oxygen for us to breathe.

ACoolerClimate.com says: “If we want to help stop global warming, then we should become aware of where our paper comes from.” A quick read on the topic along with some useful links are here.

Well, talking about trees, I’ll leave you this week with Tree Pose. “This noble pose reminds us of our connection to the earth, which sustains and nourishes all living beings………..The Tree improves your posture and helps stabilize the pelvis, elongate the spine, strengthen the legs and ankles, and increase flexibility of the inner thigh muscles. In addition, it helps with balance and centering.” ~ Essential Yoga by Olivia H. Miller

In the Love of Trees,

Penny