An Apple a Day

Is there any truth to the old saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"?

Before we get to that answer, let's take a look at the benefits that apples have to offer.

Apples contain the vitamins C & K.

They also contain potassium, copper, and several various antioxidants and flavonoids.

The skin contains soluble fiber which comes with it's own host of benefits.

As a whole, an apple can contribute to heart health, lung health, and bone health.

Along with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, apples can help lower the risk of stroke, reduce blood pressure, inflammation, and the risk of cancer.

Getting back to the skin, it's the most nutritious part of the apple.

It contains those important antioxidants that fight free radicals which lead to various health problems.

The fiber helps keep the colon healthy.

Apple juice and applesauce are missing this important part of the fruit and they lack the nutritional benefits of the whole apple.

The skin of the Red Delicious contains the most antioxidants of all the different variety of apples.

They're one of my favorites and I have always thought they were very appropriately named.

Crisp and sweet, they are a perfect, portable snack that easily fits into the daily routine.

So back to the question, I did find this piece of information by Harvard Health:

One study done in 2015 found that:  “Evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away; however, the small fraction of US adults who eat an apple a day do appear to use fewer prescription medications.”

That's good enough for me - less prescriptions means less health issues and less visits to the doctor.

 

Winter Walking

Tracking the number of steps taken each day has become a habit that I have been trying to keep for the past few years.

Winters in New England haven't always been easy to accomplish this.

And until this year, I honestly didn't give it the effort it deserved.

It's not just the sub freezing temps that keep me indoors, it's the ice and snow which makes it hard to trudge through.

The first storm of the season dumped over thirty inches of snow, so I figured this year was doomed as well.

A couple of above freezing days packed some of it down enough to get my path established again through the yard.

My little four legged companion keeps me company as we make our rounds.

Seeing how happy she is to be out walking is big encouragement to get me out there too.

Twenty minutes is about all her little feet can do in the snow, and she lets me know when we're done.  

And really, that's about enough for me too!

 

Plants Only?

We've been hearing more lately about plant based diets.

It seems there is always a new diet routine that pops up every couple of years that creates a lot of commotion about being the healthiest new lifestyle choice.

Some of them are just craziness and some do have some sensible choices that should be part of a healthy eating plan anyway.

But, plants only?

That means no animal, dairy, eggs, refined sugars, refined grains, and all processed foods.

Plant based foods - vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and legumes make up the bulk of the diet.

Certain oils, such as olive and coconut, and certain sweeteners, such as agave and maple syrup are plant based so they are allowed.

The whole idea of this way of eating is to reduce the risks of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, certain cancers, and cognitive decline.

It has also shown benefits to those with inflammation, digestive issues, allergies, and asthma.

It lowers the blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as helps regulate blood sugar levels.

The way to healthy eating lifestyle choices is a fairly simple one - Mother Nature provides what we need in it's natural form.

But mankind has put many obstacles and roadblocks that stand in the way of reaching this goal.

Cheese, sugar, unhealthy fats, refined grains, and tons of varieties of processed foods to just name a few.

And for most families, it's cheaper and quicker to prepare these foods in this busy, expensive world we live in.

My family has always eaten healthy, but my daughter and her family have adopted the plants only eating plan for the past month.

She and her husband have seen significant changes in their well being.

Enough so that they will be continuing their plant only diet.

This mother is watching and listening.

And you bet I will post more about this as time goes on.

Tidy up the Blog

It's been a long while since I've posted on this blog.

It needed some serious housekeeping done as well as some TLC.

I have given it a more simple theme, doing away with the customized one that I had been using.

It was creating problems with how it was being displayed in different browsers, so back to the basics to keep it working.

Some of the side bar selections have been deleted, as well as links that were being troublesome.

Going onward, I would like to post on a more regular basis

Sourdough Starter

Sourdough bread has always been one of my favorites.

The tangy, salty flavor is unique and the chewy texture is pleasing and unlike the breads we are all used to.

I have tried making  sourdough starter from scratch, but I didn't have much luck with it.

This past spring my daughter had one given to her, and she shared some with me.

Several months later my beautiful starter is still thriving and producing exceptional bread each time I need it.

I have adapted my favorite multigrain bread recipe to using the starter in it, and I find it even better with this added ingredient.

Keeping the starter happy though takes some practice.

When it's bubbling and expanding each time it's fed, then it is active and healthy.

The only ingredients are flour and water, and once they have harvested the yeast from the air, that's when the magic starts.

The starter gets fed more flour and water on a daily basis.

The amounts need to be doubled each day in order to give it enough to eat.

But it can quickly get out of hand at this rate.

I usually keep mine at a small amount until I am ready to make my bread, then I start the doubling amount a couple of days beforehand.

An 1/8 of a cup does me well until I need to bake, then I ramp up the amounts.

That way, I am only removing a spoonful a day before I feed it so I can feed it without it getting out of control.

I have found that giving it a tad less water than the flour yields the best results for the starter to rise.

A healthy starter will rise and fall each day and I have found that using it at it's full height gives the best results for the bread.

Check out the next image to see the fullness of the batter as it is poured - just beautiful!

The natural yeasts in the bread make it unnecessary to use commercial yeast.

The rising times take longer for the bread.

Several of my recipes use added yeast, and they work well with the natural ones in the starter to produce a lighter, softer bread than the traditional sourdough.

This bread is a healthy alternative to traditional breads, and in my next post, I will discuss these benefits.