An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

We hear this phrase over and over and yet we never give it much thought. Don’t we ever wonder why people say this? Or where it came from? Who started saying it? How did it become mainstream? These are questions I ask myself and I being the investigator that I am HAVE to find out.
First off, a quick Internet search brought a variety of “sources” as to the origination of the phrase. I put quotations around sources because we all know how accurate Internet searches can be. Bonjour!(..Remember the commercial??) Anyway, the stories ranged from it being a Benjamin Franklin proverb, to a Roman belief that the apples were magical, and then all the way to a western frontier serial killer who liked apples. In actuality it is an adaptation of a phrase started in Wales in the 1860’s. Apparently the saying began as “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Then the phrase changed to “an apple a day, no doctor to pay” and “an apple a day sends the doctor away”. Finally, around the 1920’s it became the phrase we heard as children and in turn tell our children. But enough about history! This is a nutrition website after all! Back to business.

So now that we know where the phrase started don’t you want to know why it stuck?? Well, because apples are healthy! Plain and simple. They stand out as one of the top healthy fruits. That isn’t to say other fruits aren’t healthy or eating other fruits will not prevent doctor appointments. It is just that the apple combines a multitude of nutrients and health benefits and wraps it in a nice, shiny, easily portable package-with colors ranging from red to green to yellow.

Here are the top 5 reasons to start eating apples today!

1.Nutrition: Strait to the point! Full of vitamin C, around 4 grabs of fiber and only 95 calories, this fruit is a delicious, nutritious snack.
2.Weight Loss: The high amount of fiber in an apple helps curb appetite by making you feel full longer, so you eat less later!
3.Heart Health: Lets blame in on the fiber again-fiber is known to reduce cholesterol levels. Plus apples contain flavonoids, which have an antioxidant benefit.
4.Disease Prevention: All the health benefits mentioned above also help the body prevent other chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
5.Exercise Extender: Apples contain quercetin a chemical that may increase a person’s endurance during activity.
So throw one in your purse, put a bag in your desk, bake them in a pie or add them to a sandwich. Find a way to include this glorious globe shaped fruit into your daily routine and you too could keep the doctor away!An Apple a Day keeps the doctor away!