Reap the Health Benefits of Apples

Apples are some of the most popular and delicious fruits in the world.

There’s nothing quite like biting into a crisp, juicy apple to quench your thirst and satisfy your sweet tooth while boosting your health in a major way:

• Apples are filled with soluble fiber, which has been shown to reduce intestinal disorders, including diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and possibly some types of cancer. Fiber also control insulin levels by releasing sugar slowly into the bloodstream.
• Apple pectin helps reduce cholesterol levels by lowering insulin secretion.
• According to Chinese Medicine, apples strengthen the heart, quench thirst, lubricate the lungs, decrease mucous and increase body fluids.
• Apple cider vinegar can help prevent the formation of kidney stones.
• Eating apples daily can reduce skin diseases.
• According to a Brazilian study, eating an apple before a meal helped women lose 33 percent more weight than those who didn’t.
• An apple has only 50-80 calories and has no fat or sodium.
• Apples are packed with vitamins A, C, and flavonoids, as well as smaller amounts of phosphorus, iron, and calcium.
• They are an excellent source of potassium, which may promote heart health.

Apples are in season and there’s a lot to love about them. Why not whip up this tasty Apple Cobbler recipe from former first lady Michelle Obama?

Michelle Obama’s Apple Cobbler

“I’ve been making this cobbler for a long time, so I usually just eyeball how much needs to go in. People might want more or less sugar, but this is how our family and friends like it. This recipe makes one cobbler, which is like a double pie.” – Michelle Obama

Filling:
Ingredients:

• 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced [or a bag of frozen peeled apples]
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups of brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white flour

Instructions:

Mix these ingredients together in a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight so the spice goes all the way through the apples.

Crust:
Ingredients:

• 3 sheets refrigerated pie crust
• 1 stick of butter

Instructions:

• Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
• Butter and flour the bottom of a large baking dish.
• Roll out three pie crusts real thin -- as thin as possible.
• Layer the bottom of the pan with 1-1/2 of the pie crusts and prick a few holes in it.
• Pour the apples with the liquid into the pie pan. Dot 3/4 of a stick of butter around the apples.
• Use the final 1-1/2 pie crusts to cover the apple mixture entirely (let the pie crust overlap the pan).
• Pinch the edges of the dough around the sides of the pan so the mixture is completely covered.
• Melt final 1/4 stick of butter and brush all over top of crust.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Bake at 300 for up to 3 hours -- that's what makes the crust flaky, like Barack likes it. Put the cobbler in the oven and go for a walk, go to the store, or do whatever you have to do around the house. Start looking at the cobbler after two and a half hours so it doesn't burn.
• Serve warm. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra treat.