Snack on half an apple with a smear of peanut butter (another Magic food).LOW
Can eating an apple a day really help keep the doctor away? It can certainly help you control your blood sugar and gain all the benefits that come with that control. In fact, researchers have discovered that women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples. That’s probably because apples, from tart Granny Smiths to sweet, juicy Pink Ladies, are loaded with soluble fiber—number one for blunting blood sugar swings. A medium apple dishes up an impressive 4 grams of fiber, mostly pectin, the soluble fiber which is also known for its ability to lower cholesterol.
Looking to trim your tummy? (Remember, belly fat is bad for blood sugar.) Try eating three small apples a day. A study from the State University of Rio de Janeiro found that doing so as part of a reduced-calorie diet helped women not only lose more weight but also lower their blood sugar more than women who ate another food instead of apples.
To press every bit of benefit from apples, opt for whole, unpeeled fruit. For apples with a lower GL, look for Braeburns, which have more acid and less sugar than Golden Delicious. Next on the glycemic scale is unsweetened applesauce, which offers many of the same health benefits. But steer clear of apple juice; it’s missing the beneficial soluble fiber.
Apples aren’t particularly rich in vitamins or minerals, but that doesn’t mean they’re not good for you. In fact, they’re loaded with antioxidant compounds called flavonoids, believed to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. One study found that eating a small apple with the skin provided total antioxidant and anticancer activity equal to 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C.
Snack on half an apple with a smear of peanut butter (another Magic food).
Add thinly sliced apples to sandwiches for a bit of tang and crunch.
Mix chopped apples with low-fat yogurt and wheat germ (two other Magic foods) for a healthy midmorning snack.
Doctor up jarred salsa by adding chopped apples, cucumbers, onions, jalapeño peppers, and lime juice.
Put together an apple-cabbage skillet dinner with chopped apples, shredded cabbage, low-fat turkey sausage, chopped onions, cider vinegar, and fresh parsley.
Make applesauce by cubing apples and simmering them in a small amount of water until desirably mushy. Add a sprinkling of cinnamon, a Magic spice.
Instead of raisins: Try sliced apples on your oatmeal or other cereal. Because they are lower in concentrated sugars than raisins, they are gentler on blood sugars.
Instead of oil: Replace half of the butter or oil called for in cookie, cake, and brownie recipes with unsweetened applesauce.