I’ve felt it for weeks now. Likely you have to.
It’s programmed into your body. Listen to the rhythm. Follow the guidance of nature.
The subtle shifts. The shorter days, the cooler temperatures, the leaves starting to change color.
The year is winding down.
Today is the first day of autumn, the Fall Equinox.
A day where the day and the night are equal. A day when the masculine and feminine are in perfect balance.
It’s the end of the harvest season. A perfect time to express gratitude for all the gifts received.
It’s also a time to plant new seeds for the coming year, lighten what has become too heavy, calm the craziness of the summer and start drawing inward like the plants.
It’s a time of transition.
And to me, nothing says fall like Apples.
Apples are delicious and nutritious. And, there are so many varieties to choose from.
Not all apples have the same nutritional value. Apparently, Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and McIntosh are the highest in phytonutrients.
And definitely choose organic because commercially grown apples are heavily sprayed with chemicals.
Apples are members of the rose family, a pretty darn good family to belong to if you ask me.
I mean seriously, this is a family of super yummy food and herbs like pears, plums, cherries, almonds, strawberries, nectarines, peaches, blackberries, chokecherries, serviceberries, agrimony, avens, lady’s mantle, cinquefoil, meadowsweet, and of course, the matriarch of the family, rose herself.
What’s all the fuss over apples you may ask. Well, it turns out the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” might actually be true.
Apples as Medicine.
For starters, eating apples can help you balance blood sugar and lose weight. Whole apples are a low glycemic food, so eating them doesn’t spike blood sugar.
Apples are a good source of the water-soluble fiber known as pectin. Pectin and the other fibers in apple help to regulate friendly flora so you don’t crave sugar as much. And, pectin also helps lower cholesterol.
Boom, there you go, it’s a two-for.
Apples are a source of antioxidants but you have to eat the whole thing, skin and all. And seriously why wouldn’t you eat the whole thing? Well, not the seeds of course, they’re toxic.
There are a bunch of studies that talk about how apples may help with Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer, and reducing the symptoms of Asthma. Uh, so why wouldn’t you be eating apples, just sayin.
Okay so let me give you a quick rundown on some other benefits of apples so you don’t have to be here all day.
- Improve digestion.
- Build bone, brain, nerve, and muscle.
- Alkalize the body.
- Help prevent urinary tract infections (use with cranberries).
- Improve heart health.
- Relieve constipation.
- Increase lung health.
- Good source of vitamin C.
Here are some things you can do with Apples.
Have you ever heard of a drink called Kompot? It’s a nonalcoholic juice drink that probably originated in Russia as a way to preserve fruits in the long long long winter months.
You can google Kompot if you want a more specific recipe.
Generally, it is made by putting dried apples in a pot of water along with other dried fruits such as rose hips, apricots, raisins, and cranberries. Then bring the water to a boil and turn it down to a simmer and let the fruits extract for thirty minutes.
And of course, there is homemade Applesauce.
I love all things simple and this recipe couldn’t be more simple. Really!
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of apples (I usually use a combination of apples and pears in whatever ratio I happen to have on hand)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ vanilla bean
- clove, star anise (optional) (the whole cloves are hard to pick out but you could add ground clove or whole allspice or whatever strikes your fancy)
Instructions:
- Core the pears and apples and cut them into chunks roughly 2×2.
- Place all ingredients into a slow cooker, lid on, heat on low.
- Cook for 4+ hours or until the fruit has softened. (in my slow cooker it’s about 4 hours)
- I check on it occasionally (because it smells so good) and give it a stir.
- When it’s finished cooking blend it with an immersion blender (or put it in the blender, I use the immersion blender because it’s less to clean up and I like some chunks of fruit).
- Be sure to take out the cinnamon stick and squeeze all the stuff out of the vanilla bean into the applesauce.
- Store it in the frig (I usually end up eating it all before it would even consider going bad).
- You can also freeze it.
I told you it was simple 🙂
Ayurveda says cooked apples help create “digestive fire” and “enhance immunity, happiness, and strength.”
Yes please.
Fall brings a big shift in energy and represents a time of releasing just like the trees release their leaves (or maybe the leaves just let go because everything falls away at the right moment).
It’s a time to let go of who you’ve been (you can’t add to what is already full) and focus on who you are becoming.
Receive.
Come into stillness and listen, really listen, and find your own inner wisdom this fall.
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