The Apple Diet

What is It? Does it Work?

The beginning of fall always brings to mind apples: apple cider, apple butter, picking your own apples at an orchard. I enjoy eating a nice, crisp apple; when I was pregnant, I ate an apple with a peanut butter sandwich almost every day for lunch. So when I heard about an apple diet, I was intrigued. 

What is an apple diet? One diet is a de-toxing diet that involves eating only apples for several days. That wasn’t what I had in mind. But, the “three a day apple diet” bases its premise on the recommendation that we eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Since a medium to large apple is more than one serving, a person eating three apples a day would have their 5 servings of recommended fruit per day. 

What benefit does this apple diet have? Eating fresh apples is good for you. The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” did have some truth in it. A diet that contains a steady supply of fresh fruit that includes fiber and vitamin C can’t help but be good for you. 

The apple diet is simple. Simply eat three apples a day, one before each meal. A medium size apple contains approximately 5 grams of fiber, or 20% of the recommended daily intake of fiber. In fact, an apple contains both kinds of fiber said to be most beneficial: soluble and insoluble. The pectin, or soluble part of an apple, also has the added benefit of preventing cholesterol buildup in the arteries. The insoluble fiber is what creates bulk in the colon, and helps to move food through the digestive tract quickly and easily.