An Apple A Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so the saying goes. And it’s true. Not necessarily because the apples themselves are keeping the doctor away (although they are nutritious and beneficial); rather, those who live a lifestyle which incorporates a daily apply are more likely to be healthy than those who don’t — and thus will need to see a doctor less.

If people were healthier and saw the doctor less, costs would be reduced for everyone in the healthcare system. If the demand for health services was reduced (vis-à-vis healthier people not needing as much access) then you would begin to see net benefits for all of society.

That’s a conversation for another day but for now, we can agree that eating an apple a day is one part of a multi-faceted, health-conscious lifestyle.
If we can save the Johnny Appleseeds, then we can save the world — or something like that.

Apple Benefits For Brain

Most large apples contain about 5mg of dietary fiber. This is important because eating more dietary fiber may put you at a lower risk for a stroke.

It is also highly recommended that you consume the skin of the apple. The skin of the apple contains an important antioxidant called quercetin. In terms of brain health, quercetin may lower your risk of being susceptible to chronic brain disorders, such as Alzheimers, dementia, or schizophrenia.

Note: in many of these cases, the positive test results associated with high quercetin diets were most effective when implemented in the early stages of degenerative disorders. In other words, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. An apple a day, people!

List of Quercetin Benefits

Has been shown to reduce inflammation
May help with endurance, which is especially important while on a hike/exercising
Allergy symptom relief
May help regulate blood sugar, which could help mitigate complications associated with diabetes
Anti-cancer properties

Apple Fruit Information

Cultivated worldwide with thousands of variations, an apple is the sweet, edible fruit produced from an apple tree.

Apple trees have been grown and cultivated in Europe and China for thousands of years and may have even been the first tree cultivated by humans.

Apples contain dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants — all with links to a wide array of health benefits. There are thousands of varieties of apples. In fact, you could eat a different type of apple every single day for 30 years and still not taste all of the different variations.

Personally I have tried only a small variety of apples, a few dozen or so. My favorite thus far is a Granny Smith — they are green in color and offer the perfect blend of sweet and sour.

Leave YOUR favorite type of apple in the comments.

Eating An Apple

Carmen eats a green apple while he waits for Joel at Kintla Lake, Glacier National Park during the 2018 season of the WWT.

When someone hands you an apple in the backcountry you take it! And I’ll be goddamned if that apple is not ranked in the top three FRUITS you have ever tasted.

Eating an apple is a simple process. They can be eaten raw, dried, used in cooking, or made into cider.

When eating raw I usually prefer to wipe the outside of the apple, then wash with cold, potable water if possible. If a knife is available, it’s nice to slice the apple into a number of parts (this makes it easy for sharing as well). The oldest and purest, way to eat an apple is by biting into it and ripping the fruit and flesh away from the core with your teeth.

The core contains the seeds of the apple, and they are the only part NOT recommended for consumption. This is because apple seeds contain high levels of cyanide, and could be dangerous in large enough doses. Don’t be weird, just leave the seeds alone.

There is something deeply satisfying about eating a fresh (preferably green) apple; if you can be doing that on the shore of an alpine lake, well then, even better.

After all, fruit — like everything else — always tastes better in the backcountry; wouldn’t you agree?