Guest Author - Amy Anaruk
Fall means apple season, a perfect time to add more of this asthma-friendly fruit into your diet. Remember that apples contain high amounts of the anti-inflammatory and antihistamine flavonoid called quercetin. Recent research shows a clear link between increased apple consumption and lower risk of developing asthma. In addition, apples appear to help improve lung function, too.
More research is needed, but apples contain so many vitamins there�s no reason not to indulge in one of the best harvests of the season. They are a portable snack that travels well and they lend themselves perfectly to pies and tarts, but thousands of other ways to get more apples into your family�s diet exist. Here are some ideas from my kitchen:
1. Pack containers of peanut butter and apple slices in your child's lunchbox. Your kid will probably welcome a break from the ubiquitous sandwich and enjoy mixture of crunchy, creamy, salty, and sweet.
2. Serve baked apples instead of a higher fat, higher cholesterol dessert. Baked apples have fallen out of fashion, but they're delicious and offer the same warm, spicy taste of apple pie. Easier to prepare, too. Just wash and core apples, leaving the bottoms intact but scooping out the seeds. Stuff the center with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts and top with a teaspoon of butter. Place in a casserole dish and pour boiling water into the bottom of the dish, about 1/4 inch. Bake at 350 degrees, around 30 minutes, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream if you like.
3. Add cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and orange zest to apple cider in your crock pot. Let it simmer while the kids trick-or-treat on Halloween night, and they can return to a warm, soothing drink.
4. Incorporate apple chunks into your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. Apple pairs exceptionally well with pork sausage.
5. Serve cinnamon apples over pancakes instead of maple syrup. Lots of people make these by saut�ing apple slices in butter, but you can bake them instead to eliminate the fat. Just peel and slice 8 or so apples and mix together with 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon, a couple squeezes of lemon, and � cup of brown sugar. Throw in a crock pot on high for a few hours. The brown sugar will help break down and caramelize the apples into a perfect sauce.
Unfortunately, apples regularly appear on lists of fruits most contaminated by pesticides, so make sure to buy organic for all your fall apple recipes.
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"Smile, breathe and go slowly." -Thich Nhat Hanh
This article is not written by a medical professional, and information on this page should never be substituted for your physician's advice. If you have any questions about your asthma and/or allergies, you should always contact your physician first.
