Good morning, happy WIIW, and happy Veteran’s Day!

Here’s today’s WIIW photo:

WIIW

What is it?!

Next Wednesday I will actually have a prize for the winner!

Today you just get bragging rights for being so smart :)

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This morning I had a delicious bowl of apple & cinnamon oats!

I chopped up a McIntosh apple and sprinkled it with cinnamon.

IMG_5339 And then I put it in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes until it was nice a soft.

Then I mixed the apples in with the oats while the oats were still cooking (probably for the last 5 minutes).

I added lots o’ cinnamon and ~1 tbsp of agave nectar.

And voila!

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I left a small portion of the apple uncooked so I could top the oats off with it.

I just love the taste of a cool, crisp McIntosh!

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IMG_5344 What a great way to start the morning :) An extremely wet morning I might add! It has been pouring non-stop since last night :(

After breakfast I was thinking about how I’ve eaten an apple every single day for the past month, which lead me to remember this popular cliché:

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”

But is it true? And why is it an apple that keeps the doc away, and not bananas, pears, or oranges?

Apparently, apples have benefits that no other fruits have and it’s benefits have been proven over time.You will be able to get the benefits of these properties individually with other fruits, but an apple combines everything and makes it simpler!

Here are 9 reasons why an apple a day really does keep the doctor away:

  1. Apples contain Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps greatly your immune system. A lot of people who lack Vitamin C in their diet have poor healing, bruise easily and have bleeding gums.
  2. Prevent Heart Diseases. The reason it can prevent both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease is because apples are rich in flavonoid. Flavonoids are also known for their antioxidant effects.
  3. Low in calories. A regular size apple has between 70-100 calories. Eating an apple when craving for candy or chocolate can make the desire disappear since apple in itself contains sugar, but gives you only ¼ of the calories.
  4. Prevent Cancers. Notice the plural. We all know that cancer comes in several forms and in different places. Apples target multiple cancers such as colon cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer in women.
  5. Apples contain phenols, which have a double effect on cholesterol. It reduces bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. They prevent LDL cholesterol from turning into oxidized LDL, a very dangerous form of bad cholesterol which can be deadly.
  6. Prevent tooth decay. Tooth decay is an infection that seriously damages the structure of your teeth, which is caused primarily because of bacteria. The juice of the apples has properties that can kill up to 80% of bacteria. So there you have it, an apple a day also keeps the dentist away!
  7. Protects your brain from brain disease. This is something many people don’t know, and when you consider that your brain makes the person you are, it gives a whole new perspective. Apple has substances called phytonutrients, and these phytonutrients prevents neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinsonism.
  8. Healthier Lungs. A research at the University of Nottingham Research shows that people who eat 5 apples or more per week has lower respiratory problems, including asthma.
  9. They taste great! And not only that, they also come in many flavors and colors. Not in a mood for a green apple? Why not get a red one, or a macintosh! Their taste can vary greatly, but still give you all the apple benefits. Variety is an important element to maintaining your health.

Make sure you eat the apple skin though as it contains the bulk of the antioxidants so this is where you reap most of the benefits.

Now go out and get a bag of apples. Right now.

Enjoy your day!