This Apple Pie Smoothie recipe is a great way to start the day or have a mid-afternoon snack. It’s super easy and you’ll most likely have all the ingredients.
You’ve probably heard “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” a phrase coined back in 1913. It was based on a Wales proverb that had a slightly different rhyme: “Eat an apple on going to bed and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.”
Apples Have Health Benefits
Apples are loaded with fiber and antioxidants like vitamin C. But it’s the polyphenols (plant nutrients) that make apples a nutritional superhero.
Apples Improve Digestive Health
Recent research shows that a large percentage of apple polyphenols make their way through our digestive tract to our colon where they feed our beneficial bacteria. These polyphenols can increase Actinobacteria populations which contains the Bifidobacteria species. Bifidobacteria are well-known for the metabolic digestive benefits they provide. Besides, our gut bacteria can interact with the polyphenols and convert them into related phytonutrients (plant nutrients) that provide us with additional health benefits.
In addition, these same studies have shown that our gut bacteria can interact with the polyphenols from apples and convert them into related phytonutrients that provide us with even more health benefits.
Apples Benefit Cardiovascular Health
Many of the apple antioxidants offer protection within the blood vessels. One study showed that eating an apple a day for 4 weeks lowered oxidized LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. Other studies involving apple extracts have shown decreases in total cholesterol and triglycerides. Finally, more recent research suggests that our gut bacteria may provide cardiovascular support in unique ways by improving digestive metabolic health.
Apples Help Stabilize Blood Sugar
A medium-sized apple provides about 4.5 grams of fiber. Pectin is the main soluble fiber in apples which has well-studied benefits for our digestive tract. Pectin can help food to empty slowly from the stomach, which also slows down the speed at which food moves through the digestive tract. This helps the body to stabilize blood sugar metabolism. Also, apples contain a substance called phloretin which some studies show can help stabilize blood glucose, insulin levels, and reduce insulin resistance.
Apples May Help Prevent Colon Cancer
When it comes to preventing colon cancer, the potential role of apples is another area of research interest. Scientists already know that many different apple substances can make their way through the human digestive tract and arrive at the colon to support bacterial populations. Also, fiber’s role in cancer prevention is well-studied so be sure to eat apples whole if you want all their health benefits.
The Apple Pie Smoothie’s Key Ingredient
Don’t forget the cinnamon! This is what makes this smoothie taste like apple pie. Its warm, sweet flavor is perfect to use during the winter months. Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree which is either dried and rolled into a tubular form called a quill (cinnamon stick) or ground into a fine powder.
Cinnamon has a long history as both a spice and medicine. It also has a long list of health benefits:
- prevents blood from clotting
- acts as an anti-inflammatory
- acts as an anti-microbial (effective against yeast such as candida)
- helps control blood sugar
- boost brain activity (cinnamon’s scent)
- protects from heart disease
- improves digestive health
Add This Apple Pie Smoothie to a “Liquid Day” Cleanse
If you want to give your digestive system a short break and your immune system a boost, implement a “liquid day” once a week. This means for one full day you eat everything in blended liquid form. So your day’s meals consist of smoothies, blended soups (try my Shitake mushroom soup or asparagus soup), herbal teas, green juice (no fruit juice), and water. After a liquid day, you are likely to wake feeling light and energized. The Apple Pie Smoothie works well as part of this short cleanse, which is ideal to do during the holidays.
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Apple PIe Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 apple peeled
- 3-4 red leaf lettuce leaves Romaine can be used
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 fresh lemon peeled
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a blender and mix on high speed for one minute. Pour into a glass and garnish with some cinnamon sprinkles.
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