AN APPLE A DAY

Say hello to apple season. Unlike other fruit that come and go through the year, apples are always to be found in our supermarkets. Maybe that's why there’s a bit of a tendency to take them for granted. But right now is the time when apples are at their absolute best. We’re here to ask you to show them a little love. Not only are they versatile and delicious (crumble anyone?) but they are also loaded with fibre and stacked with nutrients that are just what our body, and especially our skin, needs through the Autumn days. Here are three apple facts to chew over...  

1. Truly global There are over 7000 varieties of apples grown in the world. As a species, they are related to the rose family. They thrive best in temperate climates but will pretty much grow most places (China grows the most). However the Bramley cooking apple is a uniquely British invention. It's the only apple that's designed to only be eaten cooked - with a low concentration of sugar and higher levels of magic acid (that's what gives apples their tart taste) than eating apples, which allows the apple flavour to remain even after cooking.  

2. Healthy fill up An average apple has only 80 calories and is very high in fibre (about 4grams per apple so long as you eat the skin). This makes them great for our digestive system and handy to make us feel full. So an apple is a really good option if you need a snack between meals. Apples also contain pectin which can lower cholesterol and help the body detoxify.  

3. Eat the skin Apple skins contain quercetine - an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pigment that has been tapped in to by the beauty industry as an ingredient to fight against sun damage and free-radical cell damage. When eaten, this natural wonder is an anti-histamine and has been shown to fight against cancer. All this and the fact they help the body to detox make apples an easy access beauty food that can help keep our complexion clear and healthy.  To max out on the benefits, apples are of course best eaten raw (extra points if you can grab one straight from the tree when its nutrient content will be at its peak). However, they make great additions to freshly squeezed juice (just make sure you don't waste time or vitamins peeling them). And of course, then there's the wondrous thing that is apple & blackberry pie...

(A special thank you to Milo for making this for us. Delicious.)