All About Apples

Food for Thought : all about apples A

by Joyce Chicoine, Nutrition and Education Committee The phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” dates back to 1913, but it is based on an earlier quote from 1866: “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.”

While apples may not repel physicians or prevent them from earning a living, the fruits do contain several beneficial nutrients such as fiber, vitamin C, copper, potassium, and vitamin K. Apples are a good source of malic acid, which is useful for softening gallstones. In addition, apples contain cancer-fighting compounds called flavonoids.

Research also suggests that apples promote brain health and lower the risk of diabetes and asthma. Apple cider vinegar, which is fermented apple juice, has even greater health benefits. It can kill pathogens such as harmful bacteria, as well as lower blood sugar levels and help with weight loss. The glycemic index of apples falls around 40, which is slightly higher than apricots, cherries, grapefruit, and peaches; but lower than grapes, cantaloupe, and watermelon. The main reason for avoiding apples is if you are trying to maintain a low fiber or low carb diet.

What’s the difference between organic and conventional apples? The nutritional benefits are the same. The main differences are that conventional apples may have a longer shelf life, but they are likely to have pesticide residue that is difficult to wash off. Removing the peelings can help, but there still can be pesticides inside the apple. There are benefits to eating the skins of organic apples. The peels contain vitamins A and C, as well as additional fiber.

Apples were first cultivated in Kazakhstan in central Asia where wild apple trees still grow today. From there, they spread throughout Asia, Europe, and northern Africa. The only type of apple that is native to North America is the crab apple, which is mainly considered ornamental. Europeans first brought apple seedlings to North America in the 1600s.

Today there are literally thousands of varieties, or cultivars, of apples in existence. A cultivar is a cultivated variety of a plant or animal species containing unique features that can be propagated sexually or asexually. Breeders may select from as many as 45 different traits to focus on when cultivating new varieties of apples. Some examples of these traits are texture, sweetness, longevity, disease-resistance, acidity, flesh firmness, and ripeness. One way of combining two varieties is to graft together the rootstock of one variety and a scion (section of dormant wood) from another variety. This form of asexual propagation is repeated over and over until the new variety has the desired qualities.

Another way to combine two varieties of apples is with controlled pollination. Pollination occurs naturally when the pollen from the male part of one blossom fertilizes the female part of another blossom. Honeybees help make this possible. With controlled pollination, breeders select which type of pollen will fertilize which type of flower and complete the process manually. New York State apple growers produce around 30 million bushels of apples per year, making it the second largest apple-growing state in the country. (Washington state is the largest.) About 15–20 popular cultivars are grown in New York. These include sweeter varieties such as Gala, Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious. More tart varieties include Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonathan, McIntosh, and Granny Smith.

Raw apples are a nutritious snack, but there are many other ways to enjoy them. Apple cider is made by pressing the juice with a cider press, which can be drunk fresh (hot or cold) or after it has fermented. Applesauce is made by cooking apples with water or cider. Apple butter is applesauce that is cooked until the sugar in the apples has gotten caramelized. Dried apples are a sweet, crunchy snack. Apples are also a key ingredient in many popular recipes, such as Waldorf salad, apple bread, apple muffins, apple pie, and apple crisp. The traditional way of making apple crisp is to peel and slice apples and then top them with a mixture of oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon before baking them. A simple alternative for people who can’t eat grains is to slice and bake the apples first and then top them with grain-free granola. Add a scoop of ice cream (or a nondairy alternative) and you will feel like you have died and gone to heaven.

Apple Crisp

Gluten free and low or no sugar! by Annette Kramer and Melissa Trout •Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 8" x 8" pan or pie pan; add 2 T. water. •Peel and slice 4 apples; place in pan. •Drizzle 1 T. maple syrup on apples (optional). •For the topping, melt 1 T. butter in a small microwavable bowl. Mix ½ cup oats and 2 T. chopped walnuts into the melted butter. •Sprinkle topping over apples. •Bake 25–50 minutes until topping is nicely browned and apples are tender. Serves 4. •If desired, you can use more apples or more sweetening. Nutrition info for 1 serving (using 4 apples and 1 T. maple syrup): 3 g PRO, 30 g CHO, 7 g FAT, 181 calories. HWFC does not provide medical advice. Please check with a health care practitioner before treating any condition. See pg. 8 for all policies and full disclaimer.

Mindful of Race

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not [change] systemic racism without addressing personal and interpersonal racism. We cannot put the burden of this work on people of color.”

“I’m not convinced that the white community is monolithic,” another responded, adding that we need to confront the issue globally, not solely individually or nationally. “Ethnicity continues to be a divider in the world. The author provides a wonderful set of tools to explore this.”

A self-described “contrarian” proposed a counterpoint: “This book missed the mark for me. I think of racial issues as inextricably linked to class and economic issues and don’t see how you can address one without the other. There was useful info there and encouragement to reflect, but to really make changes in people’s lives you have to address economic and class issues as well.”

“I see them as interconnected,” Cara responded, clarifying that “without speaking solely to race we’d do a disservice to racial justice.”

Paul further qualified: “The author is consciously isolating the race aspect of individuality.” Quoting from the book that “racism is the most insidious and most enmeshed” form of oppression, he allowed that just as we can’t be all things to all people, we can’t necessarily pay equal attention to all aspects in one book.

Several acquired the book in audio form and then sought printed copies to mark up and study more closely. (One began with a library edition before borrowing a copy and then, finally, purchasing it—stating, “It was ridiculous! I needed to own this book!”)

“Racism is very different from racial prej-

udice,” Jalinda added. “It’s [about] the power of one group to carry out systemic discrimination at the policy level. We can discuss class and economy [as a means of oppression], but racism serves the interests of white people.” She acknowledged that while economy and gender are also subject to distortion (“isms”), “if we don’t get around the race issue we won’t get to that intersection [of understanding and healing].”

“We are either racist or anti-racist. Those are the two categories.”

Kim deemed the discussion productive. As a nation, she pointed out, we have always consciously had some form of inequity with power over one group based on the false science of Race. The only way to eliminate that is to create an anti-racist society.

“We’ve all been indoctrinated into the concept of race,” with self-hatred permeating BIPOC communities and simultaneously creating a false sense of security and superiority in white people. “We must be mindful that [either] we all possess aspects of racism therefore we must consciously subscribe to and practice anti-racism.”

• What were you taught or not taught, and how has that affected how you navigate? • What do you think is the reason behind pride in one’s racial identity?

One person’s mother taught school—as a minority white instructor—in Jamaica, Queens; another was “treated like a queen” in Jamaica—as a person of color.

We see “tons of definitions” for anti-racism, according to Jalinda. “I like to think of it…as actively seeking to raise our consciousness, but also taking action when we see inequity. How many of us see and hear it in homes, among friends and family, and don’t speak up?”

“The Co-op needs to be inclusive. America needs to be inclusive. That’s a bigger conversation.”

What can we do at Honest Weight? All agreed that the work must be done on individual, family, community, and systemic levels. How is HWFC creating a culture of care for people of color and what actions should we take? Honest Weight must continue the work and the conversations. Just being present brought an awareness representing the new heart of HWFC’s culture and practice. We are poised for change. And we are ready! “Whether you are Jamaican, Cuban, Ethiopian, Jewish, Italian…to be mindful is a human experience.”

ARC Invites Connection

“We want to accurately identify some things at the Co-op that are also true within our society,” Kim stated on behalf of ARC. “Feel free to ask questions, visit, and look to join the Anti-Racism Committee. The conversations are often similar to what we’ve had here. We want collaboration across the Co-op.”

Each of us has value and something to be proud of. We must tune ourselves to be aware, and plan to discuss our challenges and our progress regularly.

Resources cited in this event:

•Bonnie mentioned United Vision Project for anyone who wants to take action around the division in the U.S.

•Paul suggested the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. “Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more.”

•Erin shared the Combahee River Collective Statement manifesto by “a collective of Black feminists…actively committed to struggling against racial, sexual, [and] class oppression…that all women of color face.”

•Tracy recommended Noel Ignatiev’s How the Irish Became White.

• Jalinda suggested Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture.

“I could make connections.” “I...so appreciated this book.” “I can see it being a handbook.” “I can see myself picking this book up time and time again.” “We could meet every six months just to talk about this book for the next 20 years and still have more to say.”