Spirit Food – Apple
ORIGIN
Apple trees, genus Malus, evolved in Central Asia many millennia ago. They are now cultivated worldwide with many varieties now in existence. Apples were grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and then introduced to North America by European colonists.
The apple tree is one of the earliest trees that humanity cultivated. Over 1000’s of years, apple growers have improved its fruits. Winter apples were picked in late autumn and stored just above freezing. These apples help people survive harsh winters across Asia and Europe for millennia.
In Celtic Mythology, apples are known as the “Fruit of the Gods”. King Arthur and Merlin visited the blessed Isle of Avalon where they enjoy eternal life. Avalon is derived from ‘afal’ which is the Welsh word for apple.
In Christianity Eve offers Adam an Apple, a Forbidden Fruit which grew upon the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. The Apple tree is Symbolic of the Tree of Life. The Apple tree is also symbolic of ‘The World Tree’ (Yggdrasil) in Norse legends.
The Apple is associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, in Greek myths. The root of the word apple is associated with the sun god Apollo. Also, Hercules is said to have gained immortality when he obtained an apple from the nymphs who guarded the Garden of the Hesperides as one of his 12 labours.
An Apple fell near the head of Isaac Newton as he sat in the shade of an Apple tree in the orchard at Woolsthorpe Manor in England. By observing the vertical fall of the apple, Newton gained great insight that led him to create his famous laws of gravity.
CHAKRA –AJNA (Third Eye)
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
The old Welsh proverb “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a phrase that we are all familiar with. So what is it that makes apples so special for our health and wellbeing?
Research studies suggest that apples may well be one of the healthiest foods for you to include in your daily diet. Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, flavonoids, vitamins, and dietary fibre.
Apples are nutritious and they have exceptional healing properties. Scientific research shows that apples are good for weight loss, lowering the risk of heart disease (especially apple pectin) and type-2 diabetes.
Apples also have prebiotic effects, promote good gut bacteria and help protect your brain from memory loss and from Alzheimer’s which is caused by the decline of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine.
Apples are high in soluble fibre which helps lower cholesterol. Apples also have polyphenols, which are linked to lower blood pressure and stroke risk. Apples also reduce hypertension and are good for bone at all ages, and protect your stomach lining from injury.
Cancer research indicates that the phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples help to reduce the risk of developing cancer, especially colon cancer. Antioxidants in apples, as well as other fruits and vegetables, protect your body from damaging free radicals.
Crushed apples are a remedy used to help prevent infection in fresh wounds.
SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
The old Welsh proverb “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a phase that we are all familiar with. So what is it that makes apples so special for our health and wellbeing?
Research studies suggest that apples may well be one of the healthiest foods for you to include in your daily diet. Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, flavonoids, vitamins, and dietary fibre.
Apples are nutritious and they have exceptional healing properties. Scientific research shows that apples are good for weight loss, lowering the risk of heart disease (especially apple pectin) and type-2 diabetes.
Apples also have prebiotic effects, promote good gut bacteria and help protect your brain from memory loss and from Alzheimer’s which is caused by the decline of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine.
Apples are high in soluble fibre which helps lower cholesterol. Apples also have polyphenols, which are linked to lower blood pressure and stroke risk. Apples also reduce hypertension and are good for bone at all ages, and protect your stomach lining from injury.
Cancer research indicates that the phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples help to reduce the risk of developing cancer, especially colon cancer. Antioxidants in apples, as well as other fruits and vegetables, protect your body from damaging free radicals.
Crushed apples are a remedy used to help prevent infection in fresh wounds.
CONNECT WITH APPLE
Eat an apple a day. To get the most out of apples, leave the skin on as it contains half of the fibre and many of the polyphenols.
Pick your apples from Mother Nature or from a good organic fruit store. Eat an apple as a healthy snack or use in fruit smoothies. Apple juice is an alternative but whole apples are much tastier and more nutritious.
Apples are a key ingredient in many tasty recipes. These include the very healthy such as apple smoothies and fruit salads, to less healthy foods including toffee apples, apple pies, apple tarts and apple crumble.
Visit somewhere which has apple trees, such as an orchard or an apple tree in a garden. Then connect with the lifecycle of the apple from seed to fruit and all the seasons. Whilst there you may also want to contemplate Newton’s discovery, Adam and Eve, Yggdrasil, or any of the numerous myths surrounding the apple. Or you may connect with some faeries!
Thank Mother Nature for your apples and all the healing, history, and goodness surrounding the apple, the fruit of the gods.