Yes, it’s true — but that doesn’t mean you can pig out and eat a dessert to “take care of it.”  (See, I know how experienced dieters think.  I am one!)  However, the right combination of foods can lower the glycemic impact of a meal.  That means it slows digestion and  prevents a big insulin dump.  Remember that insulin is the hormone that instructs your cells to store up the fat, so we want to prevent big surges delivering that message.

Our recipe for today is super-easy and features apples,  our super-food this week.  They are inexpensive, have a low glycemic index number, and provide lots of health benefits.

So what can you do with them?

• Add chopped apples to salad to give a boring greens a little zing and an added crunchiness.
• They make a terrific snack, especially combined with a nut butter.  The combination of protein and fiber will hold your hunger comfortably until mealtime.
• Chop them up and add them to your breakfast oatmeal for a tasty difference and an extra blast of nutrition.
• You can also substitute them for potatoes in some meat dishes.  I like them cooked with roast in the slow cooker.

And here it is: a dessert that is not only low glycemic — it lowers the glycemic load of the whole meal!

Easiest Apple Dessert

Slice an apple in half and remove core.  Place a daub of virgin unprocessed cocoanut oil in the center and sprinkle with cinnamon and a natural sugar substitute of your choice.  Bake one to two minutes in the microwave.  That’s it!  You can add a dollop of whipped cream to make an especially tasty dessert, if you wish — and if you are not concerned about the calorie count.  (See yesterday’s post.)

The coconut oil will add fat, which slows digestion and helps prevent a big insulin dump. It also adds a slight coconut flavor and has numerous health benefits. (More about that in a later post.)  Cinnamon has the effect of lowering the glycemic impact of a meal, too.

These are just a few ways you can incorporate apples into your daily meal plans.  And of course, you can just bite into an apple and eat it!

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown