An Apple a Day

In my younger years, I loved apples. I’d use that nifty tool that cores and wedges an apple with one hard push, then I’d eat the wedges dipped in peanut butter. I’m not sure when that little habit fell by the wayside, but it did. Maybe it was when I had small children and didn’t even have time to use the wedge tool—or to eat the wedges before they turned brown! Or maybe I sacrificed my snack to the children. I can’t remember. But lately I’ve renewed my apple habit.

Being grown up now, I’ve moved past peanut butter on my apples. And I’ve bypassed wedges as well. I still don’t like biting into an apple whole, so I core it then cut it into rings. I munch them plain. Or smeared with natural almond butter. Or Nutella. I cut them into smaller pieces and scatter them in a salad—a green salad or chicken salad. Sometimes I’ll even use them in place of a cracker with a packet of flavored tuna. (Herb and garlic or sweet and sour work best.)

Of course, my choice of apple has changed since long ago, as well. Now the somewhat-health-conscious me buys organic instead of regular. And my taste has moved to Gala instead of Red Delicious. But no matter the details, I can still feel good about an apple, whether part of a snack or a meal. And it is nice to rediscover something good that was once forgotten. 

Freezing Toes, Eating Woes

I thought I was crazy. Or at least completely lacking in self-control. But today I found a scientific explanation for my behavior of late. And that was comforting.

You see, until December, I’d been doing so well eating right. At first I blamed my lapse on my chef daughter being home from school. And that was part of it. But she’s been gone a few weeks now and I’m still struggling. The most frustrating part was that I could do fine for several days—even weeks. Then I wanted to (and did) eat everything in sight. I literally couldn’t help myself. But then I noticed something: my binges came as the temperature dropped.

I’m very cold natured as it is. And we’ve had an unusually cold winter this year. The result? I eat. Not just food, but carbs and sweets. So today I looked up cold weather and appetite and found an interesting article on WebMD. It said that when the temperature drops outside, our body temperatures drop. (Boy does mine drop!) One way the body knows to raise that temperature is to increase the appetite. Food helps the body increase its temperature again. Especially carbs and sugar.

Now, being the biology boycotter that I am (I took Life Science in 7^th grade, but no Biology beyond that.), I had no idea my body worked like that. I only knew I couldn’t quit eating this winter. I still need to have a bit more self-control in what I consume. And I need to find a way to get warm enough to exercise, which wouldn’t be a problem except that I’m too cheap to turn up the heat in the house! But at least now I know I’m not crazy.