Apple cultivars at supermarket
By Cat, April 21, 2017 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
In Britain, this is called Stewed Apples; in the US we call it chunky Applesauce.
I’m trying to recover from auto-immune thyroid, which includes healing the gut and balancing the gut microbiome. I’m adding my own twist to recommendations by Functional Medicine practitioners.
This recipe releases the pectin from the apples, so it can be utilized by the good bugs in your gut, helping their colonies to grow and heal the gut.
See also: 1. Sides & Condiments Menu; 2. Remedies Menu
Stewed apples or applesauce
This recipe is adapted from one by Dr. Tom O’Bryan, who got it from fellow Functional Medicine practitioners in Britain. He shared it on his 30-minute video: Restoring Gut Health After Antibiotics (1).
Apples are rich in pectin; stewing them releases the pectin to become food for the good microbes in your gut. This recipe does not include added sugar because that would become fodder for the bad bugs in your gut; however, you can sweeten with a little bit of stevia (remember it is way more sweet than sugar; start with a tiny pinch). Another way to sweeten is to mix sweet apples with not-so-sweet apples.
- apples, washed, cored and diced, leaving skin on.
- Filtered water
- Raisins or Zante currants, to taste
- Cinnamon or cardamom, to taste
- Equipment
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Place diced apples in saucepan; fill with filtered water about 1/3 of the height of apples.
- Add raisins/zante currants and cinnamon.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook 8 – 10 minutes. You can tell when apples are ready, because the skin will shimmer. This is a sign the healing pectin is released, to be food for the good bugs in the gut.
Eat a small bowl-full (6 – 8 bites) twice a day for a week or so, then taper off over next 3 weeks.
References:
- Dr. Tom O’Bryan video:
