Karyn Lewis Effective Speaking / Jenkins 0535-501-01 Fall 20051 Speech #2 - Informative

Apples for Life Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the health benefits of eating apples. Central Idea: Eating apples will improve your body and your diet.

Introduction

I. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apple in the morning - doctor's warning. Roast apple at night - starves the doctor outright. Eat an apple going to bed - knock the doctor on the head. Three each day, seven days a week - ruddy apple, ruddy cheek.”

II. Juicy, crunchy, and power-packed with health benefits and versatility, apples are a preferred option for many who skip meals or for those who just want to eat healthy.

III. As a lover of apples and general health enthusiast myself, I have done much research on the benefits of this popular and abundant fruit.

IV. I will explain the amazing power packed into these little fruits by informing you of three substantial benefits of eating apples.

V. These three benefits include their extraordinary high level of essential nutrition, their remarkable ability to protect you against cancers and diseases, and their exclusive potential to fit into the diet of any lifestyle.

(Transition: I will first start by explaining the nutritional value of apples.)

Body I. Apples provide your body with essential nutrition.

A. Apples are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates. 1. About 80% of the fiber in apples is soluble fiber – which slows glucose absorption,

keeping blood-glucose levels in check. It also reduces cholesterol. 2. The remaining 20% is insoluble fiber – which provides bulk and is used by the large

intestine during digestion to remove waste in bowel movements. It may help prevent cancers as well.

3. Just one apple provides 5 grams of fiber – as much dietary fiber as a serving of bran cereal. (That’s about one-fifth of the recommended daily intake of fiber), and 20 grams of complex carbohydrates, which provide long-lasting energy and keeps you fuller longer.

B. Apples provide a powerful pack of vitamins and minerals. 1. According to the website ‘vitaminsdiary.com’, one medium apple contains carotenoids

such as Vitamin A, 7.8 mg of Vitamin C, 9.6 mg of Calcium, 159 mg of Potassium. It also includes nutrients Thiamin, Niacin; and Phosphorous, trace amounts of vitamins B1 and B2 and folic acid, Iron, Magnesium, and Zinc.

2. Potassium, which is found in apples, is important in regulating blood pressure, water balance, and muscle function.

3. Apples contain boron, a mineral that has been shown to strengthen and maintain bone density – a good defense against osteoporosis and a source of protection against heart disease.

(Transition: Now that you have an idea of apple’s astounding nutritional values, I will go further to explain their ability to fight off cancers and diseases.)

II. Apples help protect against cancers and diseases. A. Apples contain health-promoting plant-chemicals.

1. The quercetin (a flavonoid and antioxidant) found in abundance in apples may fight cancer and illness better than vitamin C does.

2. Apples may help prevent breast cancer, thanks to their high levels of phytochemicals.

3. People with diets high in flavonoids, such as those found in apples, are 20% less likely to develop colon cancer.

B. Apples contain antioxidants, which protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. 1. Antioxidants significantly cut the risk of Alheimer’s disease. 2. Apples appear to improve lung function and protect against lung cancer because they

contain quercetin. 3. Antioxidant phytonutrients in apples help reduce cholesterol, especially LDL

cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins or bad cholesterol), helping prevent cardiovascular disease and lowering the risk of thrombotic stroke.

III. Apples can fit into the diet of any lifestyle.

A. Apples are compact and portable. 1. Easy storage – apples can be kept fresh whole up to two weeks if kept in the crisper of

your refrigerator. Sliced or cut apples can stay white if dropped in a bowl of water with some lemon juice. Studies have also shown that length of storage doesn’t have much effect on apples’ phytochemical levels.

2. Pre-packaged in nature's own wrapper, are the perfect take-along foods for on-the-go teens and adults. No mess or fuss required – the apple’s skin is meant to be eaten!

3. Great snack choice - energy boosting complex carbohydrates digest slowly and keep you fuller longer than junk foods and the empty calories they contain, making them a great snacking choice when dieting or trying to stave off hunger.

B. Apples are convenient. 1. Over 20 great-tasting varieties to choose from; the most popular including: Red

Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome, Stayman, Gala, Winesap, York, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Fuji and Ginger Gold. Apples can be found in grocery stores, farmers markets, produce stands, orchards where U-pick yourself, and can even be grown in your own backyard.

2. Inexpensive – at most grocery stores, apples run about $ .99/lb. Through my own experience, apples picked fresh right off the trees at Green Acres Farm right here in Rochester were priced at a low 40 cents a pound!

3. Temporary substitute for a toothbrush - The mildly acidic nature and astringent quality of apples, combined with their rough, fiber-rich flesh, makes them the ideal food for cleansing and brightening teeth.

Conclusion I. So, if you're thinking of skipping meals, or looking for a healthy snack, try munching apples. II. Apples have amazing power-packed benefits, including high levels of essential nutrition, the

ability to protect against cancers and diseases, and the potential to fit into the diet of any lifestyle. III. How about them apples?

# promoting cardiovascular health by lowering LDL cholesterol and inhibiting LDL oxidation, and reducing the risk of certain types of stroke;

# maintaining a healthy weight, as part of a low-fat, fiber-rich diet; # promoting lung health, by countering the effects of oxidative damage;

# promoting prostate, liver and colon health, by inhibiting the growth of related cancer tumors; and # promoting bone health, by providing a good source of the dietary mineral boron.

Bibliography Articles Granesham, Ramin. “10 Reasons to eat an Apple a day – Eat Right.” Shape September

2002: 119. Goldstein, Laura. “Try nature's toothbrush: an apple a day keeps the dentist away.” Prevention. Sept 2003:

94. “An apple a day might help protect the brain.” Tufts University Health

& Nutrition Letter. March 2005: 3. “The Healthy Diet.” Clinical Reference Systems. Jan 1, 2004: 3105. Rinella, Heidi Knapp. “FALL BOUNTY: Apple OF MY EYE.” Review-Journal. 10 November 2004. Internet Sources Greene, Alan. “An Apple a Day?” 24, October 2003. 30 September 2005. <http://www.drgreene.com/21_1703.html> “An APPLE a day keeps the doctor away.” 2004. 30 September 2005.

<http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/apples.htm.> “An Apple a Day.” 30 September 2005. http://www.rhymes.org.uk/an_apple_a_day.htm. “Apple Facts – All About Virginia Apples.” 30 September 2005.

<http://www.virginiaapples.org/facts/5reasons.html.>