Living Well In Yalobusha County

Coming In October: ZUMBA Classes every Friday morning from 9 a.m.- 10 a.m.  The classes will start October 5 with  Lori Whitfield, certified Zumba® instructor, teaching the Zumba Gold class.  There will be a $5 fee per class for each participant.  Call the Extension office at 675-2730 to register.
The Healthy You exercise class continues to meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Come join us and don’t forget to  wear cool clothes, comfortable shoes and bring water to drink.  The classes are free.

Apple A Day
We’ve all heard about the effects of an apple a day on the proximity of doctors, but did you ever stop to think about the actual ramifications of eating an apple a day?  This single small decision, over the course of a year, can help you reduce calorie consumption, ward off excess weight, and reduce your health risks.
You see, apples are naturally fat-free and are very low in sodium.  They contain way more potassium than sodium, which makes them an excellent choice when you need to keep your blood pressure low.  They are also excellent sources of fiber, antioxidants, and vital nutrients like vitamin C.  In addition to all these great qualities, apples are low on the calorie density scale, yet high on the satiety scale, which means that you will feel full when you eat one, yet you are consuming fewer calories.
If you look at the chart below, you will see that choosing an apple as a snack, instead of other, more calorie dense snack foods, will help you save a significant number of calories over the course of a year.  In fact, substituting an apple for a Danish could save your from gaining 37-43 extra pounds in that year.  Pick up a few different varieties of apples today!  After all, keeping them on hand means that you are more likely to actually eat them!

Article Source: Communi-cating Food For Health Newsletter, September 2012

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup sugar substitute
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 2 cups apple cider or juice
• 1 package (6 ounces) dried mixed fruit, chopped
• 1 tablespoon stick butter
• 8 tart baking apples

Directions
Combine Sugar substitute, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in medium saucepan.  Stir in cider and dried fruit. Heat to boiling.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until fruit is tender and cider mixture is reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in butter until melted.
Remove cores from apples, cutting to, but not through bottoms. Peel 1 inch around tops. Place apples in greased baking pan. Fill centers with fruit.  Spoon remaining cider mixture over apples.
Bake, uncovered, in preheated 350°F oven about 45 minutes or until apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
Makes 8 servings
Nutrients per Serving: 1 Fruit Baked Apple
Calories 164, Fat 2g, Protein 1g, Carbohydrate 40g, Fiber 4g, Cholesterol 4mg, Sodium 22mg

Recipe Source: Taste of Home’s Diabetic Cookbook 2007