There are plenty of different ways to eat your apple.

Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it peeled and sliced.

Personally, I eat the whole fruit, core and all, until I'm left with nothing but a little brown stalk.

This has less to do with a "waste-not-want-not"

philosophy and more to do with the romantic notion of eating unadulterated whole foods as nature intended.

Who can blame Eve for being unable to resist the luscious looks and sweet smelling aroma of a fresh apple?

These days, I crave simplicity and innocence when it comes to my food and baulk at packaged items with a list of more than two ingredients and words I can't pronounce.

The fact that every part of an apple contains specific nutrients conducive to health is almost incidental.

Directly under the skin one finds antioxidants designed to protect the fruit from free radicals.

Meanwhile, they also protect the human body from oxidation, preventing cell and tissue damage which leads to aging and degenerative disease.

Just wash and go, for there is a much higher concentration of nutrients underneath the skin than in the flesh and it seems almost sinful to peel the fruit and throw away all those goodies.

Look out for apples that haven't been waxed, they can be found at farmers'

markets or outlets selling organic produce.

One of the main reasons an apple or two a day keeps the doctor away is its highfibre content.

Fruit fibre has a variety of functions and one of the most important is to prevent constipation.

Apples get the bowels moving, they are particularly high in the soluble fibre pectin.

Pectin adds bulk and helps to eliminate excess cholesterol and heavy metals such as lead and mercury.

Pectin also slows down digestion and reduces the speed of glucose absorption, making it an ideal snack for people with blood sugar problems.

Additionally, fibre such as pectin encourages the growth of "friendly bacteria"

in the digestive tract so they can keep your internal plumbing in good working order.

The humble apple was one of the favourite remedies of Hippocrates, the Greek physician considered to be the father of modern medicine.

The vitamin C content of an apple boosts immunity and it's also a good source of potassium, folic acid and other vitamins and minerals.

Eating apples is an excellent way of clearing out your system if you need a quick detox.

For instance, if stuck on plane for a day, take a bag of apples with you and munch on these rather than the usual high-tech air food.

Crunching on raw apples gives the jaws and gums wicked workout while simultaneously cleaning the teeth.

To avoid dental corrosion, rinse your mouth with water after eating.

Stewed or grated, apples are useful to prevent dehydration in the elderly or the very young because of their high water content.

Last but not least, a useful tip for a hangover is to eat couple of apples on the morning after the night before.

Martina is a qualified
nutritionist at the Crescent Clinic of Complementary Medicine, 37 Vernon Terrace, Brighton. Tel: 01273 202221 or email: martina_watts @compuserve.com