Discover nature's comfort food in a warm bowl of Apple Sauce with Ginger & Ghee. Snuggling up with a blanket and applesauce is all you need to soften and sweeten your mood. Applesauce takes you back to the innocence and simplicity of childhood. Warming ghee smoothes and soothes your nerves. A warm bowl of spiced apple sauce with ghee and a sprinkle of sugar is the ideal after-school (or after-work!) snack that will satisfy your stomach without hurting your waistline.

Orchard-ripe apples hang heavy on the tree this time of year, and make a tasty golden base for this wonderful autumn treat. If you're so inclined, grab a flannel, a basket, and find a feral apple tree in your neighborhood or local park, and pick them fresh. There's nothing like the smell of simmering, homemade applesauce to make any autumn afternoon cozy.

An Apple a Day

Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? It's a familiar American adage that deserves a renaissance, but with a twist. In Ayurveda, a cooked apple - not a raw one - keeps the doctor away. Raw apples are cold, drying and might not digest easily, especially when left unskinned. Cooked apples, on the other hand, are warm and soft, like soups. They digest in a snap. Along with cooking, ghee softens the fibrous quality of apples that feels rough to those with sensitive constitutions and promises easier digestion.

The Perfect Autumn Snack

Your digestion works hard throughout the day so Ayurveda suggests snacks should be light and easy to digest. Applesauce with Ginger & Ghee is a near-perfect snack for gentle relief from hunger. When you're ravenous, applesauce will provide relief, without destroying your appetite for dinner. When you're simply stressed, applesauce provides comfort without putting on the pounds. The sour taste refreshes your kidneys and adrenals, as it restores a feeling of juiceyness. In as little as one hour after a bowl of this delicious treat, you will feel pleasantly hungry for a hearty autumn dinner. Applesauce is also a great option for a late-night snack.

Keeps you Regular

One of the main reasons "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is its ability to keep you regular and stave off constipation. Sour taste warms and stimulates secretions that help you maintain a moist colon and motility. The high fiber content of apples (2.9 grams/cup) bulks up the stool for an easy elimination that cleanses the colon, which in turn keeping your blood clean. A clean colon coupled with clean blood means a clean bill of health!

Gently Clean Your Liver

Malic acid, the constituent responsible for the sour, tart taste of apples, has a particular affinity for liver cleansing and support. Apples are also sweet, a taste that gently nourishes the body and inspires a calm, tranquil state of mind. The tart sourness of apple purifies the liver and cools the blood by drawing bile into the small intestine for elimination. This effect is somatically experienced as a softening of the eyes.

Steady Blood Sugar

A spoonful of applesauce on the tongue registers sour taste, which increases saliva and stimulates the digestive tract which increases your digestive strength. After we swallow bites of the cooked apple, it descends down to the stomach and passes through to the small intestine. Although absorption of sweet taste increases blood sugar, apples have a relatively low glycemic index (38) and calorie count (72), making this a sweet treat that is healthy and safe.

Autumn Immune Tonic

Warm, soft, and comforting Applesauce with Ginger & Ghee nurtures & moistens your body through the dry transition to autumn. It prepares your tissues for winter. Ginger stimulates digestion while keeping you warm. It even makes you sweat out toxins that may be circulating in the blood, expelling these potential threats to your health. Ghee and raw sugar are extra nourishing after loss of fluids from a long, hot summer.

Weathering the Fall

The two most challenging times of year are the temperature u-turns of August and February. August illnesses tend to arise from deficiency, and February, from excess. Warm, soft, and comforting "Applesauce with Ginger & Ghee" nurtures the body through the transition to autumn and prepares our tissues for winter. In addition to the healing benefits of apple described above, ginger stimulates and enhances digestive efficiency. Ghee and raw sugar are extra nourishing after loss of fluids from a long, hot summer.

If you're so inclined, grab a flannel, a basket, and find a feral apple tree in your neighborhood or local park. These "Johnny apple-seed" trees are abundant and often underutilized. "Applesauce with Ginger & Ghee" is like an apple pie without the crust. Enjoy a warm cup on a cool autumn morning.