No matter what time I get up in the morning, I always start the day with stewed apples. My daughter´s fitness trainer called it a 'sugar bomb' - little does he know about its many benefits and overall blood sugar balancing effect.

The many health benefits of apples are legendary. They are extremely rich in important vitamins, antioxidants and polyphenols as well as a good source of dietary fibre, in particular pectin. Tip: Best buy organic apples (or grow your own) so that you can eat the skin which contains half of the health-promoting fibre. 

Fibre is not absorbed during digestion. Instead, it goes undigested to your colon where it promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. This in itself has a huge positive effect on your health and has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The soluble fibre in apples makes them particularly filling. Studies have shown that eating soluble fibre such as pectin reduces the levels of hunger hormones and increases the production of hormones that make you feel full, thereby supporting weight loss.

Fibre is also important for the elimination of toxins, waste products (such as excessive oestrogen!), heavy metals and cholesterol from the body. Constipated all the time? Consider the long-term effect of poor excretion of these substances. 

Apart from pectin, the recipe also asks for cinnamon which has been shown to lower blood sugar by acting like insulin and increasing insulin's ability to move blood sugar into the cells.

To increase the blood sugar lowering effect, I always make stewed apples with ghee. It helps curb hunger pangs as fat makes you feel fuller for longer – the same as fibre.

In addition, ghee:

• helps absorb the nutrients from the food we eat by stimulating the production of stomach acid.
• contains butyric acid, a fatty acid that the beneficial bacteria in our gut can easily turn into energy.
• contains all the four fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
• And people with difficulty digesting lactose may find they can tolerate ghee.

And last but not least, I have found that stewed apples help me feel more balanced throughout the day. I noticed this particularly on a holiday to Italy a year after Kevin died. In the hotel friends and I were staying at, the healthiest breakfast option from the whole breakfast buffet was bacon with scrambled eggs. And they had usually run out of bacon by the time I came down for breakfast. Not great! On the third day without my stewed apples, I completely lost it which nearly cost me a long-standing friendship!

Important note: Don´t be surprised if after having stewed apples for breakfast you feel ravenous around lunchtime. It is supposed to stimulate your appetite so that you can properly digest your main meal of the day! :)

Still not convinced? If apples on their own are too bland for you, simply add some other fruit (e.g. pears, apricots, plums, nectarines or peaches), some dried fruit (prunes and dates) and top it up with berries. You will be surprised how good it tastes!

Want to give it a try and become part of my ever-growing stewed apples fan club? Here’s a short instruction video on how to prepare this nourishing early morning treat: http://ow.ly/6uuY50JjLpq

Enjoy!