EAT FRUIT WHEN FILING FOR THE 15th
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
FISHERS, N.Y. — Crunch an apple as you crunch your taxes.
April 15 is coming quickly and the apple growers of New York are encouraging frantic filers to enjoy the crunch of a New York-grown apple to help boost energy, improve brain functioning and reduce stress.
“Crunching our apples when you’re crunching numbers is the biggest tax prep help outside of a CPA,” said Linda Quinn, M.S.R.D., a nutritionist for the New York Apple Association.
“Study after study has shown that apples help brain function, increase energy and reduce stress, all of which can be huge during tax time,” she said.
Recent university studies have shown that apples and apple cider consumption increase the production in the brain of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine, resulting in improved memory and brain function.
An apple or two a day provides the boost of energy needed to make it through even the most complicated 1040. The natural carbohydrates in apples provide a steady stream of energy instead of highs-and-lows from sweets or caffeine.
As April 15 approaches and the stress elevates, calm tensions with an apple. Eating foods high in energy and in antioxidants like apples can help fight the effects of tax prepping stress on the body, Quinn said.
Apples are also rich in compounds such as flavanoids, which help to combat stress symptoms.
Some studies show that even the sound of the crunch of an apple can help lower stress levels.
“Best part of all, local apples are a crunchy snack that tastes delicious, which can simply restore one’s happiness after filling out tax forms,” Quinn said.
New York apples are still available in abundance this spring at all major retailers, farm stands and Greenmarkets.
