After a recent bout of what might have been food poisoning, I have a newfound appreciation for apples. Whether it was the steamed salmon I had for dinner the night before or a flu virus I picked up, I awoke at 4 am with terrible nausea, vertigo, profuse sweating and full body shakes. Not exactly the kind of thing you want to go through when staying over at a colleague’s house for the first time. Thankfully, they had a family protocol for such a presentation. I was nursed back to health with frozen apple juice pieces that I would suck on, one bit at a time until an entire ice cube size amount was consumed. Every hour, another cube sized amount, until my appetite was sufficient to try solid foods. It was really quite incredible how well it worked, I was able to get to the airport that afternoon and fly back to Victoria without any further vomiting.

My colleague had been given the suggestion of using frozen apple juice pieces when she was experiencing  nausea during her pregnancy. It worked quite well for her at that time and they have continued to implement this protocol whenever a family member is sick to their stomach, or when they have a house guest who challenges the boundaries of friendly hospitality. I am eternally grateful for the care I received and the helpful tip on how to use apple juice. I now dedicate one end of my ice cube tray to frozen apple juice, just in case.

The reason apples work so well for nausea and restoring appetite has to do with their composition. They contain tannins which provide a thirst quenching and cooling effect for the body, apples are high in fiber and deliver a wide array of vitamins (Vitamin A, B1, B2, and B6, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Folic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, and Zinc).