Did you know the simple apple is a fantastic gut healer that will help you lower your food sensitivity levels? I know: nice and simple for a change!
Michael Ash invented his so-called mucosal tolerance apple recipe, which is partly how I have worked on my own gut for allergies etc and I have given it to lots of patients. It helps heal a leaky gut, lower inflammation and re-set the microbiome, pus more besides – do read the full info on it here, is fascinating. See the recipe below, and I’ve added some links to the second stage to help you, and more useful tips at the end:
Stewed Healing Apples and Immune Cofactors
Recipe:
Ingredients for primary stage
- 6 Bramley cooking apples (or apples of choice preferably grown organically)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup raisins/sultanas (for added sweetness and fibre)
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
Directions
Peel and core the apples and chop them into small evenly sized pieces.
Put all the ingredients in a covered, heavy-bottomed pan and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. Cook until soft with rough shapes, no longer identifiable as apple slices. The colour should be a russet brown with the cinnamon effect.
These may be eaten warm, or cold. I suggest making up as many ramekins (sized to hold 1 – 1.5 apple equivalent in each and covered and put in the fridge for easy recovery and to avoid food deviation due to lack of availability and so maintain compliance.
Ingredients for secondary stage
- 1 tsp. of larch arabinogalactans stirred into the apple to add sweetness – if required
- 1 Saccharomyces Boulardii 250mg capsule sprinkled on the top – or swallowed separately
- 1 mix of Bifidobacteria (mixed strains) (500mg) 5billion CFU sprinkled on top – or swallowed separately
- 1 x LGG sprinkled on top – or swallowed separately
- ½ container of organic natural yogurt (dairy) or soy equivalent approx. 75mg
- Add 6-8 blueberries and 4-5 almonds in their skins
- Finally, if required, a teaspoon of Manuka honey
Fantastic recipe, that! You can see the research behind it here.
Other tips, whilst I think of them…
I note that Mike has recently said he also likes to add NT Factor powder too. The best way to eat it is with each meal (yum: pudding :)). It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days but freezing won’t affect it so that’s probably easier: make a load and freeze it in daily portions. If you can’t cook the apples for some reason (best as it releases more pectin), try blending which will help to release some. I often added cooled, cooked apple to my morning smoothie. If you can have butter, some people add that to increase butyrate, which is the food for the gut wall so helps it heal – you can use butyrate powder from a capsule too if preferred. He mentions yogurt on the main page, use coconut or whatever you can have, if non-dairy.
This recipe is not TGF (ie. Grf, DF) I’m afraid. Use the Master List to help you – or do an Ask Micki and I’ll see if I can invent an alternative for you!
So, add this to your daily diet as a functional (healing) food if you can. It’s the cooked apples for the pectin that is the core (geddit!) of the recipe so start with those or anything else high in pectin if you can’t do apples. High pectin foods include: peaches, strawberries and oranges (especially in the peel), bananas, raspberries, blackberries, apricots, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes. Apple, oranges and carrots have the most.
Enjoy. Good excuse for pudding for a change! Do let me know your own recipe if you try it – and how you get on.
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Hi Micki, I listened to Dr Michael Ash on a podcast and so I use cooked apple with peel on as a go to for lunch . I dont use Bramleys as I can never find organic unless pick wild when out and about. But I do find organic apples from the supermarket cook down well. I have as apple sauce with dinner – even with lamb, beef and chicken which seems to make people claim – ‘aggh no thanks’ strange world!
I put the sliced apple in a small pudding basin and add a slice of Biona creamed coconut (chopped) which makes it a little stodgier more like a pudding. Also a knob of butter, splash of water and any handful of fruit I have if wish. I put in the oven for 30mins so then no stirring and don’t have to think of. I also melt a few squares of Green & Blacks organic 85% choc and add the apple mixture to the Choc . Sometimes I will use Fruit tree Organic spread (no sweetner other than grape juice). Makes a delicious pudding as lunch
Or sometimes crack a few eggs in the frying pan (coconut oil) and add the sliced apple with peel on and sprinkle with ceylon cinnamon. Low light to allow the apple time to cook. fold over cooking both sides and enjoy a lovely apple omelette – a treat as lunch drizzle a little honey on 😉
Ooh some great tips there, Lynne, loving the idea of the pancake. How long does it take for the apple slices to cook in the pan, or do you mean they are already cooked? How about a choccy one for breakfasts too! Do you us cooking apples from supermarket, you mean? yes, organic Bramleys: not easy!
Apart from the apples that are best to cook to release pectin – is the same true for the variations mentioned? ie is it always best to cook the veg or fruit to release the pectin?
Reminds me of my mum who was a great jam maker and how some jams set because naturally high in pectin and others like strawberry had to have it added for a good set.
Yes, generally the cooking releases the pectin more, Elaine. Indeed, our Mams knew best!