An apple a day keeps the doctor away

An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Apple in the morning - Doctor's warning
Roast apple at night - starves the doctor outright
Eat an apple going to bed - knock the doctor on the head
Three each day, seven days a week - ruddy apple, ruddy cheek

This is one of those rhymes that teach children the importance of eating healthy food. In particular teaching them that an Apple is good for you and will prevent visits to doctors or dentists.

This is a 12th Century saying, the health benefits of apples have been on record since ancient times. The medieval physician's "bible," the Salerno Medical School's Prescription for Health, documented in 1100 A.D. the therapeutic properties of apples for ailments associated with the bowels

The chief dietetic value of apples lies in the malic and tartaric acids. These acids are of signal benefit to persons of sedentary habits, who are liable to liver derangements, and they neutralize the acid products of gout and indigestion. 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' is a respectable old rhyme that has some reason in it.

Another old saying to go with this is, think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.

Rhymes Thirty Days Wise Old Owl Tom Piper House Jack Built Seesaw Margery Daw Bo Peep Little Piggy Boy Blue Jack Sprat Jack Horner Miss Muffet Tommy Tucker Ladybug Mary Mary quite contrary Old King Cole Cry Baby Bunting Hush A Bye Baby Doctor Foster Georgie Porgie Goosey Gander The Grand Old Duke Of York An Apple A Day St Ives Baa Baa Black Sheep Old Mother Hubbard Robin Red Brest Oranges And Lemon Banbury Cross Jack Be Nibble Twinkle Star Dicky Birds Willie Winker Sugar and Spice Cock Robin Old Women Diddle Diddle Hickory Dickory Hot Cross Buns Humpty Dumpty Ding Dong Bells Itsy Bitsy Spider Jack and Jill Christmas is coming Fish Alive