Apples do not have any "chemicals" such as tryptophan (present in turkey) that makes you sleepy or caffeine (in coffee) that blocks your ability to stay calm, but it does have fructose which is a type of simple sugar found in fruits and honey. Because it's delivered slowly with the process of eating and contains fiber from the skin and meat of the apple, the sugar doesn't give you a jolt like coffee or candy often can. There are no adverse effects such as the "let down" or addiction that some people experience from coffee or energy drinks.

The process of eating the apple, its crunchy texture and sweet juicy taste probably can wake some people up in the morning as well as provide some nutrition. Part of waking up is the process and some people find comfort and dependency in their morning cup of coffee-the ritual of measuring the water and grounds, listening to the brew being created, the aroma and finally, the adding of their favorite condiments into their brown-stained favorite cup. The coffee culture such as standing in line at a corner coffee shop can be a very important process of waking up.

Not to tout the virtues of coffee but perhaps our culture considers eating an apple to wake up as too simplistic, lonesome and not as glamorous at the steering wheel on our way to work. The corporate suit looks more stylish with that green logo cup than with a half eaten oxidizing apple. A lipstick stain looks more expected on a rim of a cup rather than smeared on an apple core. But if you want to be healthy or if you're trying to find an alternative to caffeine, perhaps an apple could be your ideal choice.

This is supposed to be a "false fact" started on the Michigan Department of Agriculture website that has since been debunked everywhere. The idea was that chewing, smelling and enjoying an apple, and having the natural sugars slowly release into your bloodstream was an equally effective and healthier way to wake up than shocking your body with caffeine, which can make little holes in your nervous system over time.

Caffeine is undoubtedly an effective stimulant. That's why the US Army gives soldiers caffeinated gum to chew. It does wake you up and is not especially harmful in moderation. Consider a healthier alternative to coffee, though, such as green tea, which has some health benefits that offset the caffeine.

Speaking from personal experience, I do find that putting "real" applesauce (no added sugar or corn syrup) on my morning toast and washing it down with green tea makes a lovely, quick and healthy breakfast that does wake me up and gives me energy until lunch. The applesauce might only energize because of the natural apple sugar (fructose) or by a property not yet discovered by science. Try it and see.