Super Foods that act like medicine

Super Foods that acts like medicine.
●Ginger ●Apples ●Apricots ●Bananas ●Cranberries ●Garlic ●Globe artichokes ●Oats ●Olive oil ●Yogurt

Some of the foods I have already mentioned, but this time it’s in more detail and how they work. Always try to buy fresh organics whenever possible, as they have a higher concentration of natural goodness and are much less likely to be contaminated with any chemicals.


Ginger
What it’s good for
●Chilblains
● Tiredness and exhaustion
● Colds, a temperature and flu. Drink it with some honey and lemon
● Dull, dry skin
● Helps poor blood circulation

How it works
This spice contain s powerful essential oils which warm the body and are antibacterial. For the problems listed here, make a ginger drink - by simmering five or six thin slices of the fresh root in water for about ten minutes or eat a piece of it, either fresh or cooked, every morning.



Apples
What are they good for
●Aching joints and rheumatism. Chop three apples into pieces without removing the skin. Boil for 15 minutes in half a pint of water and drink when cool.
●High cholesterol.
●Diarrhoea and stomach aches. Eat a couple of spoonfuls of baked apple every hour or so.

How they work
This fruit contains very high levels of pectin - a soluble carbohydrate which reduces cholesterol level in the blood by soaking it up and preventing it from being absorbed into the body. Pectin and tannin also help destroy uric acid, one of the body’s waste products. Apples are an antiseptic, too and help fight against infections in the intestines.


Apricots
What are they good for
●Very dry skin.
●Acne. Eat dried and fresh apricots - though fresh contain more vitamin C.
●They help to heal both cuts and wounds.
●Varicose veins.
●Depression.
●Anaemia and tiredness.
●Constipation. Eat 3- dried halves every morning.

How they work
Beta-carotene is found in this fruit. It fights against ageing and pollution and helps the body heal itself. The beta-carotene and iron content are even more concentrated in the dried variety, and both help the blood supply. Apricots also contain vitamin B and potassium, which strengthen the nervous system.


Bananas
What they are good for
●Strengthening bones, osteoporosis.
●PMT, depression, seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
●Irritability and stress.
●Diarrhoea. Eat half a mashed banana every hour.

How they work
These are particularly good for children and older people because they’re so easily digested. As well as other nutrients, they contain calcium, iron and potassium which strengthen the body and fight against stress. They are also a good source of vitamin B6 and a form of fibre which helps the body eliminate toxins from the system. Eat them ripe as they can be hard to diest when still green.



Cranberries
What it’s good for
●Cystitis and urine infections.
Drink one litre of juice through the day during an attack, then a glass every morning to minimise any recurrence of the problem. Can be used over long periods with no side effects.
●Kidney stones.
●Tonsillitis, laryngitis and sore throats.
●Acne and skin blemishes.
●Soothing sensitive and / or bleeding gums.

How they work
As well as being rich in vitamin C which helps to prevent colds - cranberries are anti-septic and kill infections as they pass through the body. They’re also rich source of potassium, iron and vitamin A. You can make your own juice or puree by simply simmering he fresh berries in water for about an hour, then adding sugar or honey to taste.



Garlic
What they are good for
• Coughs, colds and flu
• Asthma and hay fever
• High blood pressure
• Poor circulation
• Cellulite and fluid retention
• Treating cystitis and bladder infections

Now it works
Contains sulphur compounds and iodine, which disinfect the blood and thin it so that it flows more freely. It is also useful as an expectorant, as it loosens mucus in the body. Eaten regularly, garlic helps strengthen the body's natural defence, the immune system. Cooking destroys some of the minerals so eat one or two chopped or crushed raw cloves a day in salads or with vegetables. Chew parsley or coffee beans to get rid of the odour afterwards.


Globe artichokes
What they are good for
• Liver problems. Try to eat one or two every day
• Fluid retention and cellulite
• Chronic tiredness

How they work
This vegetable contains a chemical called cynarine which helps the liver to function by simulating bile secretion. Artichokes are also an effective diuretic‑ they increase the flow of urine‑so they are extremely helpful with problems of fluid retention. Artichokes are most easily digested if boiled and eaten with a little olive oil.


Oats
What they are good for
• High cholesterol
• Strengthening your bones and teeth
• Diabetes and high blood sugar levels
• Constipation
• Stress
• Depression

How they work
Containing fibre, B vitamins and minerals, oats also soak up the cholesterol in the blood so that it's passed through the body without being absorbed. High in calcium, potassium and magnesium which, like the B vitamins, are good for the nervous system. The silicon content helps to maintain healthy arterial walls. Swap your sugary cereal for a bowl of porridge every morning.


Olive oil
What ifs good for
•Treating constipation and haemorrhoids, especially during pregnancy
• Sensitive, dull and dry skin
• Aching joints and arthritis
• Digestion
• Stomach upsets, liver complaints and ulcers
• High blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Varicose and broken veins

How they work
This monounsaturated oil lubricates the whole body from the inside, helping the body pass food through the system more quickly and easily. It is also rich in vitamin E, which has powerful antioxidant properties, and vitamin A. Replace other oils with extra virgin olive oil when cooking.


Yogurt
What it's good for
• Candida and thrush‑for both of these you should eat at least four small cartons of natural live yogurt a day
• Acne and problem skin
• Stress and irritability

HOW it works
A bacterium called lactobacillus, which is present in yogurt helps balance the bacteria which naturally occur in the stomach. Lactobacillus also fights fungal infections such as thrush. Yogurt is a rich source of important minerals, particularly potassium, which has a role in feeding the nervous system.

UK Weather

Make your own....

Fever

if you're out of paracetamol and you or one of the family has a fever to bring down, try the following before resorting to calling the doctor.Sponge the patient with tepid water, briskly wiping each area of the body as sponged. This will cool the body while also increasing circulation. Make up an apple water drink in order to bring the fever down further. Slice three washed but unpeeled apples and simmer them in a little water until they're soft. Strain the water and add a washed piece of lemon, which will improve the flavour. Serve the drink cold. High temperatures in children are often caused by colds and infections. Before panicking, use your gut feeling to assess wheather your child is her normal self or not. A high temperature when it's combined with floppiness, lack of interest in food or drink, an unusual cry or sensitivity to light are reasons to call your doctor.

Cystitis

Although over the counter remedies exist for cystitis, these are a relatively recent invention, and it's easy to make your own at home with water and a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda to every point. You should aim to drink several pints every hour from the moment symptoms start.

Eat Your Way To Health

Cold and flu -a strong immune system is the key to fighting off virual infections. A diet which contains plenty of fruit and veg, including lots of garlic and onions, is the best way to boost it and fight infection.

Constipation -increase your fibre intake by eating wholegrain cereals such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread and high-fibre breakfast cereals; drink atleast 8 glasses of fluid a day. Also eat prunes, they contain a substance which stimulates the muscles in the bowel and acts as a gentle laxative. (if you really can't face eating prunes, try drinking prne juice instead.)

Cystitis - cranberries and cranberry juice contain a natural antibiotic that prevents the bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. To prevent cystitis, drink a glass of cranberry juice every day. To treat it, drink 350-500ml a day. Drin plenty of water, too but avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.

Gastric ulcers - a dessert-spoon of manuka honey afer each meal and another at bedtime can help heal stomach ulcers and kill the H.pylori bacteria that cause them.
Headaches and migrainecan be caused by low blood sugar, so eat little and often and try not to skip meals. Cheese, chocolate, citru fruits, caffeine and red wine can trigger attacks in migraine sufferers.

Mouth ulcers - often a sign that you're run down. Try eating natural yogurt, which is high in the acidophilus bacteria. Keep it in your mouth for couple of minutes before swallowing. The bacteria in the yogurt will help the ulcer heal.

Nausea - try sucking a piece of crystallised ginger or drinking ginger ale, or make ginger tea: grate a 1.3cm (half inch) piece of fresh root ginger into a mug of boiling water. Stand the tea for about 10 minutes before straining and drinking.

Psoriasis - eat more oil-rich fish. They're rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which can have an anti-inflammatory effect. Aim to eat atleat 3 serving a week.

Thrush - Caused by an excess growth of the yeast candida albicans. Eating live yogurt can help by encouraging friendly bacteria to flourish. Avoid sugar, which encourages the growth of candida.

Drink up your greens!
Green tea is a rich source of flavonoids which help protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals linked with heat disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Get The Best...

To get the maximum nutritional content from all the fruit and veg you eat, you'd need to pick them from an organic plot and eat within a few hours. That's pretty unlikely, so what's next best thing?

Fresh foods... you'd think fresh was always the best option, but only harvested veg is eaten within a day or two. In reality, so much is imported and may have taken days to reach the shops where it then sits around for a couple of days. Produce starts to lose its nutritional content the moment it's picked so, by the time we eat it, it's pretty minimal, especially if it's been pre-washed and chopped. Up the ante by buying from a busy shop solve the distance problem by buying Localley.

As for canned and frozen... most frozen foods are picked and frozen within hours so nutrients are locked in. The best example is peas, which have the same amount of vitamin C as fresh just picked ones. Fruit and veg destined for canning are transported to canneries fairly quickly, where they're canned in water, syrup or juice, then cooked at high temperatures - no worries about the nutrients, tinned carrots can contain more vitamin C then either boiled fresh or frozen. So now there's no excuse for not eating your greens, your oranges, your yellows....

Know Your Colours

It's important to get more colour into your life - but make sure you're getting a good balance.

Green

the most important colour to include in our diets; green foods are rich in iron and vitamins C and E, and contain chemicals that protect us against bacteria, reducing the risks of food poisoning and certain cancers, including colon and lung cancer.
Best to eat: broccoli, advocados, apples, green peppers, peas, green leafy veg.



Red

Rich in betacarontene, a plant form of vitamin A which protects against heart disease and cancer; it's also an antioxidant, which helps protect against damaging substances produced by smoking, pollution and sunlight. Lycopene, another powerful antioxidant found mainly in tomatoes, helps to reduce the risk of certain cancers. This becomes more concentrated in cooked or canned tomatoes. So those tinned toms are good for you.
Best to eat: red peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, red cabbage, red onions, rhubarb.



Purple

There's lots of vitamin C, bioflavonoids and ellagic acids in purple foods. They're immune-boosting cancer preventors and are also pacifing and relaxing, so can help if you're having trouble sleeping. Beetroot is especially rich in iron and magnesium and is known as the vitality plant.
Best to eat: beetroot, prunes, aubergines, blueberries, plums







Yellow and Orange

Like the red foods, yellow and orange are also high in betacarotene. Citrus fruits - lemons, limes, oramges, grapefruits are good source of vitamin C, and bananas are energy giving, rich in potassium and maganese.
Best to eat: sweet potatoes, sweetcorn, pumpkins, apricots, mangoes.