Natural Cures Not Medicine: healthy foods

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Showing posts with label healthy foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy foods. Show all posts

The 12 Healthiest Foods on Earth

One of the 12 healthiest foods, avocado! Image: rawforbeauty.com
Here are 12 foods that, pound for pound, offer more benefits than most other foods on the planet. These foods make it onto most top healthy food lists across the internet. These foods have long been known to provide massive amounts of vitamins and nutrients and give your body healthy energy boosts and help keep it functioning correctly.(Always choose the organic version of these foods)

1. Spinach 

Much has been written about the virtues of spinach, and rightly so. It’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. It’s also readily available at most local supermarkets, and reasonably priced. You can get it fresh in the produce section, or you can buy it frozen in leaf form, and also canned in the canned veggies aisle. The main concern is getting more of it into your system so you can reap all of the positive benefits.

Benefits

Right away spinach is going to go to work for you, providing you with energy, and helping you to fill your stomach without adding a lot of calories to your daily intake. When you factor in the phytonutrients working as antioxidants you’re doing yourself a huge favor with the battle against free radical damage. Not to mention you’re helping to nourish your body on a cellular level, providing increased energy, and it aids any weight loss efforts.

2. Goji Berries 

Many people are just finding out how good goji berries are for your overall feeling of well-being. You’ll want to find dried goji berries, and not simply rely on a juice or other product claiming to contain goji berries in it. They make a great snack to hold you over between meals, and when compared to drinking phony energy drinks, you can get actual energy from these, and also be introducing plenty of antioxidants into your system.

Benefits

Your immune system gets a dose of support when you eat a serving of goji berries, and you’ll also be helping yourself beat the onslaught of free radicals that occur as a result of a stressful environment and processed foods that don’t offer nutritional support to the body. The benefit that most of us would be interested in is the ability of goji berries to help us fight fatigue. It’s no wonder that our modern lifestyles have us burning the candle at both ends, and by eating a food like these berries you’ll be increasing the amount of time it takes you to wear out.

3. Salmon 

What makes this fish so special that it stands apart from all the others? It’s the omega-3 content that does it, and of course it has the benefit that most fish has of being high in protein. Many also prefer the delicate, not-so-fishy flavor of salmon to other fish. You’ll want to stick to Alaskan wild salmon to get the full amount of benefits, and make sure that you’re not eating smoked salmon as it does not have the same nutritional benefits as freshly caught and cooked.

Benefits

For those of you that are strength training, salmon will provide support to your muscle tissue with the protein it contains. The reason the omega-3s are so important is that they provide vital support to your heart and circulatory system. You’ll also receive tertiary benefits in the form of increased memory function and a decrease in the likelihood of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It also helps to make your skin and hair look their best.

4. Avocado 

If you’re not already a fan of avocado, you should try adding more of it into your life. It tends to be one of the more expensive items in the produce section, especially if you go the organic route. It can also be a little tricky to pick the right ones and then consume them before they go bad. But you don’t have to eat them everyday in order to benefit from them. Adding one or two a week to your diet would be a great start, and would keep costs down.

Benefits

One of the most referenced benefits of avocado is their amounts of healthy monounsaturated fat. It’s interesting that this is a high-fat fruit, as most of them are very low fat or fat free. These fats actually help you to lose fat, if that’s what you’re trying to do. They also help you to feel fuller longer, and are not the same sort of fats found in a cheeseburger. The carotenoid levels help with eye health, and avocados in general will help stabilize your blood glucose levels so you don’t hit dangerous peaks and valleys.

5. Quinoa 

Known by vegetarians for several years now, quinoa has been catching on more in the mainstream as a tasty and filling way to complement a meal, or be the foundation of a meal. Even those that follow a no wheat diet can turn to quinoa, although it doesn’t quite appeal to those that have written off grains altogether. If you’re not familiar with how to cook it you can get up to speed quickly, and it’s now readily available at most supermarkets, where once it was a bit rare.

Benefits

You’re getting a quality protein without the cholesterol and fat that can come with animal sources. You’re also getting smart carbs that don’t register very highly on the Glycemic Index, so your body can process them without converting them to fat later. On top of that it doesn’t contain much fat, so you can eat this when following a weight loss plan, and it also keeps you under the limit for calories if you’re watching those.

6. Broccoli 

The quintessential healthy food, broccoli has often been referenced as a good side item to add to any meal to health things up. Just as long as you don’t smother it in butter or cheese it’s able to retain it’s healthy effects. Steam it up to lock in the flavor, make it easier to eat, and retain as many nutrients as possible. There are only a few buying options when it comes to broccoli, you can get it fresh from the produce aisle or find it in the frozen vegetables section. Either way, opting for organic is a great idea on this one.

Benefits

The fiber in broccoli will help keep things in order, digestively speaking, and it is a good non-dairy source of calcium. The Vitamin C that one serving contains is all that you need for the day, and this will help your body stave off illnesses. The Vitamin K it has doesn’t get much press but is important if you want to keep your bones healthy. It’s great for your eyes and your heart, and can even help to keep cancer away.

7. Almonds 

Almonds provide a go anywhere snacking option that will help you to feel full between meals, and give you the energy you need to start the day. Just make sure that when you choose your almonds you’re not getting the kind that have a lot of salt or oil added like those that are dry roasted. Go for raw almonds, and don’t overeat them because since it’s easy to keep munching on them.

Benefits

Almonds are often mentioned by fitness instructors as a way to help feed your muscles, but they also have plenty of other benefits that makes them worthy of making it onto your daily menu. They help prevent heart attacks, and can reduce the amount of bad cholesterol produced in the body. They are a source of healthy fat, and can help your brain function better. If you weren’t on board already they also help to strengthen bones and teeth.

8. Beets

Beets are unique because they contain things that are good for you that are only found in beets. What you’re looking for here is the beetroot, and not necessarily the pickled beets you’ll find in jars and on Greek salads. If you’re intimidated by the thought of preparing and cooking beetroot, there are plenty of recipes online that can show you how it’s done. It’s worth the time and effort to start incorporating more beets into your diet.

Benefits

The boron in beets will help put the pep back in your step, sexually speaking. You’ll also feel a general sense of having more energy. They are great for nourishing the brain as well, and can assist in lowering your blood pressure. Because of the broad amount of vitamins and minerals they contain, you can add them to smoothies to instantly up your nutrient count without adding to the calories or fat.

9. Sweet Potatoes 

Sweet potatoes made it to the big time when they were featured on Oprah has a superfood that was flying under the radar. What’s nice about them is that they easy to cook, with lots of wiggle room for error. They also fill you up, are brimming with vitamins, and contain fiber which is essential for the proper functioning of your digestive system. They are a nice addition to any meal, and can provide instant balance since they fall somewhere between a starch and a vegetable.

Benefits

There are a wide range of benefits for sweet potatoes, but some of the highlights are that they can help to prevent a heart attack, keep your skin looking young, help you to feel relaxed, keep your immune system working well, gives you more energy, and contains antioxidants that can help reduce the amount of breakdown in your body due to free radicals. This is why they consistently make lists of superfoods and healthiest vegetables.

10. Kale 

A lot of times kale gets lumped together with spinach, but it deserves its own ranking on the list of world’s healthiest foods. While not as ubiquitous as spinach, kale is gaining ground because it is just as healthy, and even more so in some areas. You can use it the same way as spinach, as a healthy side dish. You can also add it to smoothies to make them green and to pack them with vitamins. Some people prefer the taste of kale to spinach, so an extra bonus there.

Benefits

The reason kale is becoming popular is because it helps you fill up without a lot of calories to speak of. It doesn’t have any fat, has plenty of fiber as well as iron and Vitamin K. Because of its antioxidant content you’ll get anti-inflammatory benefits which helps to reduce the symptoms of inflammation, while also helping to avoid the rise of certain diseases. It also helps to restore and maintain an alkaline state.

11. Kelp 

You might feel like a whale when you eat kelp, but you won’t grow to the size of one. In fact, since it’s pretty hard to come by in stores, most people turn to a kelp supplement to get the benefits from it. This makes it more easy to consume, since it’s not easy to buy, store, and prepare it. Whichever way you decide to add it to your diet, you’ll want to make sure that you

Benefits

Depending on who you ask there are varying benefits to kelp. Be sure that you’re getting your information from a source that isn’t trying to sell you a kelp supplement. The calcium in kelp appears to be what gets the spotlight, outdoing one of the most commonly thought of food items when it comes to calcium: milk. It also features an assortment of vitamins and minerals, and since it comes from the ocean, it’s a different makeup than land-based vegetables, with different varieties of phytonutrients.

12. Cabbage 

Cabbage has been a widely known “health food” for decades now, and it seems the more studies they run on it, the better it looks. One of the easiest and tastiest ways to eat more cabbage is to make a soup out of it. You can also steam it for a great side dish to any meal. One tip: cut it into smaller pieces so it cooks quicker and is easier to eat.

Benefits

The fiber in cabbage will help to keep your digestive system operating at its full potential. The antioxidants are the key on this one as well as almost all of the items on this list, doing battle with the free radicals that occur as a result of stress and other factors. If you struggle with high cholesterol you’ll want to pay extra attention to cabbage as a way to keep it under control. It can also help to prevent or deter cancer due to its high levels of glucosinolates.

Remember, these are just the big dogs when it comes to the healthiest foods out there. You can make an effort to include them in your daily diet, but don’t think that these are all you need to achieve maximum health. The best way to eat is by giving your body what it needs from several different sources, thus covering all of the most important vitamins and minerals. Keeping it balanced is also important, and remember there’s no need to “overdose” on certain foods just because they’re good for you.

Source: Bembu.com

12 Foods That FIGHT Inflammation!

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Inflammation is largely caused by the foods we put in our bodies. Consuming highly processed canned, frozen and bagged foods are foreign to the natural flora of our bodies and so the body naturally fights against the products in these foods (as a part of the immune response), leading to high levels of inflammation. Effects of chronic inflammation can range from heart disease to dementia, to cancer and arthritis. Most autoimmune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease are linked to excessive inflammation in the body.

The good news is that you can control the level of inflammation in your body by simply changing the way you eat. Getting regular sleep, eating well, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake (or quitting altogether), stressing less and engaging in regular exercise will all help make a difference.

Here is a list of 12 amazing foods that help combat inflammation in the body:

(1) Papaya
Papaya contains the enzymes ‘papain’ and ‘chymopapain’ which help reduce inflammation  in the body (and also improve digestion). Papaya has powerful antioxidants like beta-carotene and vitamins C and E which combat free radicals in the body that trigger inflammation-related diseases.

(2) Avocado
Avocados are polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs). PFAs are mostly present in seaweeds and other ocean plants, and are extremely rare in land plants, so this makes the avocado very unusual in this respect. The PFAs and phytosterols in avocados provide our bodies with anti-inflammatory benefits which help fight a variety of diseases. Particularly, avocado’s phytosterols prevent pro-inflammatory prostaglandin E2 synthesis by the connective tissue (and thus reducing inflammation in the joints of individuals experiencing arthritis and gout.

(3) Cranberries
Cranberries contain important anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that protect the cardiovascular system and prevent hardening of the arteries. They also prevent inflammation-associated diseases of the urinary tract (urinary tract infections), stomach (ulcers), and mouth (gingivitis).

(4) Broccoli
Broccoli is an incredible anti-inflammatory food, thanks to it’s abundant sulforaphane compounds which help the body get rid of potentially carcinogenic compounds (a cause of a highly inflamed body) and relieve inflammation and oxidative stress. It is also very high in vitamin C which is another powerful anti-inflammatory agent which cuts the levels of inflammation markers by up to 45%!

(5) Red Cabbage 
If we do not ingest anti-inflammatory foods, our body cannot regulate the inflammation in our body we acquire from stress and the environment, as well as highly processed foods, wheat, and animal products. Anthocyanins found in red cabbage have been researched numerous times and time and time again they have been found to be one of the best anti-inflammatory vegetables out there!

(6) Hemp seeds
Raw hemp seeds contain an ideal ratio of omega’s 3 and 6. Omega-6 fats contain GLA which works in the body as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing inflammation and helping people suffering from things like asthma, arthritis and other body pain associated from exercising or being bruised. This healthy fat also improves the health of our skin and inhibits cancer cell growth.

(7) Blueberries
Inflammation and damage by free radicals have been linked with pretty much every disease we witness today. Many studies have found that blueberries prevent oxidative stress and inflammation. Blueberries help increase natural killer cell activity which help eradicate free radicals and fight disease. As well, they promote the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the body which leaves us with lower levels of inflammation and thus reduced chance of falling ill.

(8) Chia seeds
Many arthritis sufferers have reported reduced inflammation associated pain after just a few weeks of taking chia seeds. They contain important omega-3 fatty acids which are converted to prostagladins which have pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Chia seeds are also a great source of antioxidants (they contain more than blueberries!), and antioxidants help keep the body healthy and reduce pain arising from inflammation in the body.

(9) Ginger
Ginger contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols which inhibit the production of nitric oxide (which naturally forms potent and very damaging free radicals called peroxynitrites). Ginger has also been found to suppress pro-inflammatory compounds like cytokines produced by synoviocytes, chrondrocytes and leukocytes, and thus making our immune system and joints stronger.

(10) Walnuts
Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, phytonutrients (tannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids), quinones and other anti-inflammatory nutrients. Consuming walnuts has been linked to decreased markers for blood vessel inflammation (reduced C-reactive protein) for those at risk for heart disease. Including walnuts as a part of your diet will ensure you gain these benefits.

(11) Turmeric
Turmeric, if you haven’t already heard, is one of the best anti-inflammatory foods out there! Thanks to the active ingredient, curcumin, this root can inhibit the activity and synthesis of COX-2 and 5-LOX, two important enzymes involved in the inflammatory response. One study found that osteoarthritis patients had significantly reduced pain and increased mobility when taking just 200 mg of curcumin per day (the control group with no curcumin had no significant improvements). Curcumin has also been found to block inflammatory pathways, and thus prevents proteins from triggering pain and swelling.

(12) Celery

A specific nutrient in celery, called “luteolin”, is particularly effective against inflammation and cancer. This compound is found in smaller amounts in peppers, parsley, thyme, basil and peppermint. It is a biofalvonoid which means that it has double the antioxidant properties of vitamin C! Luteolin essentially prevents the inflammatory pathway in the brain to get switched on, and thus helps reduce the amount of inflammatory responses triggered in the body.

Plant Protein For Vegetarians

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 Every cell in our body needs protein to stay alive. Protein is necessary for tissue repair and for the building of new tissues. >Your muscles, hair, nails, skin and eyes are made from proteins. So are the cells that make up all the organs in your body system – nerves, lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, brain and your sex glands. >Amino acids are thebuilding blocks of protein. When you consume protein, it is broken down into various amino acids and transported throughout your body through your blood. Your cells then pick and choose the amino acids that they need to construct new body tissues, blood cells, enzymes, hormones, etc.

Here are some examples of plant protein suitable for vegetarians. Do include them in your juicing and diet, instead of meat protei
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