Healing Foods

Important Information You Need For A Healthier Life

Table Of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page Fruits and !egetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page " Healing Properties Of Fruits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page # Healing Properties Of !egetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page $ %eeds& Nuts& Oils and Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page '' Healing Properties Of %eeds& Nuts& Oils and Fish . . . . Page '( )rains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page '# Healing Properties Of )rains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page '* Healing Properties Of +eans and Lentils . . . . . . . . . . . Page '$ Healing Properties Of Herbs and %pices . . . . . . . . . . . Page (, Healing Teas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page (( Other Healing Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page (

Introduction
Do you remember, as a child, being told by your mother to eat all your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Later on in life, you may have been told that this was just an "old wives tale". Guess what, recent studies have shown that Mom was right! oods can !revent eye disease, heart disease, arthritis and more. %ome +asic %cience"n recent years scientists have discovered that foods contain "!hytochemicals", # fancy name for naturally occurring chemicals. $his is not the same as nutrients, that we all %now are the substances necessary for sustaining life. &hytochemicals are substances that have !ro!erties that can aid in disease !revention and even cures. 'cientists have identified thousands of these chemicals in the foods we eat and a single serving of fruits or vegetables can contain as many as one hundred different !hytochemicals. $he most commonly %nown !hytochemicals are the antio(idants. #ntio(idants !rotect our cells from damage from to(ic substances and from free radicals, a by)!roduct !roduced by our bodies converting o(ygen into energy. ree radicals can damage cells in our bodies and lead to disease. #ntio(idants !rotect the body from o(idation and reduce the ris% of ac*uiring many of our common ailments.

Fruits and !egetables

"n fruits and vegetables you can tell which of the main !hytochemicals they contain by their color. ruits and vegetables that are orange in color, such as carrots, cantalou!es and mangoes contain beta carotene. $hose that are red in color, such as tomatoes, watermelon, and !in% gra!efruit contain lyco!ene. +ellow fruits and vegetables such as !inea!!les, oranges, , !eaches contain beta cry!tothan(in. "ndoles can be found in the green vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, and %ale. &ur!le fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, gra!es, and egg!lant contain anthocyanins. #llicin can be found in garlic, onions, and chives.

Healing Properties Of Fruits

Amaranth$his is technically a fruit, but can be used as a grain in breads, muffins and other flour based foods. $he seeds are higher in muscle building !rotein than other grains and are full of immune boosting Magnesium, -o!!er and .inc. Apricots# su!er source of the antio(idants beta carotene and vitamin -. 'tudies suggest beta carotene may hel! !rotect against lung cancer. #!ricots are also full of fiber, and are more nutritious fresh than canned.

+ananas$his fruit may hel! lower blood !ressure. $he Magic ingredient? &otassium. /ananas are rich in 0itamin /1, which research at $uffs 2niversity found is essential to maintaining a strong immune system. Cantaloupe/rimming with beta carotene and vitamin -, !lus fiber, !otassium, folate and vitamin /1. $hough studies show that beta carotene3s anticancer effect is against lung tumors, it may also !rotect against oral cancers and cancers of the stomach, cervi( and uterus. $he evidence that vitamin - reduces the ris% of cancers of the mouth, throat, stomach and !ancreas is com!elling, says Gladis /loc%, &h.D, !rofessor of !ublic health nutrition and e!idemiology at the 2niversity of -alifornia at /er%eley.

Figsigure on getting vitamin -, !otassium, magnesium and fiber from figs, fresh or dried. # recent 4arvard 'chool of &ublic 4ealth study of more than 56,666 men found that only fruit fiber, li%e that found in figs, was lin%ed to reduced systolic blood !ressure 7the u!!er number, which re!resents !ressure during the heart3s contractions8. #ll fiber is associated with reduced diastolic blood !ressure 7the lower number, which re!resents the !ressure when the heart is at rest between contractions8. )rapes#ll gra!es are a great source of boron, a mineral that may hel! ward off osteo!orosis. 9ed gra!e juice is another healthy !ic%, besides boron, it contains reservatrol, a chemical that could !revent heart disease by inhibiting the clum!ing of blood cells. .i/ifruit"ts fu::y brown e(terior hides a bright green interior choc% full of cancer fighting fiber and vitamin -. 0itamin - may also !lay a role in the !revention of cataracts. 0ango/rimming with beta carotene and vitamin -, the anticancer antio(idants, !lus vitamin /1 and co!!er. 2'D# research has found still another health benefit of vitamin -, it hel!s lower blood !ressure. Orange 1uice$he classic source of vitamin - with a %ic%, folic acid, which hel!s !revent birth defects and may !rotect against cervical cancer. ;ther citrus fruits and juices also contain limonoids, substances that

animal studies show can activate deto(ifying en:ymes in the body, !ossibly cutting cancer ris%. 'mo%ers may want a double dose of ;.<. $heir vitamin - re*uirement is twice that of nonsmo%ers. Pears# su!er source of fiber. "n addition to all its other benefits, fiber 7when combined with a low fat diet8 can lessen the ris% of develo!ing !oly!s in the colon, which may be a !recursor to cancer. &ears also !rovide some vitamin -, !otassium and boron. Prunes$he classic source of relief for consti!ation, because they contain sorbitol 7a natural sugar8 and lots of fiber. &runes are also a bone saving source of boron and of the antio(idant vitamins # and =. %tra/berriesMore vitamin - and fiber than you will find in most fruits, including oranges. "n fact, any berries are an e(cellent source of fiber. 'trawberries also contain ellagic acid, a natural cancer fighting chemical. 9esearchers have found that this com!ound is a !otent inhibitor of such carcinogens as tobacco smo%e and nitrosamines.

Healing Properties Of !egetables

+roccoli /roccoli, "$he best !rescri!tion" /roccoli is bursting with the cancer fighting fiber, beta carotene and vitamin -, !lus folic acid 7which hel!s !revent neural tube birth defects8, bone building calcium and boron. $here3s more !otassium. 7which hel!s lower blood sugar8 9esearchers have also found in broccoli a hidden cancer fighting chemical, sulfora!hane, which stimulates the activity of deto(ifying en:ymes in the body. +ro/n 2ice"t contains a substance called ory:anol, which reduces LDL levels by as much as >6 !ercent, 7the high fiber rice bran found in brown rice may hel! lower cholesterol too8 bonus, brown rice shines in vitamin /1 and magnesium, while also !roviding thiamine, 7im!ortant for the functioning of nerves8 niacin, co!!er and :inc. #nd it also has vitamin = which, studies show , strengthens the immune system and reduces the ris% of heart disease and cataracts. Cabbage#n im!ortant member of the cruciferous family of cancer fighting vegetables. "t3s anticancer %ey may be the !resence of a substance called indoles. 'cientists thin% that one indole in !articular may hel! !revent breast cancer by decreasing the activity of the chemical estradiol, which is a !recursor to the hormone estrogen. 7estrogen fuels the growth of certain tumors8 Carrots/est for their s%y high beta carotene content. # recent study of ?@,666 female nurses found that those who eat five

or more servings a wee% were 1? !ercent less li%ely to suffer a stro%e than those eating one or fewer carrots a month. ;ther studies have suggested that eating one carrot a day may reduce the ris% of lung cancer among e( smo%ers. .ale#nother boon against heart disease, this under a!!reciated cruciferous vegetable is es!ecially rich in beta carotene and vitamin -, both of which may reduce the harmful effects of LDL cholesterol. Aale is also !ac%ed with fiber, vitamin /1. calcium, co!!er, manganese and !otassium. Pump3in$his fall favorite is very high in carotene content, just li%e its winter s*uash cousins, butternut and hubbard. #ll are fiber rich too. 4arvard researchers recently found that women who ate of fruits and vegetables high in carotenes including beta carotene had a 5B !ercent lower ris% of cataracts re*uiring surgery than women who had the lowest carotene inta%e. Cinter s*uash was one of the strongest !rotectors. 2ed +ell Peppers# better anticancer !ic% than green !e!!ers because they contain e(tra carotenes. $hey also su!!ly more !otassium and vitamin - which, aside from its antio(idant !ro!erties, also hel!s fight cancer by inhibiting the formation in your body of carcinogenic nitrosamines. 7nitrosamines form when you eat foods containing nitrites, such as bacon.8 %pinach# !owerhouse of antio(idants and virtually every nutrient you can thin% of. "t is a !articularly rich source of folic acid, which may not only reduce

the ris% of neural tube birth defects but also !rotect against cervical dys!lasia, a condition that !recedes cervical cancer. #nother benefit, the ;ngoing 4arvard Durse3s 4ealth 'tudy found that women who ate s!inach daily were E5 !ercent less li%ely to suffer a stro%e than those who ate s!inach once a month or less. %/eet Potatoes$hese !ac% almost twice as much fiber and significantly more beta carotene than white or red !otatoes. "n the 4arvard Durse3s 4ealth 'tudy, women who too% FG to >6 milligrams of beta carotene a day 7FH> cu! of mashed sweet !otatoes has F5 milligrams8 had a 5B !ercent lower ris% for heart attac% than women who consumed less than 1 milligrams of beta carotene a day. Tomatoes-ontain lyco!ene, a chemical also found in red gra!efruit, which is thought to hel! !revent some cancers. $omatoes also su!!ly res!ectable amounts of vitamin # and -, as well as fiber and !otassium.

%eeds& Nuts& Oils and Fish

$here are healthy fats as well as unhealthy fats. $he healthy fats are monounsaturated fatty acids, which can be found in vegetable oils. seeds, nuts and some !lants and omega)5 fatty acids which are found mostly in the dee! water fatty fish. Monounsaturated fatty acids are %nown to !lay a beneficial role in a healthy heart and other chronic illnesses. ;mega)5 fatty acids are a natural anti)inflammatory and can be hel!ful in the treatment of other illnesses as well. $he research has shown that including monounsaturated fatty acids in your diet can hel! !revent and treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory conditions and musculo)s%eletal !ain. 'ome fish are a good source of omega)5 fatty acids which are hel!ful in the !revention and treatment of inflammation, mental health disorders, heart disease, high blood !ressure, diabetes, digestive disorders, autoimmune disease, and cancer #nd if that weren3t enough, small amounts of healthy fats hel! the body absorb nutrients from vegetables and fruits.

Healing Properties Of %eeds& Nuts& Oils and Fish

%unflo/er %eeds'imilar to nuts in !olyunsaturated fat content, but with much more vitamin = the antio(idant that fights cancer, heart disease and cataracts. Most recently, a large study of over >@B,666 male and female health wor%ers found that with the highest daily inta%e of vitamin = cut the ris% of heart disease by about E6 !ercent. #n inta%e of at least F66 "2 a day was shown to have the greatest benefit. 7the 9D# is currently FG "28 Fish$he omega 5 fatty acids in fish oils are the fi( for lowering blood fats es!ecially triglycerides 7high levels of which are thought to be more harmful to women than men8. $hey also hel! in reducing blood !ressure and may even ease arthritis sym!toms. Mac%erel, la%e trout, herring, anchovies, blue fish, salmon and sardines have the most fatty acids, eat fish two or three times a wee%. and you3re covered. 7do not ta%e fish oil su!!lements e(ce!t on the advice of your doctor8 Nuts$hey are a sur!rising hel! for your heart. # study at Loma Linda 2niversity in -alifornia found that adults on a low fat diet who ate > ounces of walnuts five or more times a wee% lowered their total cholesterol levels by F> !ercent. # controlled grou! followed the same diet, minus the nuts, and showed just 1 !ercent dro!. #!!arently re!lacing saturated fat in your diet with !olyunsaturated fat in nuts !ays off. Duts listed in order of the highest to lowest in monounsaturated fatty

acidsI Macadamias 4a:elnuts &ecans #lmonds -ashews &istachios /ra:il nuts &eanuts &ine nuts Calnuts Oli4e Oil# %ey com!onent of the healthy Mediterranean diet. "t is the oil richest in monounsaturated fats, which lower blood cholesterol. "f you don3t li%e olive oil, try canola oil, it is almost as high in monounsaturates, with even less saturated fat. ;ther oil sources of monounsaturated fats are &eanut oil, 'esame oil, Calnut oil, 'oybean oil, la(seed oil and Gra!e seed oil. # recent study found that you can cut LDL cholesterol by @ to F6 !ercent if you substitute olive or canola oil for margarine even more if you3re re!lacing butter. /ut do not go overboard on any oil, they all contain FE grams of fat and F>6 calories !er tables!oon. Fla5seed Oilla(seed oil comes from fla( and is an oilseed. "t is a rich source of omega)5 fatty acids and also contains lignans. 9esearch has shown that a diet that contains lignans can reduce the ris% of several ty!es of cancer as well as heart disease and osteo!orosis

)rains
Grains are the seeds of !lants. Chole grains contain all !arts of the grain, including the bran, endos!erm and germ. /ran. orming the outer layer of the seed, the bran is a rich source of niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, magnesium, !hos!horus, iron and :inc. $he bran also contains the majority of the seed3s fiber. Germ. # concentrated source of niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin =, magnesium, !hos!horus, iron and :inc. $he germ also contains !rotein and fat. # rich source of fiber and naturally low in fat #n im!ortant source of vitamins and minerals, such as / vitamins, 0itamin =, folate, selenium, :inc and iron $hey contain a variety of !hytochemicals and antio(idants $hey hel! form the foundation of healthy eating $here is a wide variety to choose from $end to have a low glycemic inde(, which hel!s to regulate blood sugar levels #ssociated with reduced ris% of ty!e > diabetes, consti!ation, obesity, heart disease and cancer

Healing Properties Of )rains

+arle6"t3s brimming with beta glutens, a ty!e of fiber that can lower your ris% of heart disease by reducing levels of artery clogging LDL. 7low density li!o!rotein8 4ulled, wa(y varieties 7found in health food stores8 contain the most beta glucans, but any barley is a good source. Loo% for the term "un!earled" on the bo(J this means the barley is un!rocessed and higher in fiber. 7all fibers hel! lower blood !ressure8 +ran Cereal&ic% one high in wheat bran, there3s no better source of cancer fighting insoluble fiber, the %ind that increases stool bul% and s!eed. 7'cientists thin% that faster the to(ins move through your bowels, the lower your ris% of colorectal cancer.8 Loo% for a cereal that !rovides at least G grams of fiber !er serving. Oats# good choice for lowering LDL cholesterol. Most recently, an analysis of F6 studies found that eating 5 grams of soluble fiber a day, the amount in a large bowl of F66 !ercent oat bran cereal, or three !ac%ets of instant oatmeal can cut LDL cholesterol by at least G.1 !ercent in si( wee%s. 7hole 7heat +readChole wheat bread flour and bread contain tri!le the fiber found in white bread. "t is also richer in vitamin /1 and magnesium. #ccording to 'imm Meydani, &h.D !rofessor of nutrition at $uffs 2niversity in /oston, we need e(tra /1 as we age to %ee! our immune

system strong. #ny whole wheat foods, including !asta, !rovide !rotection. 7heat )erm$o! notch for almost any nutrient. <ust a *uarter cu! !ac%s in G grams of fiber, as well as almost all the / vitamins, iron, magnesium and :inc. "t is incredibly rich in manganese too and is one of the best sources of vitamin = 7other than oils8 and chromium. Many #mericans get too little chromium, a mineral that hel!s regulate blood sugar levels.

+eans and Lentils

/eans and lentils are an e(cellent source of !rotein and fiber. $hey are also a low fat food. $hey are rich in !hytochemicals and antio(idants. 9esearch has shown that they can hel! !revent and treat a wide variety of chronic diseases such as, inflammatory diseases, heart disease, diabetes, osteo!orosis, de!ression, obesity, cancer and stro%es.

Healing Properties Of +eans and Lentils

+lac3 +eans# bonan:a of soluble fiber, the %ind that hel!s lower LDL 7by as much as >E !ercent8 and reduce blood !ressure. $he fiber also hel!s %ee! sugar levels on an even %eel, staving off hunger, even reducing the need for insulin among diabetics. ;f course, other beans and !eas are full of fiber too. /elow is a list of the most common ty!es. Garban:o beans 7chic%!eas8 Lima beans ava beans /lac%)eyed !eas Aidney beans Davy beans Great northern beans &into beans Lentils# !owerhouse of nutrients mostly / vitamins, which recent research from the ongoing &hysicians 4ealth 'tudy, suggest it may hel! !rotect against heart attac%s. Lentils are also high in fiber, !rotein and minerals such as iron and immune boosters co!!er, manganese and :inc. 0iso$his soybean !aste 7used to season sou!s and sauces8 contains

isoflavones, substances that may !rotect against breast cancer by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that fuel solid tumors. $ofu or soybean curd, is also rich in iron and calcium 7when !rocessed with calcium salts8. #nother soy !roduct, tem!eh, also !rovides vitamins # and /1, magnesium and :inc with less fat than tofu. ;ther soy !roducts includeI 'oymil%, 'oy /everages 'oynuts 'oy +ogurt $ofu , $ofu &roducts

%pices and Herbs

'!ices and herbs can be hel!ful in treating many medical conditions such as, nausea, infections, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune disorders, high blood !ressure and high cholesterol levels.

Healing Properties Of Herbs and %pices

)arlic"t is not just fol%lore, research suggests garlic hel!s !rotect against heart disease and stro%e. "t may also lower blood !ressure, and test tube studies show it even acts as a antibiotic. /est of all, garlic contains substances that a!!ear to deto(ify carcinogens. # member of the allium family, which includes onions and scallions, garlic has been lin%ed to lower stomach cancer rates in -hina and "taly. )inger$his s!ice may be a natural diet aid, !ossibly boosting the rate in which the body burns calories, according to #ustralian researchers. Ginger, with other s!ices including oregano, !e!!er, rosemary and thyme is a natural antio(idant. Turmeric$his yellow s!ice which is most familiar in "ndian coo%ing and #merican !re!ared mustard is an e(cellent antio(idant and anti)inflammatory agent. $urmeric can hel! alleviate the sym!toms of autoimmune disorders, arthritis, tendonitis, and other disorders with inflammation

Fresh or 8ried Peppermint&e!!ermint is e(cellent as a remedy for all ty!es of stomach u!set such as, indigestion, nausea and heartburn. Ca6enne Pepper-ayenne !e!!er has a variety of uses. "t can be used to ease toothache !ain, reduce the tendency of blood to clot, decrease cholesterol, im!rove circulation and !revent heart disease.

Healing Teas
'tudies from all over the world describe the chemicals contained in tea that may !revent cancer as well as lower blood cholesterol. Most research, however, has been on green tea, !o!ular in -hina. 7and found in s!ecialty sho!s here8 'ome evidence suggests similar benefits from oolong tea, which hasn3t been studied much but may offer some !rotection. $ea contains a large amount of an antio(idants called !oly!henols. $his antio(idant has been shown to have many benefits including the ability toI &rotect against stro%es "nhibit the growth of cancer cells 9educe high blood !ressure "m!rove blood flow to the heart 9educing cholesterol 9educing the ris% of osteo!orosis #lleviating the inflammation from arthritis "m!roving the bodies ability to fight infections and diseases $he green and white teas are the least !rocessed and have higher levels of the !oly!henols than the blac% teas.

Other Healing Foods

Chocolate+es, chocolate can be good for you, but it has to be the dar% chocolate, not mil% chocolate. Mil% will bind to the antio(idants in the chocolate and ma%e them unavailable to your body. or this same reason, you also do not want to drin% mil% when eating dar% chocolate. -hocolate contains !rocyanidins , e!icatechins. $hese are flavonoids that are !art of a grou! of antio(idants called !oly!henols. /elow are the beneficial effects of eating a small amount of dar% chocolate each day. Decreases bad cholesterol "nhibits the formation of blood clots "ncreases blood flow through the arteries =levates mood and !leasure by causing an increase in serotonin and endor!hin levels in the brain Yogurt$he ultimate health food, yogurt, may !revent allergic attac%s, say researchers at the 2niversity of -alifornia, Davis. $hey found !eo!le who ate two ? ounce cartons of yogurt with live cultures 7s!ecifically lactobacillus bulgaricus and stre!tocus thermo!hilous8 !er day came down with fewer colds and almost F6 times fewer allergy sym!toms than those eating the same amount of yogurt with %illed cultures. ;ther research found that women with recurrent yeast infections had almost seven times fewer infections when they ate yogurt containing live cultures. 7in this case, lactobacillus acido!hilus8. ;f course, yogurt is also a substitute source of bone building calcium.