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Something amazing happens when you begin to eat healing foods and give your body a break from junk foods, bad fats, refined flour, and sugar.
Your body may shed up to ten pounds of excess water weight, and your energy soars. You get your digestion working properly again, stop feeling so bloated and congested, and maximize your self-healing potential.
The scientific research is loaded with proof of how proper nutrition can heal. There are thousands of studies, for example, showing that a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables protects against heart disease and cancer. Maybe we really don’t need to throw so many pills and drugs at a disease, just more fruits and vegetables!
“By making decisions to alter our diet or make more healthful choices, we have greater potential for self- healing.” – Dr. Fabrizio Mancini
All whole foods are self-healing, but I’ve zeroed in on 10 foods that have special powers. I’ve compiled this list after consulting nutrition experts and reading hundreds of studies. I call these foods the strengtheners. All of them fight disease, promote a strong immune system, and provide nutrients you need to feel great. Try to include as many as possible in your diet. Simply put, when you eat well, you feel well.
Add these to your daily diet:
1 . Apples
They are high in fibre for a healthy digestive system. They also reduce the risk of stroke and chances of dying of a heart attack.
2. Artichokes
They protect the liver against toxic build-up. They also reduce levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, because they are rich in antioxidants.
3. Avocados
They are loaded with powerful antioxidants that help the body get rid of cancer-causing substances . They also help reduce total cholesterol.
4. Beets
They are loaded with folic acid, an important B vitamin that protects against heart disease and cancer. It also appears to help prevent the formation of LDL cholesterol.
5. Blueberries
They help your brain to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, coordination, and feelings of well- being. They also may prevent the growth of breast cancer cells.
6. Broccoli
They help fight cancer and are loaded with vitamin C to boost the immune system. They also help normalize blood pressure and are rich in fibre for a healthy digestive system.
7. Cherries
They help kill cancer cells that shrink the pancreas, breast, and liver. They are also high in melatonin, a hormone that helps normalize sleep cycles. Melatonin also acts like an antioxidant that protects cell membranes from damage.
8. Chicory
Toss some chicory in your salads. This cousin of endive and escarole has more vitamin A than any other salad green. Just a quarter cup of raw chicory greens provides all you need daily. Vitamin A is another potent self-healer, vital for a healthy immune system and protecting your vision. Most of the vitamin A in chicory comes from beta- carotene. This is a cancer-fighting carotenoid that your body converts to vitamin A.
9. Coconut Oil
For years, we’ve been cautioned to avoid tropical oils because they’re high in artery-clogging saturated fats. But often yesterday’s nutritional bad guy is today’s nutritional hero, and that’s the case with coconut oil. It has immune-stimulating properties, thanks to lauric acid, a fatty acid in the oil. Lauric acid fights viruses and bacteria in the body. Like most oils, coconut oil is high in calories, so don’t overdo it. A teaspoon or two a day is all you need.
10. Cranberries
This Thanksgiving dinner staple doubles as a natural remedy for many ailments. One of the most common is urinary infections. Cranberries work by keeping harmful bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract. The active ingredient in cranberries is a group of phytochemicals called proanthocyanins. If you suffer from recurrent bladder infections, try drinking about eight ounces of cranberry juice that contains at least 27 percent juice. This recommendation is based on a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The self-healing power of these little gems doesn’t end there.
Cranberries contain more “phenols” than red grapes and 18 other fruits, according to a study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in 2001. Phenols are plant chemicals that help prevent the formation of LDL cholesterol in the arteries.