Food as medicine

[icelady]

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!

Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT!
Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season. Also-eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!
Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite and keeps the pounds from invading....Green tea is great for our immune system)!

INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (when I was young, my mother would make onion packs to place on our chest, helped the respiratory ailments and actually made us breathe better).

ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH, TOO!!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)

UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!!
Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!!!!
High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!!!!
Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

COLDS? EAT GARLIC!
Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!!
A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!!
A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.

ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!!!
Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES! Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!!
The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

Kiwi: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E &fiber. It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants &flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

Strawberry: Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits &protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and they actually keep us young.........blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field........they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)

Orange: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon: Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C &Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those darn suv rays)

Guava &Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation.

Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)

Tomatoes are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.

[cherieang]

Just some thoughts

How much can our body absorb the vitamins? Not all vitamins can be absorbed so easily.

[taxico]

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

mercury poisoning/build-up (a la jeremy piven). better to take a supplement.

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT!
Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season. Also-eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

honey and milk allergies. anti-histamines are cheaper.

INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

look above and alter sleeping habits/exercise.

Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)

look above, and certain supplements/anti-inflamms might work better or are cheaper.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

not good for people with bad bellies. take a calcium supplement.

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!!!!
Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.

i have to show this to my wife. special K, anyone?

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

bacteria. mercury. look above.

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!!
A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.

i don't recommend this. really.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

got to show this to my wife too.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!!
A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.

too much betacarotenes and your skin will form new colors. reversible.

too much vit A and your baby will get birth defects. not reversible.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES! Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)

too much fruit will also cause diarrhea...

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

mmmm. hawaii. fattening.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!!
The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

allergies aside, peanuts are also high in fat. broccoli rocks. but too much = diarrhea

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

5 servings of fruits and vegetables/day + a glass of wine does the same.

most fruits are high in sugars (fructose), some are high in acidity. both can cause undesired health effects.

but hey, what do i know? this is in the leisure section! BADABING!

[nakatago]

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES!

too much fruit will also cause diarrhea...

i don't know about the diarrhea but i do know that too many apples or bananas makes for very 'interesting' mornings.

better counteract with papaya

[Rocky140]

I'm reading a book given to me by a friend and cancer survivor written by a Portland internist. He is advocating the Mediterranean diet, which according to his description, is very similar to the Ornish Diet - plant based, no processed foods, lots of leafy greens and beans. It differs in that it includes what he calls good fats (olive oil) and a tiny amount of fish, chicken and dairy.

He thinks the addition of good fats (olive oil and nuts) adds nutritional components that reduce triglycerides, raise HDL, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and reduce LDL oxidation, etc.

He says, "The Mediterranean-style diet is the only dietary approach that has been associated with fewer heart attacks, death, cancer, type 2 diabetes, strokes, and dementia. When compared head to head against low-fat diets, the Mediterranean-style diet is better than low-fat diets at controlling weight, cholesterol, inflammation, blood sugar, and insulin levels. TO DATE, THERE IS NO OTHER DIETARY LIFESTYLE THAT SHOWS THESE BENEFITS."

He mentions Ornish. He knows of his work. How can he say these things?

What's the truth about "good fats" and whether they are valuable to people with heart disease or not? We seem to know that fish oil is good for people. It has certainly lowered my triglycerides and raised my HDL. Why then wouldn't the addition of other "good fats" not be beneficial as well?

[taxico]

doctors aren't generally or usually trained in nutrition, IF AT ALL.

the best person to see would be a dietitian or nutritionist.