Diary of a LagosMum | Food as Medicine

It is easy not to realize how food can literally be used as Medicine. There is a lot of good stuff we can get from food and benefits we can enjoy from knowing how to use the right food item, fruit or vegetable to take care of a condition or an ailment…. Read below for a handy list of treatments and foods that can be used as Medicine (this does not take the place of seeing your doctor!!)

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

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.

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

TO  PREVENT STROKE  DRINK  TEA!
Prevent  build-up of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea.  (actually,  tea also suppresses 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.  (onion help with respiratory ailments and actually makee  breathing  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.

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

LUNG  CANCER?  EAT  DARK GREEN AND ORANGE 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.

FRUITS and the Benefits

Kiwi:  Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of  potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E &  fibre. 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 UV  rays)

Guava  & Papaya:  Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the  clear winners for  their high Vitamin C  content. Guava is also rich in
fibre  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.

*By eating foods that are high in antioxidants, you can help your body fight the effects of free radicals. Antioxidants can transform these free radicals into stable molecules, preventing damage. Read more