Foods that heal – a dietary priority

Your diet during a health crisis could be the determining factor for recovery time, and your recuperation level. Knowing the benefits of certain foods is a very important educational piece of information when facing a health crisis.

Everything from a common virus causing a cold, to cancer, can be affected by the foods you eat. Environmental elements are certainly a factor, along with your emotional state, but the foods you eat may bring a greater emphasis to your recovery than most realize.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, work with your body’s own restorative powers. They accelerate body cleansing, and help normalize your body’s natural chemical status. The natural chemicals found in fresh fruits and vegetables are powerful remedies, tested by time. Let’s consider a few.

Quercetin is a flavonoid found in garlic, cherries, chlorella, and dark berries. It blocks cell changes that initiate cancer, stops malignant cells from clumping together, inhibits free radicals which prevents them from oxidizing LDL cholesterol, prevents platelet build-up, and removes excess iron from the blood.

Bioflavonoids found in the skin and pulp of citrus fruits, along with berries, cherries, grapes, peppers, and sea greens help Vitamin C, and help build an antibiotic-antiviral barrier against infections. They have a potent anti-inflammatory action, help prevent allergies and asthma, promote healing of cuts and bruises, and help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Carotenoids found in sea plants, fresh fruits and vegetables are critical to successful healing. They have been researched and shown to reduce the occurrence of cataracts, boost the immune system, and prevent heart disease. There are over 600 documented known carotenoids. They are found in virtually every cell of the human body.

The scientific research to support the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables is overwhelming, and much to detailed to list in this article. The documentation of the benefits can be traced back to the ancient writings of cultures much older than our own.

The next consideration then is how much does one eat, and how? Most experts recommend 5 different colored fresh vegetable serving per day. (A serving would be 1⁄2 cup chopped veggies, or a cup of raw leafy veggies, or 6 oz. of juice). Then add two fruit servings per day (A fruit serving is a medium piece of fruit, 6 oz. of juice, or a 1⁄2 cup of chopped fruit). A salad made fresh from baby spinach, or romaine, with green, red, yellow, or orange peppers, cucumbers, and tomato’s meets the requirements in one simple meal. You might then consider having your fruit servings as mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.

For serious conditions such as an injury, a surgery, or cancer many simply juice the fresh produce in a high quality juice extractor, or juicer, and consume the juice only to elevate the healing processes.

To educate yourself on the benefits of specific healing foods you could look into the Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, and Turkey tail mushrooms, green and blue-green algae, Barley grass, Chlorella, cultured foods, soy, and tea’s.

Water is essential for healing as well. Eight to ten 8 oz. glasses of water per day is the standard recommendation. I’ll leave the purity of water debate up to your own research. The classifications are; Mineral, Distilled, Sparkling, Artesian well, Micro-clustered bottled, and tap waters. Tap water is generally considered unsafe without some form of filtration.

Plenty of rest is also needed for cellular regeneration. Most research shows eight hours a night to be the best amount of sleep for maintenance, but during a healing crisis nine to ten hours may be needed. Taking naps when tired and resting more frequently than usual have been shown to aid in the healing process.

Depression may occur during a healing crisis, and studies show that most who have had a serious injury or surgery do go through some form of depression and in varying degrees. In other if you find yourself feeling blue and having a hard time getting back on your feet you may want to seek help for possible depression.

A specific healing regiment designed for your crisis, would be the most advantageous means of helping yourself. A Naturopath is trained to develop, and educate you, so the empowerment of self healing can be brought to your life, and health crisis. Mental Health Counseling can offer help in mentally healing yourself. Call today for a consultation.

Angelyn Nienhuser has a doctorate in naturopathy and is a Mental Health Counselor. She can be contacted at 308-249-5520.