The Healing Power of Everyday Foods

Have you ever heard the ancient saying, “Let your medicine be your food, and food be your medicine”? It’s a wise saying by Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, from whom originates the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors. Oddly, while modern day physicians recognize Hippocrates’ contribution to medicine by way of the Oath, the idea that our meals might be our medicine is generally not included in the practice of modern medicine.

Fortunately, foods are still “medicines,” and you can now affect your health favorably with the foods you eat. If you’d like to incorporate more healing herbs and foods to your diet, here are some tips that will help.

Herbs

The therapeutic capability of different herbs has become more and more recognized and approved. Here are some of the more readily available herbs you can include in your foods to boost their healing power.

* Ginger is an effective anti-nausea remedy and has significant antibacterial properties. The fresh root, sliced or diced, can be added to stir-fries, and can be candied and eaten out of hand.

* Oregano, a delicious herb when included with pizza, spaghetti, and so on, is considered an antioxidant. Antioxidants help clean up “free radicals” within the body, which are by-products of the body’s metabolic processes. Free radicals are suggested as a factor in the progression of arthritis and other inflammatory ailments. So sprinkle this herb on regular meals that are Italian or Greek in flavor.

* Rosemary is another antioxidant herb, and may help enhance memory and prevent cataracts. It could even help stop the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Rosemary is very good when included in meat marinades and sprinkled on dishes like pizza, focaccia, or pasta.

* Turmeric is commonly found in Indian curries. It has a yellowish color and earthy flavor, and is said to help reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Turmeric can be put into soups and stews, curries, stir-fries, and other meals.

Foods

The meals you eat – not only the herbs and spices you use – might help heal, too. Here are some recommendations.

* Garlic is a powerful preventer of the common cold and flu, and possesses anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties. You could make garlic sauce for pasta, add it to a pot of soup, and base many meals around this basic food.

* Onions are similar to garlic in their healthful properties. They are maybe even more adaptable; they are often made into a meal on their own or combined with other ingredients.

* Berries are renowned for their antioxidant potential. Add berries to salads or munch on them out of hand. You can even freeze them and blend them into smoothies.

452 word count