Healing Foods – Five Food Choices to Add Now

Guest Article by Valerie Johnston

Foods serve many purposes in your life. They provide you with nourishment and they simply taste good. They can also heal your body. The choices you make in your diet can help to prevent certain diseases, heal specific conditions, and cut your risks of severe illness dramatically. There are numerous different healing foods you need to add to your diet so that you can lead a healthier lifestyle. The more you alter what you eat and what you avoid, the better your chances of having a long life.

Healthing Foods – Tomatoes

We have always known that tomatoes are extremely healthful, but new studies have backed this up as well. A group of scientists in Finland just affirmed that a diet with a heavy tomato content will actually reduce the risk of stroke by nearly half. That is because tomatoes include something called oflycopene. This is actually a color pigment that is responsible for the red in the fruit. This pigment has a dramatic impact on your chances of having a stroke later in life.

There are numerous tomato based diets you could add to your meal plans, such as spaghetti, frittatas, soups, salads, and pastas. If you want to develop a diet with a high tomato content, one option is to look for Mediterranean recipes. These diets are heavily based on tomatoes along with other healthful foods like olives and vegetables.

Healing Foods – Raisins

Studies have shown that grapes and raisings include polyphenols. These ingredients actually have proven to lower blood pressure and provide better cardiovascular health. You can get this same health benefit from any grape or derivative, but there is a higher concentration of polyphenols in raisins specifically. You can add them to your diet in a few different ways. Of course, you can eat raisins as a healthy snack. Additionally, you can add them to salads and baked meals.

Healing Foods – Yogurt

You have most likely seen commercials indicating the healing power of yogurt, and this is actually completely true. The bacteria in the food are extremely beneficial for digestive health. People who consume yogurt on a daily basis can find relief from painful gas, constipation, bloating, and other digestive upset. You do not have to choose yogurt that is advertised to provide better digestive health. Any type of the food will provide the same benefits.

Healing Foods – Apricots

Kidney stones are common problems that plague many people every year. The kidney stones are most common in women in their twenties, but anyone can develop them. While there is no clear reason why the stones form, there are things you can do to help prevent them. Apricots help to prevent kidney stones by not allowing calcium minerals to build up in the kidneys. Apricots are so helpful for this purpose that they have been endorsed by the American Dietetic Association.

Healing Foods – Tuna or Mackerel

Both of these types of fish are very high in omega-3 fatty acids. These acids do a number of different things from your health, including reducing your risk of heart disease. You may have already heard of the heart benefits of the acids, but you may not know that they are also mood stabilizers. Consuming fish can help to ease the feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress. The American Psychiatric Association even condones the use of fish in order to treat depression in patients.

So many foods have healing powers. When you choose to change your diet, you can often avoid taking medications, which can have unwanted side effects. If you choose healing foods and add them to your diet regularly, you will find that they can make you a much healthier person. This will allow you to live a longer, happier life as well.

Bio:

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.