Eat Your Way Healthy

By Kirsty Turner - 10/05/07

With our ultra-busy modern lives, many of us feel we simply don’t have time to eat healthily. Instead we reach for the vitamin supplements, energy drinks and breakfast bars to provide the boost we need.

But doctors and nutritionists have always maintained that a regular intake of fresh fruit and vegetables is the best way to prevent disease and infection. Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. As we go through life, there are so many illnesses that could have been prevented with better nutrition. For example, research has proven that getting the proper level of antioxidants into our bloodstream will reduce the risk of cancer. Here’s a quick guide to nature’s own health remedies.

• Garlic is great for warding off colds and flu – as well as unsuitable suitors. It can protect the body against heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and deep vein thrombosis. Studies have shown that if you eat garlic on a regular basis it can reduce cholesterol by about ten percent. Just put a crushed clove in with your cookery two or three times a week and you’ll soon feel the benefits.

• Carrots are famous for helping you see in the dark. This is because they reduce eye disease such as cataracts and muscular degeneration. Carrots are brilliant for alleviating all sorts of conditions. They are also known for their anti-anaemic, healing, diuretic and sedative properties.

• Mangoes contain a natural antidepressant and help protect our eyesight as we age. If you eat a mango a day there is no need to take a diuretic as mangoes provide a much tastier (and cheaper) alternative. Green mangoes help in the formation of new blood cells and increases body resistance against anaemia,

cholera, dysentery and tuberculosis. This amazing fruit is also very affective in combating diabetes. Simply soak a handful of fresh mango leaves overnight and drain the water in the morning. Eat these leaves every morning and you should notice marked effects.

• Soya beans contain phytoestrogens that are believed to help protect against heart disease and prostate cancer. These versatile beans come in many different forms such as milk, cheese, yoghurt and even a delicious and healthy alternative to meat.

• Banana-like plantains are believed to help thicken the stomach lining and protect against ulcers. They can also protect against a variety of cancers. Plantains have long been considered by herbalists to be a useful remedy for coughs, wounds, inflamed skin or dermatitis, and insect bites. Bruised or crushed leaves can be applied to treat insect bites and stings, eczema and small wounds or cuts.
• Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, which reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Its high vitamin c, folic acid and potassium contents also aid healthy hearts and circulation.

• Eating a slice of pineapple before a meal is an effective natural remedy for preventing indigestion. Far tastier than chalky tablets.

• Okra can reduce heart disease. The slimy vegetable can also reduce the risk of cancer. Raw okra is extremely helpful for people who suffer with inflammation of the intestines. Okra also encourages the secreting of digestive juices, which is soothing to the colon, bladder and kidneys.

• Almonds and other nuts have shown effective results in preventing forms of cancer, and it is also believed they may help prevent colon cancer. Eating peanuts on a regular basis has long been known to help prevent cardiovascular disease.

• Forget expensive face creams, the oils in peanuts serve to keep you face young and supple. If fact, many face creams actually contain oils from peanuts.

As you can see, eating a few extra portions of fruit and vegetables a week could make a big difference to your health. If time is a real issue, why not invest in a juice maker. A breakfast shake made from nutritious fruits and vegetables could boost your health and leave your skin glowing.