food for thought

food for thought

I collect trivia, but mainly about health, because so much of my work involves writing and teaching. I have so much information I need a large part of my computer hard drive, and lots of room in my garage and brain to store it. Even with all the information I have, often I do not know what my column will be about until very close to deadline. In the past few days I thought of what I wanted to share with readers this month.

I have a friend who lives not far from my previous home when she is not in Turkey giving Reiki treatments to people there. Recently she sent me an email, asking if I had any information about ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). She was working with a woman in Turkey who has ALS. I work with a number of people around the world who are persons with ALS. Most of them who are open to natural healing do quite well over time with good healthy food, herbal and nutritional supplements. I sent her the information I have complied, which she passed on to the doctors caring for this woman. The family was very grateful to me for sending the information.

The doctors were open enough to admit they did not know just how important nutrition is in caring for ALS.

There is a small greenhouse where I live now. I have been busy cleaning and fixing it. I look at the fruit and nut trees around my white cottage and know they need pruning and nutrients. I need to harvest what remains in my garden, and get a cover crop planted so I have better soil there next spring. I am already thinking about what I will grow next spring as I eat a baby zucchini plucked from my organic garden. Thinking about the nutrition in the fresh vegetable my new dog and I were chewing on, thinking about all my trivia, and the woman in Turkey, I decided it would be a good idea to share nutrition information this month.

Basics:

Of course it is best to grow your own organic crops, even if you need to grow them in pots on an apartment balcony. The nutritional difference between organic and commercial food is astonishing. I advise against genetically engineered, waxed, and irradiated food. The facts are just too clear to say that they will not harm your well-being. Since herbs are foods it is important to stress the use of organic, non-standardized remedies for nutritional support. And remember; avoid processed and fast foods of any kind.

What’s in that baby zucchini:

Summer squash is highest in vitamin A, but also contains calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C in good amounts. Make sure the skin is tender, and eat raw or steam lightly to preserve nutrients and the delicate taste.

Some other food facts follow:

Apples and pears are good fall foods. People that eat five or more apples a week have better lung function than those who eat none, regardless of whether they smoke or exercise. Apples have vitamin A, B, and C. They lower blood pressure, purify blood, and help the intestines. Apple skin tea helps the kidneys. Apples contain an antioxidant flavonoid called quercetin that can help allergy.

Pears are good lung food, provide energy, and help digestion. Pear nectar is a good help for babies or adults that are troubled with constipation. They are high in vitamin A and C, and offer calcium, potassium, iron, and phosphorus.

Eating grapefruit, or drinking grapefruit juice, may help stave off the damage that cigarette smoke--first or secondhand--causes your lungs. A recent study found that people who ate a lot of grapefruit reduced their lung-cancer risk by 50%. Naringin, a flavonoid found in grapefruit appears to inhibit the activation of a cancer-causing enzyme. White grapefruit contains a higher concentration of naringin, although the pink variety delivers other important health benefits, namely lycopene. Pomegranate Juice is an excellent kidney and bladder tonic, especially for elders.

More than a pie Pumpkin is very high in potassium and sodium, low in carbohydrate, and full of vitamin A, B, and C. They are another alkaline food. The raw seeds are good for hormone health. If you want a nutritious drink to safely cleans your system of parasites try three tablespoons of raw pumpkin seeds soaked in pure water for three hours, mixed in a blender with one half of a small onion, one half cup soy milk, and one teaspoon of raw honey. Take this drink three times daily for three days.

Tonic foods:

Celery is abundant in the fall. It is an excellent and often overlooked food. It is high in sodium that keeps our joints supple. Celery and apple juice is better than Gatorade for a fitness drink because it does not have the high fructose corn syrup and synthetic nutrients. Celery leaves are beneficial for diabetics, and anyone who needs a soothing food for the nerves. Celery as a food and juice is an aid for ADD/ADHD. Celery leaves are a good food for all acid body conditions. Cranberry, an acid fruit, is good in its natural state for improving digestive enzymes and for urinary tract infections.

Veggie power:

Green Beans are an alkaline, high protein food, essential to any vegetarian diet. My favorite dish is green bean – tempeh stroganoff. I include chopped green beans in my pet dinners. My cat Jasper would happily eat a bowl of raw, chopped green beans any time of the day. Green beans are a good blood cleansing food, and are helpful for people with diabetes. Steam them lightly to be able to absorb the nutrients, but remember that too much cooking destroys the nutritive value. Green bean juice is best added to other vegetable juices, as the taste is strong. It is a good helper for the lungs.

With winter on the way start eating garlic, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower now. These high sulfur foods are one of nature’s best medicines.

Garlic really works for you, and offers a plethora of health benefits. People who consume garlic regularly have lower cholesterol levels. Other research indicates that garlic thins the blood--specifically by preventing platelets from sticking together and clotting. This may translate into lower blood pressure as well as a diminished risk of heart disease and stroke. What's less well known is that garlic gets much of its goodness from its high selenium content, a trace mineral known for its antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties. If you eat a lot of garlic with your meals, you could skip the synthetic selenium supplements.

Wishing you the best of health until next time…

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