May 22/22 - How food can be medicine…

This salad from Michael Smith's
Inn at Bay Fortune Farm, Fire and Feast Dinner
and it just screams antioxidant rich!
​Doesn't it look amazing??

May 22 How food can be medicine…
I believe food is medicine, that is how I ended up in the nutrition field. I took my daughter off dairy and her asthma cleared up in 3wks. I gave my mother in law cherry juice for her gout. Food can either help or harm you. I believe gluten is devastating to the brain and don’t think anyone should consume gluten. 20yrs ago food was not thought of in this way, but now the world is recognizing the fact that food plays a HUGE role in our health. This is not a new concept! 
Hippocrates was quoted as saying the following quotes…

“All disease starts in the gut.”
​
“Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”

“The physician treats, but nature heals.”

“Just as food causes chronic disease, it can be the most powerful cure.”

“Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness.”

I love all his quotes but the last one is very profound. “But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness” that will have to be a whole other blog, fasting to cure disease. It's fascinating!

Baby pineapples in a
grocery store in Malta 2021

Here are some of the most “healing” foods to get you started with!

Tart cherry juice- research shows that the antioxidants in cherry juice can reduce pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and gout 
Pure Cranberry Juice - drinking 2 cups of cranberry juice can help numerous ailments such as urinary tract infections as well as PMS in women. It is also great for digestion and weight loss! 
Pineapples - the bromelain in pineapple is very anti-inflammatory to the point of relieving pain such as sprains, infections or injuries. 
Ginger and Lemon - I put these two together because they just taste better together, especially when steeped in hot water and drank like tea. These are very powerful foods for the health of our liver. ​

Lobster is high in selenium and
contain omega-3 fatty acids for brain health.

Shellfish - such as lobster are a great source of selenium and also contain omega-3 fatty acids for brain health. Lobsters can help protect against thyroid disease, depression, and anemia!! Oysters are one of the healthiest foods in the world with a whopping 300% of your daily zinc and 300% of your daily Vitamin B12 for just 2 oysters! They have the highest amount of zinc of any food and our bodies need the zinc to maintain our health! Zinc was highly publicized for its possible benefits to our health and immunity in 2020.

Beef is one of the best sources for iron!
Inn at Bay Fortune May 2022

Red Meat - since so many people are iron deficient I believe grass fed beef is the way to go 
Spinach - rich in beneficial plant compounds, called phytochemicals that help prevent diseases such as cancer. Just steam the oxalates out of your spinach first! Spinach is said to calm inflammation in the body too!
Blueberries - this is no surprise, the antioxidant levels are off the charts so of course this power fruit also helps reduce inflammation in the body,
Salmon - we all know wild caught salmon contains omega 3 fatty acids that we need for our brain and our heart health! ​

Cocoa Pod - How chocolate starts!
Huatulco, MX 2021

Dark Chocolate - I saved the best for last! Yes 80% and above chocolate and if you can make this into a chocolate drink without adding sugar it is said to be the drink of the gods. Incredibly high antioxidant levels plus it curbs that chocolate fix!
 
This is such a big topic that I will cover more in the books and tailor the list to that particular book but this gives you some great choices towards healthy eating!

Thank you for following my journey to writing a book series!
Stay balanced,
​LeeAnna