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More and more research studies are showing that a variety of foods have the ability to heal the body thanks to the abundance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that many of them contain. This article will review several types of food that are good for our health.

Many foods are ancient folk cures for a multitude of ailments. For example, parsley is believed to be better than mouthwash as a breath freshener. Licorice is beneficial for people suffering from colds, coughs and the flu. Lemonade is said to get rid of hiccups. Cucumber can be cut into slices and placed on the eyes to reduce bags under the eyes after a late night. The interior peel of the cucumber can also be used to rub over the face in order to clean the face and make it feel toned and fresh.

Lemon can be mixed with olive oil and drank on a daily basis. All that is required is one organic or unwaxed lemon mixed with one tablespoon of olive oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil) and also a glass to a glass and a half of water (it can be spring water, filtered water or even regular tap water). This drink is an excellent detoxifier for the gallbladder and lemon and can be consumed one hour before eating, preferably first thing in the morning. This lemon/olive oil drink is particularly beneficial for individuals who suffer from gallstones or who are underweight.

Lemons are also excellent for combating cancer, projecting the circulatory system, controlling blood pressure, as well as smoothing and toning the skin. Back in history lemons help to prevent the disease of scurvy. Olive oil is helpful to health in its own right. Olive oil helps to protect the heart and it encourages weight loss and helps to combat cancer. Olive oil, like lemons is good for the skin and it is beneficial for those who suffer from diabetes.

Onions and garlic are the king and queen of the vegetable kingdom! It is no surprise that they are so respected for their health benefits, for they help the body in many ways.

Onions help to decrease the risk of a person suffering a heart attack and they lower cholesterol and help to combat cancer. Onions are an antifungal agent and are very beneficial at killing bacteria.

Garlic does many of the same things as onions do, as it is related to the same Lily family. Garlic lowers cholesterol levels and it controls blood pressure. Garlic is also an effective defense against cancer and it kills bacteria and fights the development of fungus in the body.

If you enjoy eating grapes, then you are in luck! Grapes are good for the eyes and help to get rid of kidney stones. Grapes are also cancer fighters and they protect the circulatory system and encourage the proper flow of body throughout the body.

Grapefruit at breakfast and is an excellent way to start the day. Grapefruit protects a person from suffering a heart attack and it reduces the threat of strokes. Grapefruit also lowers cholesterol, combats the development of prostrate cancer in men and is effective for those attempting to drop a few (or many) pounds.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Food Cures.

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Tags: antioxidants, cholesterol, Food Cures, garlic, grapes, lemons, licorice, vitamins

Garlic and onions are more than just an ingredient in tonight’s dinner. Garlic and onions also help fight infections and heal the human body. People far back in history were well aware that both of these foods had medicinal. They were consumed on a regular basis in order to protect themselves from getting sick and also as a way to help them heal quicker in the event that they did come down with an infection.

Scientific research studies support the fact that onions and garlic are worthy of being eaten every single day in order to provide optimum health benefits. Although pungent, these are not foods that should be easily dismissed. Never let the unpleasant aroma cause you to avoid them. Perhaps it would not be wise to eat onions or garlic before an important meeting or a date however.

These natural foods are full of chemicals that can help protect a person from a variety of infections, diseases and illnesses. Garlic and onions help to protect against a plethora of physical problems such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory concerns, diabetes, and a variety of cancers.

A number of tests have shown that a diet rich in garlic helps to lower the total cholesterol rate of an individual, including the bad cholesterol or LDL while at the same time it raises the good HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. Garlic is responsible for producing cells in the blood that are deemed “natural killers” and these can help to fight off many different kinds of infections as well as deadly tumors. Garlic lowers blood pressure and it decreases the risk of developing blood clots. Blood clots are to blame for the incidence of many strokes and heart attacks.

Garlic fights bacteria and viruses and therefore helps to prevent infections and it decreases the risks of a number of different types of cancer, with an emphasis on cancers of the stomach. It is important to note that garlic is best eaten in its raw form and its medicinal properties are at their height when garlic is cut up, sliced up or chopped. Cooking garlic, especially for too long or at high temperatures is responsible for destroying some of the compound known as “allicin” in it as it is allicin that makes garlic as healing in nature as it is.

Onions have many health benefits as well. Much like garlic, onions help to increase the HDL cholesterol in the blood, especially when they are eaten in their raw state. Onions also help to decrease the bad cholesterol or LDL in the blood and they increase the ability of the blood to dissolve blood clots. Onions are excellent at decreasing the risk inherent in developing diabetes and help to fight off the bacteria that are responsible for causing many infections in the human body. Onions decrease the risk of many different types of cancers. A compound known as quercetin has been discovered in onions and this compound is extremely powerful when it comes to fighting cancer and is an excellent antioxidant.

While eating onions and garlic may not win you any fans, they will win you many years of good health.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Food Cures.

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Tags: antioxidants, cancer, cholesterol, Diabetes - Insulin Resistance, Food Cures, garlic, hdl cholesterol, onions

Plants are just as prone to viruses, bacteria and diseases as people are. We have an immune system to fight diseases while plants have developed their own form of immune system which consists of a protective substances called phytochemicals.

Studies are showing that the same phytochemicals that protect plants can also help to protect people from a variety of cancers as well as other diseases. Some of the foods containing this chemical include whole grains, dark and leafy green colored fruits and vegetables, legumes, orange, yellow, and red colored fruits and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables and anti-bacterial vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables that are dark in color something known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are found in a variety of different fruits and vegetables which include blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, bilberries, cranberries, red grapes, red grapes, apples, onions, broccoli, peppers and eggplant. There are estimated to be well over 4,000 flavonoids in existence and they are then broken down into a variety of subcategories which include anthocyanidins, polyphenolic acid, proanthocyanidins, ellagic acid, tannins and quercetic.

Research studies into dark colored fruits and vegetables have shown that they are all very powerful when it comes to anti-oxidant properties and some are believed to have 50 times the anti-oxidant capability of both vitamin E as well as vitamin C. Other studies have shown that flavonoids found in both fruits and vegetables are helpful in decreasing the risk of a variety of cancers as well as diabetes, arthritis and atherosclerosis. Flavonoids are beneficial when it comes to protecting the collagen protein found in blood vessels and joints from the damage that can be done by free radicals in the body. By protecting the collagen protein this is a way to reduce the incidence of hemorrhoids, edema and varicose veins.

A study done at Cornell University yielded the result that the flavonoids found in apples known as quercetin, was effective at protecting the brain against the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease which are both classified as being neuro-generative diseases. This study was a follow-up to another study that was conducted at the same university by Professor Lee. Professor Lee discovered that the phytochemical found in both a variety of berries as well as apples had a greater “antioxidant protective effect” than did vitamin C when it came to fighting liver cancer cells and colon cancer cells. While blueberries and strawberries both have excellent anti-oxidant properties, blueberries have an estimated 40 percent more power to fight off diseases and t o heal. In a study done by neuroscientist James Joseph from Tufts University it was found that blueberries are excellent when it comes to fighting cancer and a multitude of diseases but they are also helpful in preventing or slowing short-term memory loss which can affect individuals as they age.

So, the next time you make a trip to the grocery store, be sure to stock up on healing fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is the best to buy, with frozen being the second best. Canned fruits and vegetables tend to have a great deal of salt in them so opt for fresh if possible. For a change of pace whip up a salad with a variety of vegetables (and some fruits thrown in to add some tang) or whip up a delectable fruit salad for yourself and your family to enjoy.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Food Cures.

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Tags: antioxidants, blueberries, broccoli, cranberries, flavonoids, Food Cures, free radicals, fruits and vegetables, grapes, immune system, strawberries, vitamin C, vitamin E, whole grains

When you wake up from a night of drinking with a pounding headache and your head in the toilet, the last thing you are thinking about is what’s for breakfast. Chances are, you would rather stay in bed with the covers pulled over you rather than risk putting something on your stomach only to have it make a return visit. However, since many of the side effects of a hangover are due to dehydration, lack of essential vitamins and nutrients, and low blood sugar, having something to eat may be a vital part of your hangover cure that you are missing out on.

Now, this does not mean that you should take advantage of the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at your local greasy diner. Instead, you should eat something light and healthy to see how your stomach reacts. You should avoid carbohydrates and fatty foods since these are only going to make you feel worse.

To drink, you can start out with a simple cocktail of tomato juice, Tabasco sauce, lemon juice, and a shot of vodka. This works well for a variety of reasons as a hangover cure. First of all, the tomato juice is packed with vitamins and antioxidants that will help your body to cleanse your blood from any leftover alcohol and impurities that are still lurking around.

Another reason that you feel terrible the next morning is the fact that you essentially overdosed on alcohol the night before - and now your body is going through withdrawal. Having the shot of vodka in your juice will help put some alcohol back into your system, and allow you to start some of your other hangover remedies before the hangover comes back. However, keep it to only a shot - any more and you are setting yourself on the road to alcoholism.

Once you have gotten the juice down, and are hopefully starting to feel a little better, you can make yourself a protein-packed breakfast. Try 3 pieces of back bacon, 3 canned tomatoes, 2 scrambled eggs, and an orange to start out with. The eggs have protein that will help build your strength back up, as well as a chemical that is known to fight some of the toxins that are still left in your system. Canned tomatoes, like the tomato juice, also have the vitamins and antioxidants that you need to revitalize your system. The bacon has fat that helps bind to the alcohol left in your blood, and the orange has citric acid to make that fat easier to digest - not to mention vitamin C, one of the essential vitamins that you lost through dehydration.

For best results, you should have a second breakfast with more of the same foods within four hours of your first one, and try to stay awake in between them instead of going back to bed, since going to sleep slows down your metabolism. If you need help staying awake, try taking a nice hot shower, followed by a cold rinse, to help wake you up.

Time is the best cure for a hangover but since you can’t hurry that up, a good healthy meal is the perfect alternative.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Hangover Cures.

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Tags: antioxidants, dehydration, Hangover Cures, nutrition