Foods that Heal - Part 3 - Take Root and Write

Have you given more thought and consideration about what to place into your body or that of your loved ones as of late? What we choose to eat truly makes a big difference on our over health and well being. In part three of this series I would like to share with you the importance of making time for personal research and also give you some information about some more exceptional foods that heal and uphold good health.

Do you need more energy to care for your loved ones? An occasional cup of coffee is fine now and then, but it really is just a quick fix. In the long run it is wise to obtain our energy from healthy food sources. Is it difficult for your loved one to digest certain foods? Don’t despair! There are many, tasty foods that can be slowly introduced into their diet. I could share on this particular topic for several years, there are so many healthy foods to chose from! Of course I can only cover so many of those foods in this column. That is why it’s important to set aside some time for your own personal food research studies. You can begin your studies with the various questions that you have!

For example, the doctor has just changed or adjusted your loved one’s medication. You are concerned about those foods or supplements that may interfere with the medicine’s effectiveness. At this point I’ve seen people become fearful. They are not sure how or where to find the information that they need and therefore never take the next step to try new foods. Fear is a crippler and never produces a positive out come. When you become more comfortable doing your own research, fear will be dispelled.

For starters, here are two informative sites that will help you check on various food and drug interactions.
http://www.healthline.com/druginteractions
http://www.noah-health.org/en/pharmacy/drugs/food.html

After you’ve located the food that you or your loved ones are interested in trying and you’ve found that there are no adverse drug reactions, it’s time to document your findings and your sources. Documenting what you learn along the way will come in handy for future reference and will also serve as an excellent record to provide information to the doctor if need be. So locate or purchase a three ring binder so that you will have plenty of room to save the information. You could divide the binder into sections if you like! One area could be sectioned off for new foods and how well they are tolerated. Another section could be for herbal supplements and vitamins. You could also create a section for daily medications and utilize a check off list. I know this may sound like a lot of work, but creating a check off list is an important way to keep your loved one involved in taking care of themselves. By listing their medications and asking them to check off the list when they are taken each day (if they are able), will give them encouragement and a sense of involvement. I created a very simple list that you can take a look at for an example. Feel free to download the list to use as a guide to create a personalized list for yourself or your loved one. (Link and sample picture of list I created)

Let’s switch gears now and explore together some foods that I personally consider an integral contributor to good health! Our immune systems are taxed on every side. Toxins contained in both food and drugs can wear this important systems down. When our immune systems suffer we are laid open for a wide variety of ailments. That’s why we should take the time to incorporate some proven and time tested immune boosting foods into our diets. One of my favorites is garlic! I’m sure you’ve heard by now the importance of this small but very powerful odoriferous bulb. Garlic has had a shining reputation for eons, but not many of us understand why garlic works so well. I've found an interesting article on the NY Times blog and I’m going to share with you. It contains some recent findings that I found rather interesting:

In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that eating garlic appears to boost our natural supply of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is actually poisonous at high concentrations — it’s the same noxious byproduct of oil refining that smells like rotten eggs. But the body makes its own supply of the stuff, which acts as an antioxidant and transmits cellular signals that relax blood vessels and increase blood flow.

In the latest study, performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, researchers extracted juice from supermarket garlic and added small amounts to human red blood cells. The cells immediately began emitting hydrogen sulfide, the scientists found.

The power to boost hydrogen sulfide production may help explain why a garlic-rich diet appears to protect against various cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancer, say the study authors. Higher hydrogen sulfide might also protect the heart, according to other experts. Although garlic has not consistently been shown to lower cholesterol levels, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine earlier this year found that injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice almost completely prevented the damage to heart muscle caused by a heart attack.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/unlocking-the-benefits-of-garlic/

That was one of many great studies unlocking the secrets to garlic’s potent immune boosting properties. Some people must be careful when eating raw garlic. Even though it is best eaten this way, for some it is hard to swallow or digest. Garlic supplements can be taken in this case. Another way to obtain the benefits from garlic without eating the raw bulbs is to extract those healthful properties by preparing a hot garlic drink. I’m going to share one of my all time favorite recipes with you, as a matter of fact, I'm sipping a cup of it right now as I prepare this article! It’s called my Immune Boost Recipe. This is a modified recipe that I have had in my pantry for quite a few years now. It is a very strong drink, similar to a hot tea and the cayenne pepper adds quite a bite, but several days of sipping on this will kick start your immune system and you’ll be feeling better before you know it! A word of caution is in order here! If you or your loved ones are not used to taking cayenne pepper or horse radish, please go easy and or eliminate these two ingredients altogether if you are not sure.

Immune Boost Drink
In a small sauce pan add;
* 2 cups water
* 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 2 tablespoons grated ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, depends on your tolerance)
* 1/2 diced lemon pieces or equivalent lemon juice
* (optional- 1 teaspoon horseradish)

Bring all of the above to a boil then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid into a cup and drink warm.

Garlic is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-parasitical.
Ginger root increases circulation to the extremities.
Cayenne pepper is a great blood stimulant.

If you would like to learn more about garlic you can search the web and add the findings to your new binder! Also, here is a link to a file with more information about garlic:
http://www.pbrc.edu/Division_of_Education/pdf/PNS_garlic.pdf
Save it to your computer and open it with Adobe Reader.

As always it is my pleasure to create these articles for you as I thoroughly enjoy research, learning, and adding new information to my own arsenal. Again, it is my prayer that these articles will serve to encourage and help make life easier for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or are in need of prayer and encouragement, please feel welcome to join our group at Christian Women Take Root, the Caregiver’s Corner.

Till Next Month,

Medical Disclaimer: The information within the Caregiver’s Corner Column is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this column is for general information and educational purposes only. Please do not neglect to seek medical advice for your individual condition or that of your loved ones when introducing new foods or applying any information found within this column.