If you’re dealing with skin irritations, for example, you can look at increasing your intake of berries, avocado and pumpkin seeds as a preventative measure. This may save the headaches involved with treating pesky zits, before they erupt all over your face. Check out what the experts have to say and give it a go with these 10 tips for nourishing different parts of your body.
1. Feed Your Brain
If you’re having trouble focusing, remembering things or retaining clarity while concentrating (that “foggy” feeling in your mind), research has shown that adding blueberries, wild salmon, nuts, seeds and avocados can help. Omega-3 fatty acids are the key here, as they contain anti-inflammatory substances that are essential for brain function.
2. Illuminate Your Eyes
An overall healthy diet, including drinking enough water, will give your eyes that healthy glow. But, what about preventing the dreaded onset of age-related issues? Research, including studies by The National Eye Institute, suggests foods rich in zinc, vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids are the way to go. Load your diet up with carrots, leafy greens, citrus fruits, berries and almonds.
3. Give To Your Gut
Being bloated all the time can be an instant ‘good mood’ killer and this is one that tends to affect women more than men. Co-author of the book, ‘No More Digestive Problems: The Answers Every Woman Needs’, Dr. Cynthia Yoshida says, “Women have the same digestive organs as men, but they are squeezed, along with reproductive organs, into a smaller abdomen. This means our digestive organs don’t have much give when they get filled with excess gas, air or food.” That’s definitely not fair! But, rather than complain about it, let’s try and fix it with fibre and antioxidant rich foods, including leafy greens, citrus fruits, spinach, carrots, beans, broccoli, whole grains, cranberry juice, garlic, sauerkraut and onions.
4. Treat Your Teeth
Having regular issues with our teeth and gums is not something any of us want to deal with! Top orthodontist, Dr. Oleg Drut, says, “Many of the patients I see lack a healthy diet and consume far too much soda and junk food. A diet high in sugar and acids can erode tooth enamel, which is irreversible. Enamel is not like hair, once cut, it will not grow back.” In an oral health guide, Dr. Drut suggests eating a wide variety of vegetables, fish, nuts and whole grains such as brown rice, legumes and barley.
5. Help Your Heart
As you probanly realize, your heart’s a pretty important body part and deserves the best nourishment you can give it! Exercise is an all-important factor here, but you can also stock up on omega-3 fatty acids by eating wild salmon or tuna. Antioxidant rich fruits and veggies protect against disease and tea is believed to increase blood flow.
6. Love Your Liver
Our livers take a bit of a beating if we consume lots of over-processed, fried and fatty foods. The fabulous news is, you can regularly cleanse your liver with foods it will love, like garlic, grapefruit, beets, carrots, green tea, leafy greens, avocados, apples, olive oil, quinoa, millet, lemons, limes, cabbage and what may soon be your liver’s new best friend–turmeric.
7. Be Kind To Your Kidneys
All hail the super foods that science has proven to lower your risk of disease and help keep your kidneys happy and healthy! Best of all, this includes ultra-delicious blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, cherries and red grapes. You can also top up on apples, capsicums, cabbage and onions, for maximum benefit.
8. Cleanse Your Colon
Yep, it’s a bit of a gross one but necessary all the same, because food can stay trapped in there for a long time–so you want it to be good food. The winner here is water, so sip on it all day! Naturopaths recommend raw vegetables to provide digestive enzymes, fibre to stimulate the intestinal lining and probiotics, such as sauerkraut and miso, to maintain that wonderful, healthy bacteria!
9. Celebrate Your Skin
You can give your skin a lot more love by treating it from the inside, rather than the outside via expensive (mostly useless) lotions and potions filled with chemicals. Studies suggest that boosting your intake of berries, as a great source of vitamin C, helps the skin’s collagen production. Vitamin E, found in avocados, can help neutralise free radicals and pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, which helps skin conditions and balances oil production.
10. Help Your Hair and Nails
No amount of product is going to help your hair and your nails if your diet is heavy in foods that inflame your cells and break down collagen, keratin and elastin–the key elements for healthy hair and nails. Munch on oats, leafy greens, raw almonds, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and pumpkin seeds, instead of processed foods. Then, watch your hair and nails transform quickly, from frumpy to fabulous.
