Make This a Habit: 3 Healing Super Foods to Eat Everyday Plus Delicious Vegan Recipes

Make healing foods an integral part of your daily diet.

“You are what you eat.”

As most of us know, the food we eat–not just the herbs we put on them–can help us heal.
Centuries of healing wisdom and decades of scientific research confirm that certain
“foods are medicines”–and we can positively impact our health by the foods we choose to
eat, as well as those we omit.
If you’d like to incorporate more healing foods into your diet, do your homework and
choose superfoods that can help what ails you.
As the saying goes: “Prevention is worth a pound of cure”…
So why not choose foods that provide you with vital nutritional support, protection and
potent disease preventive compounds.
Here are three of my favorite everyday superfoods:

Garlic

Garlic is a powerful preventer of colds and flu, and it has antifungal and antimicrobial
properties.
Raw garlic is a good source of Calcium, Phosphorus and Selenium, and a very good source of
Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Manganese.
Most of the health benefits of garlic are attributed to the compound allicin.
This heart disease and cancer-fighting compound is formed from garlic when a compound called
alliin in garlic comes into contact with the garlic enzyme alliinase when raw garlic is cut, crushed
or chewed.
When you heat or cook garlic, alliinase becomes inactivated, preventing the production of allicin.
However, it may be possible to prepare cooked garlic with allicin levels similar to raw garlic.
Chop raw garlic and then allow it to sit for 45 minutes to enable it to produce allicin.
Once allicin is produced, the garlic can be cooked with minimal loss of allicin.
I love to add crushed raw garlic to salad dressings, raw dips and soups.
You can also make garlic sauce for pasta, add it to soups and stews, and base many meals around
this super healing food.
A quick online search will reveal dozens of healing natural remedies made with garlic including
this savory recipe for Garlicky Spinach Soup.

Garlicky Spinach Soup

This pureed Garlicky Spinach Soup delivers the healing power of twelve garlic cloves which
may sound like a lot, but simmering them in broth mellows their pungency and infuses the
soup with rich flavor.

Onions

Onions are like garlic in their healthful properties.
Onion is a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and a
very good source of Vitamin C.
It is very low in saturated sat, cholesterol and sodium.
Onions contain potent anti-inflammatory properties that relieve cold- and flu-related
aches and congestion.
They also contain quercetin, an effective congestion buster that works with vitamin C to
stabilize the body’s histamine-producing, sniffle-causing response to germs.
A recent Chinese study concluded that the flavonols that give onions their color were shown
to help prevent influenza.
Onions are versatile since they can be made into a dish on their own or added
to other foods.
I especially love to make salads loaded with lots of pungent, raw onions.
Try this flavorful Vegetarian Gumbo recipe with onions and a lot more.

Vegetarian Gumbo

In this Vegetarian Gumbo recipe, the rich, dark roux of a Louisiana-style gumbo is laced with
onions, carrots, parsnips, okra, and green beans, but feel free to substitute any vegetables you
have on hand.
The recipe calls for one small onion, but I like to add 2-3 onions to my gumbo.
Go with your flow and improvise.

Wild BlueBerries

Blueberries are high in three powerful antioxidants.
Berries are known for their antioxidant power.
One berry that is particularly powerful is the wild blueberry.
According to a 2008 study, wild blueberries beat their cultivated relatives as well as two dozen
other fruits, including blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries for health-promoting
antioxidant activity.
Blueberries are high in three powerful antioxidants.
Anthocyanins positively affect key bodily functions, including vision, circulation, and brain activity.
Pterostilbene helps control cholesterol.
Epicatechins, which are the curative substances also found in cranberries, promote urinary tract health.
It is important to note that frozen and dried blueberries maintain the same antioxidant content as fresh.
I add blueberries to fruit salads, non-dairy yogurt, oatmeal or granola. But most of all, I love to add
fresh blueberries to my smoothies.
You can also freeze them–or buy frozen berries–and blend them into your smoothies.
Try this cleansing Blueberry-Beet Smoothie for a super antioxidant punch.

Blueberry Beet Smoothie

This low-fat, power-packed Blueberry-Beet Smoothie contains blueberries, roasted beets, nut milk,
avocado and lime juice. Yum!
 
What are your favorite ways to include healing super foods in your diet? Share your recipes or suggestions with us.

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