“Let food be your medicine and your medicine be food”
This is my favorite quote from Hippocrates. What he meant was that diet has a profound effect on not only preventing disease, but also treating it. This quote lends itself to the saying “We are what we eat.” Below are some of my four favorite foods for promoting overall health and wellness
We hope to show you how easy it is to eat healthy and feel healthy and you’ll no doubt be thinking: “Even I can do that!”
This is my favorite quote from Hippocrates. What he meant was that diet has a profound effect on not only preventing disease, but also treating it. This quote lends itself to the saying “We are what we eat.” Below are some of my four favorite foods for promoting overall health and wellness
We hope to show you how easy it is to eat healthy and feel healthy and you’ll no doubt be thinking: “Even I can do that!”
Broccoli
Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse that protects against cancer of the colon, breast, bladder, lung, and prostate. Along with cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains sulforaphane glucosinolates (SGS) and other phytonutrients that shield cells from DNA damage, boost immune function, and neutralize carcinogens.
In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, older men who ate broccoli or cauliflower more than once a week were about half as likely to be diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer as men who ate these foods less than once a month.
Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse that protects against cancer of the colon, breast, bladder, lung, and prostate. Along with cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains sulforaphane glucosinolates (SGS) and other phytonutrients that shield cells from DNA damage, boost immune function, and neutralize carcinogens.
In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, older men who ate broccoli or cauliflower more than once a week were about half as likely to be diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer as men who ate these foods less than once a month.
Chili Peppers
Chili peppers have a number of health benefits due to its key component capsaicin, the compound that gives them their spiciness. The folk uses of cayenne and other hot peppers range from treating stomach ulcers to improving circulation and heart disease. Better studied, however, are capsaicin’s effects on metabolism and pain.
If you have ever broken into a sweat after eating chili peppers, you know that capsaicin has a thermogenic effect. It raises body temperature and burns calories.
Studies have shown chili peppers to suppress appetite. When Dutch researchers gave red pepper powder in tomato juice or capsules to study volunteers 30 minutes before meals, they felt fuller and ate less.
Include hot, spicy foods in your daily diet, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. And keep a jar of cayenne pepper in the house.
Applied to the skin, topical capsaicin suppresses substance P, a chemical that delivers pain signals to the brain—making it a very powerful topical pain reliever. It is helpful for arthritis, back pain, and nerve pain, and even conventional physicians recognize its value as a treatment for the pain of shingles.
Chili peppers have a number of health benefits due to its key component capsaicin, the compound that gives them their spiciness. The folk uses of cayenne and other hot peppers range from treating stomach ulcers to improving circulation and heart disease. Better studied, however, are capsaicin’s effects on metabolism and pain.
If you have ever broken into a sweat after eating chili peppers, you know that capsaicin has a thermogenic effect. It raises body temperature and burns calories.
Studies have shown chili peppers to suppress appetite. When Dutch researchers gave red pepper powder in tomato juice or capsules to study volunteers 30 minutes before meals, they felt fuller and ate less.
Include hot, spicy foods in your daily diet, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. And keep a jar of cayenne pepper in the house.
Applied to the skin, topical capsaicin suppresses substance P, a chemical that delivers pain signals to the brain—making it a very powerful topical pain reliever. It is helpful for arthritis, back pain, and nerve pain, and even conventional physicians recognize its value as a treatment for the pain of shingles.
Ginger
Ginger is a potent diaphoretic, meaning it stimulates perspiration and warms the body from the inside. It is also a well-studied gastrointestinal tonic that helps relieve nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In addition, ginger is rich in zinc, which is important in wound healing and immune function. Thus, homemade ginger tea is one of the most satisfying tonics for a cold or flu.
To make a therapeutic ginger tea, grind a one-inch slice of fresh ginger, squeeze the juice of half a lemon, and add to a cup of steaming hot water along with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, if desired.
Ginger is a potent diaphoretic, meaning it stimulates perspiration and warms the body from the inside. It is also a well-studied gastrointestinal tonic that helps relieve nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In addition, ginger is rich in zinc, which is important in wound healing and immune function. Thus, homemade ginger tea is one of the most satisfying tonics for a cold or flu.
To make a therapeutic ginger tea, grind a one-inch slice of fresh ginger, squeeze the juice of half a lemon, and add to a cup of steaming hot water along with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, if desired.
Yogurt
Yogurt, cultured with healthful bacteria, is nature’s premiere probiotic. This protein-rich food has been shown to reduce the incidence of antibiotic-related diarrhea, suppress H. pylori (the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers), helps prevent gastric ulcers, and improve overall gastrointestinal health.
Make sure your yogurt contains “live and active cultures,” and avoid fruit-added varieties, which are full of added sugars or artificial sweeteners. If you want to spice up the flavor of plain yogurt, add your own fresh fruit and sweeten with xylitol. Flaxseed is also a nice addition. It’s also important to note that probiotics in yogurt (or in supplements) must be consumed on a regular basis to be most effective.
Yogurt, cultured with healthful bacteria, is nature’s premiere probiotic. This protein-rich food has been shown to reduce the incidence of antibiotic-related diarrhea, suppress H. pylori (the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers), helps prevent gastric ulcers, and improve overall gastrointestinal health.
Make sure your yogurt contains “live and active cultures,” and avoid fruit-added varieties, which are full of added sugars or artificial sweeteners. If you want to spice up the flavor of plain yogurt, add your own fresh fruit and sweeten with xylitol. Flaxseed is also a nice addition. It’s also important to note that probiotics in yogurt (or in supplements) must be consumed on a regular basis to be most effective.
W.C. Lee, M.D., is a UCLA-trained board certified specialist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. She is an expert in platelet rich plasma non-surgical treatments. She specializes in the non-surgical treatment of muscle, arthritis, and nerve injuries and conditions. She received her M.D. from University of Wisconsin Medical School. She also offers a Wellness Clinic for those who would like physician help with health maintenance and optimizing their health.
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