12 Healing Foods To Eat Every Week
Here are 12 healing foods to add to your diet and eat every week to prevent disease in the future and more importantly to feel better right now.
These healing foods will provide your body with the essentials, the building blocks to recover faster and to get rid of low grade chronic inflammation, which basically is unresolved inflammation. Unresolved inflammation is essentially, healing that hasn’t been finished all the way through.
So help your body out and add what it needs to finish the healing process, so that you can forget about symptoms like chronic fatigue, aches and pains, migraines and gut issues. Things that we today consider normal. They’re not. We’re not supposed to be tired and bloated all the time. Sounds like the name of a box office mom movie: Tired and bloated.
Healing foods are essential – they literally restore every part of your body, even your brain and mood (source)!
From gaining all the necessary vitamins and minerals, you also speed up the wound healing process, synthesize more collagen, fight free radicals and so much more. (source)
10 Healing Foods To Eat Every Week
So, let’s start the list with the healing foods you should definitely add to your diet. I’m going to start this one off, kinda like a food pyramid. What you should consume most (daily – the base of your diet) and then build up on that.
1. Leafy Greens
I think it’s a surprise to nobody we’re starting the list of healing foods with leafy greens. These should make the majority of your diet. I like mine raw in smoothies or salads, but even if you add them to your diet steamed or lightly sauteed, they will help add in tons of nutrients that your body needs. So, become a fan of spinach, kale, arugula, bok choy, lettuce and Swiss chard! There are many ways to prepare them. And they’re not
These veggies are amazing healing foods – they’re high in antioxidants, meaning they protect your cells and all of its parts – DNA, proteins, lipids from oxidative stress. And they improve cellular repair. Leafy greens are also one of the best sources of vitamins and minerals – for example, vitamin A, K and C.
The list of positives they’ve got just never ends! By eating them, you’ll also be ingesting dietary fiber, protein and low amount of calories, so they’re great for digestion, muscle growth and overall health and weight management. (source)
Another great compound of theirs are the polyphenols they’re so rich in, which are perfect for battling inflammation, keeping your cells healthy and alive. (source)
Leafy greens are perfect for all types of salads, can be added as toppings (even on pizza!) and can even be blended in smoothies along with other fruit and/or veggies.
2. Broccoli And Other Cruciferous Vegetables
These ‘little trees’ are not only fun on the outside, but just like other cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, kale, radish) are a goldmine of benefits when it comes to your health.
When you start with the high amounts of vitamins (K, C, E and plenty of Bs) and minerals (iron, phosphate, magnesium, zinc, calcium and many, many more), right up to the amazing anti-cancer and antioxidant properties these vegetables have. (source)
All thanks to their phytochemicals – broccoli improves eye health, overall immunity, is also anti-microbial and as a whole, is a great healing food.
You can eat it as a side to many different dishes, enjoy it steamed, sauteed or even raw. These vegetables are great in stir-fries, salads, curries or soups!
3. Flaxseed
Flaxseeds have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. And that’s just the beginning.
Aside from being one of the best plant sources of omega-3’s (which are anti-inflammatory), flaxseed is also rich in amino acids, and dietary fiber, which can help rebuild your gut microbiome.
Flaxseeds improve cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol levels, weight management and help protect you from diabetes. (source)
You can use flaxseed in different salads, smoothies or you can even use the oil to add some extra omega-3’s to your diet.
4. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are another food, considered to have superpowers.
They’re a great source of protein, dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. And thanks to those compounds, they make for lovely antioxidants, fighting all types of free radicals in your body. (source)
They fight high cholesterol levels, insulin resistance and overall, keep your health in tip-top shape.
Chia seeds are perfect for making chia pudding which is a great healthy dessert or snack in combination with fruit like mango or strawberries.
5. Berries
Berries are so versatile and sweet – everyone HAS to have at least one type they like!
And, the even better benefit they have is all the positive ways they affect our health – whether you like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries, they’re all great for you!
Berries can reduce chronic inflammation – they literally improve the antioxidative function of your blood plasma, and even improve cardiovascular health. Not only that, but they’re super rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C. (source)
You can enjoy berries in almost every way possible – eat them as they are (after washing, of course), blend them all up in a smoothie, make a fruit salad, top your yogurt, chia pudding or overnight oats with them for a healthy sweet treat.
6. Avocado
This trendy green fatty fruit with a giant seed inside is not only Instagram famous, but also super healthy. I know – that description is weird and it came from my mom. Avocado is famous for a reason, as it’s a great source of fiber, healthy fats, folate vitamin K and many phytochemicals. It is a super satiating low-carb fruit that is prebiotic, thus great for your gut flora and its regular consumption is associated with maintaining a healthy weight.
To make the most of its healing properties, use avocado in salads, smoothies or dips like guacamole!
7. Almonds
Raw almonds are a great afternoon snack – they’re super rich in healthy fats, protein and the wound healing essential vitamin E. Let’s not forget the high levels of minerals, such as manganese, calcium, magnesium and others.
They’re also great antioxidants and they’re high in dietary fiber (which improves peristalsis). By eating almonds you’ll improve your cardiovascular health, control your weight and lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. (source)
You can once again eat them as they are, but you can also chop them up and sprinkle them in salads, make almond milk, blend them into smoothies or dips as well as make energy balls from them when you want something sweet.
8. Cranberries
Remember how we said that broccoli are a great healing food due to their amazing antioxidant abilities? Well, multiply those by 5 and you’ve got cranberries!
That’s right, these little red fruits are so packed with beneficial nutrients, that they’ve been put to use since the dawn of time.
They improve your overall health, reduce the chances of developing certain cancers, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular issues, different urinary tract infections and even ease menstrual pain. (source)
The best way to eat cranberries is when they’re fresh, but you can also get dried ones or drink cranberry juice. Either way, you’ll be feeling better and more refreshed, that’s for sure.
9. Lemons
Lemon’s compounds are tightly connected to a healthy, healing lifestyle. This citrus fruit contains vitamin C, dietary fiber, a ton of organic acids and bioactive compounds that have great antioxidant properties. (source)
Among other things, you can use the juice of fresh lemon in salad dressings, add to your water or use to make dips.
10. Ginger
Ginger has amazing antioxidant properties and is a great healing food as it works efficiently against inflammation, promotes platelet function and reduces high blood pressure.
Furthermore, it can improve your overall health – and in that way, protect you from cardiovascular disease, diabetes and others and also relieve asthma symptoms, nausea and menstrual pains. (source)
You can add ginger to your tea, add it as seasoning to food you’re preparing, add to smoothies and to dressings.
11. Turmeric
Turmeric contains a wonderful compound called curcumin and it’s quite literally amazing – it checks all the boxes!
It’s anti-inflammatory as it reduces the activity of a the pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor alpha and also some interleukins. Curcumin also triggers inflammatory cells’ death. Another great thing about it is that it can help the process of collagen synthesis, keeping your epidermis healthy and functional. (source)
In order to reap all the benefits, you can sprinkle turmeric as seasoning in dishes you prepare – hot meals, soups, dressings or even some smoothies!
12. Honey
Honey is pretty incredible if you think about it – created by hardworking little bees, a food that (almost) never expires and tastes so sweet!
And even more – it’s full of antioxidant properties. They’re especially prevalent in dark honey varieties, like honey made from buckwheat.
Honey is great for your health as it prevents free radicals from damaging certain lipids in your body, which in turn protects you from atherosclerosis development. (source)
Honey can be enjoyed on its own, every day. Just take a spoonful of it and enjoy! If you find that too sweet for your liking, drizzle some honey on top of yogurt, add some fruit and nuts and you’ve got a delicious and filling meal.
More Healthy Habits And Eating Tips
Well, I hope you incorporate these foods into your everyday diet to make use of their amazing health benefits. For more healthy habits and healthy eating tips, check out these:
