Recently while teaching a course seminar in San Clemente at a Holistic Detox treatment facility, one of the students asked “What are some of the best foods to eat that will heal our bodies from head to toe and relive pain as well.” This was an excellent question to ask because there are many people who still see eating food as a social phenomenon and not a way to heal their bodies from an illness per se. But what if many people were aware of the fact that there are many foods that you can eat to treat some of the everyday and common ailments that we deal with on a regular basis? The good news is that there are many foods that can be eaten regularly in order to keep the discomfort and the pains away; let’s explore some of the ways that we can use natural foods as healing agents for our bodies:
For Headaches: Eating fresh or juiced apples are a great remedy due to the amounts quercetin that reaches the brain. Cucumbers are excellent as they hydrate the sinus region; water and ginger also make for a great combination to address stomach nausea that is often accompanied by severe headaches.
For Migraines: Garlic, onions and high magnesium foods like avocados and nuts have shown to be helpful in this area.
Muscle Pains: Apple cider vinegar helps sore muscles recover and it can also be rubbed in to the affected sore area. Consuming turmeric on a regular basis has also been shown to be effective because it helps with the inflammation that surrounds the painful swelling.
Back Pain and Vitamin B6: Eating foods high in Vitamin B6 content has been linked to ease of the inflammation in the back; especially in the lumbar spine region. Some of these foods include; bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, nuts and seeds, kale and ginger.
Arthritis: Increase high intakes of Plant-Based foods including: Spinach, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, pumpkins, sprouts, onions, fruits, nuts, seeds, raw potatoes, broccoli; cherries, all berries, etc. Juicing is also good to combat bouts of arthritis. The key is to keep the body in an alkaline state as opposed to an acidic state. This means that your PH balance should be on the higher scale of 7.3 and above.
Sore Throats: Licorice root with hot water, lemon, ginger, agave are natural ways to treat this without medicines.
Depression: Consuming pecans and walnuts regularly. Mindfulness meditation, saffron, Valerian root, St. Johns Wart, skullcap, kava kava, selenium supplements and a regular regimen of cardio vascular exercise is a good path to follow pre-depression phase or while going through light phases of depression.
In general, avoiding processed foods as much as possible also helps to keep the body pains away. Natural foods work as healing agents when you keep them organic and as fresh as possible and should be consumed within 3 to 4 days of purchase. Looking at food from a medical and a clinical lens is much more practical and safer way to heal from everyday pains in the long run. Of course this is a small sample of natural foods that affect us for the better, do some more research on this to find out what works best for you.
Dr. David K Scott- N.D.; CHNP
NATURES' FIRST PATH: HOlISTIC MEDICINE. 