Let Food Be Your Medicine & Not Medicine Your Food

In today’s world of fatigue, stress, anxiety, migraines, heart disease, cholesterol, etc., the way we eat, how much we eat and what we eat matter. Good nutrition is considered a big part of a healthy lifestyle. The role of food and nutrition in health is a valuable tool that can support many medicines currently in use to rid people of the large number of diseases plaguing them today. A well-balanced meal is translating into smarter ways to eat for health.

Of course, all foods are functional because they provide varying amounts of nutrients and energy to sustain growth or support vital processes. However, a class of foods called Functional Foods, are generally considered to offer additional benefits that may reduce the risk of disease or promote optimal health. 

Some foods are said to be inherently functional foods, such as:

• Green Tea, which has antioxidants, has chemo preventive effects.
• Garlic which has sulphur therefore it has cancer chemo preventive, antibiotic, anti-hypertensive, and cholesterol-lowering properties
• Dairy Products are one of the best sources of calcium, an essential nutrient which can prevent osteoporosis. They also contain probiotics which improves intestinal microbial balance.
• Flaxseeds which contain omega-3 fatty acid reduce total and LDL cholesterol as well as platelet aggregation.
• Tomatoes contain lycopene which is good for cancer prevention and has antioxidant properties.
• Fish, particularly Salmon, contains omega 3 fatty acids, has cardio protective effect.
• Fenugreek has active constituents like saponins, dietary fiber, amino acids, which help lower blood sugar.

Eating the right amounts of the food in the right combination and at the right time can give positive results and cater to your body needs in order to function optimally. One needs to ensure that they take the right guidance from a professional to know which foods are suited to their body and which are not.