Twelve Most Healing Foods (Reader's Digest)

By Hklbrries

Ingredients

• The following is a summary of an article from Reader's Digest. It identifies the best picks of foods to prevent and treat heart disease, cancer, headaches, and countless everyday ills.
• 1 Figs: They are known to prevent the bone loss associated with aging. Figs are also very high in fiber.
• Ways to eat them: Slice fresh, unpeeled figs and serve with cheese or put them in a salad.
• 2 Beets: They produce nitric acid, which helps increase blood flow throughout your body and are known to sharpen your mind.
• Ways to eat them: Roast, then puree beets into a dip with Greek yogurt and horseradish or put raw beets into a salad.
• 3 Fresh Cranberries: These little red berries can help prevent heart disease. They keep the bad cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to artery walls.
• Ways to eat them: Saute and serve with pork, or combine with banana, pineapple and orange for a fruit salad.
• 4 Orange pith: A great source of fiber and antioxidants.
• Ways to eat it: Roast thin slices of the pith and serve with whole wheat pancakes.
• 5 Eggs: A great source of protein. They contain zinc and iron to promote healthy hair and strong nails.
• Ways to eat them: Scramble with a handful of spinach, or top a bowl of vegetables and brown rice with a lightly fried egg, sesame seeds and soy sauce.
• 6 Sesame seeds: Eating a few spoonsful as day dramatically decreases LDL (bad cholesterol).
• Ways to eat them: Sprinkle on oatmeal, steamed veggies or make hummus with tahini, a sesame seed butter.
• 7 Mustard: Helps protect against cancer, prevent cardiovascular disease, defends cells against damaging free radicals, and gives your immune system a boost.
• Ways to eat it: Dip roasted veggies in mustard-honey sauce or whisk together mustard, oil, and vinegar for a salad dressing.
• 8 Lamb: A good source of omega-3 fatty acids that can protect against heart disease and strokes.
• Ways to eat it: Roast leg of lamb or use ground lamb as a topping for tacos or pizza.
• 9 Frozen broccoli: Frozen varieties contain up to 35% more beta-carotene by weight than fresh broccoli. Helps the body fight off infections that inflame the lungs and arteries.
• Ways to eat it: Toss steamed florets with tomato sauce and toasted walnuts for a side dish, or scatter atop a frozen pizza before baking.
• 10 Chiles: May help prevent the blood clots that lead to a heart attack and stroke.
• Ways to eat them: Add chopped chiles to stir-fry, eggs and soup.
• 11 Kiwis: They help fight free radicals that can lead to cancer.
• Ways to eat them: Don't peel them, the skin is very high in fiber and vitamin C. Eat like a peach or chop them and add to salads.
• 12 Celery leaves: Contain more calcium, iron, potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamin C than the stalks.
• Ways to eat it: Use like parsley or mix into salads.

Preparation

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