This week we have a guest post from our friend, Molly Walsh, over at livehealthyhappylifestyle.com. Enjoy!

Food and nutrition are absolutely wonderful things and since beginning to research them further, I’m finding that the uses are beyond what many of us believe. I used to be so narrow-minded when it came to food but it can do so much for us! In this blog post you’ll find some “healing foods” that have been proven to offer specific health benefits – they can aid the process of healing and improving health, which is great.

Respiratory problems…

This covers conditions such as asthma as well as the average cold and flu, which are mainly viral infections. Green tea can be a great help. Ginger and chilli stimulate the circulation and can thin mucus to get rid of it quicker. Therefore they can help relieve congested airways and headaches related to these issues. Foods that are rich in vitamin C, such as green leafy veggies, citrus fruits and berries, may help to kill bacteria found in some respiratory conditions too.

Digestive system…

Ginger can help with settling the stomach and help to prevent nausea, soothing the intestinal tract. Linseed is a gentle laxative so can assist with conditions such as constipation and ridding the gut of toxins whilst soothing the digestive tract. Sauerkraut can then help to restore healthy gut flora (bacteria) in the intestines after recovery. Chilli and watercress can help to improve and encourage digestive juices. Asparagus (aside form making your urine smell!) can help to relieve slow digestion as it helps to speed up the emptying of the stomach contents.

Heart and circulation…

Vitamin E is the antioxidant strongly linked to a lower risk of angina or heart attack so foods such as sweet potato and wheat germ (high in vitamin E) are encouraged in the diet. There are some foods that can help discourage blood clotting thanks to their ability to dilate the blood vessels. For example: garlic, chilli, pineapple and onions can help with this. Oats and green leafy vegetables can assist in reducing raised blood pressure.

Simply eating these “healing foods” as part of an unhealthy diet will not help to overcome any form of condition or illness. However, when incorporated into a healthy, balanced diet these specific foods can do wonders for your body.

An easy way to add these to your diet is adding them to a smoothie! Take a look at some healthy smoothie recipes that are easy to follow and taste delicious.