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Food for thought
If you think this is going to provoke you to deep thinking, think again. It's not as if you're about to ponder on some philosophical concepts or being torn between bidding goodbye or sticking to some fundamental beliefs. Argue we won't, especially on these days of Lent.
Here's a serving of food recommendations for your well-being so both body and brain can muster deep thinking, or try to, at the very least. When I got this oversized card last December, I thought of sharing its contents--ideal on this season of meatless Fridays, or everyday thereafter as you please. My only misgiving is that some of the fruits and vegetables mentioned therein are too prohibitive for the wallet-impaired Mr. & Mrs. Juan de la Cruz.
Red and green Christmas and New Year greetings overlap on the front part of the card which also bears a picture of the couple, Joseph and Encar, friends from Redding, California. It starts with an apologetic “It's hard to find a gift for special people like you so here is the best that we can do.” Punctuations and capitalizations are copied as they are.
The card opens with the title, Food as Medicine, followed by a long list of rainbow-colored printed illnesses and aches and the corresponding food treatment for each, to wit:
Headache?... Eat Fish! Eat plenty of Fish---Fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.
Hay Fever?... Eat Yogurt! Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season, and honey from your area (region) daily.
To prevent stroke... Drink Tea! Prevent build up of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. Tea suppresses appetite and keeps the pounds from invading... GREEN TEA is great for the immune system.
Insomnia? (Can't sleep) Honey! Use honey as tranquilizer and sedative.
Arthritis? Eat Fish, salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines help prevent arthritis (Fish has omega oil, good for our immune system.)
Upset stomach?... Bananas-Ginger!!!!! Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.
ASTHMA? Eat Onions!!!! Eating onions help ease constriction of bronchial tubes (Onion packs placed on the chest will help respiratory ailments and will make us breathe better.)
Bladder Problems? Drink cranberry juice!!!! High acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.
Bone Problems? Eat Pineapple!!!! Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.
PMS? Eat cornflakes!!! Women can ward off the effects of PMS (Pre-menstrual syndrome -- JCL) with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.
Memory Problems? Eat Oysters!! Oysters help improve mental functions by supplying the much needed zinc.
COLDS? Eat Garlic! Clear up stuffy head with garlic; remember it lowers cholesterol.
COUGHING? Use red Peppers!! A substance similar to that found in cough syrup is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution -- it can irritate your tummy.
Breast cancer? Eat wheat, Bran, and cabbage. Help to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.
LUNG CANCER? Eat dark and green veggies!!!! A good antidote is beta carotene, a form vitamin A found in dark and green veggies.
ULCERS? Eat cabbage also!!! Cabbage contains chemicals that help both gastric and duodenal ulcers.
DIARRHEA? Eat apples! Grate apple with skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. Bananas are also good for these ailments.
CLOGGED ARTERIES? Eat avocado! Monounsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? Eat celery and olive oil!!!!! Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure. Celery contains chemical that helps the same ailment. It is also good if your body is low in sodium.
BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? Eat broccoli and peanuts!!! The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin blood sugar.
Back page of Encar and Joseph's Christmas card enumerates health benefits from fruits:
KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E and fiber. Its Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.
APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Although an apple has low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhance the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.
STRAWBERRY: Protective fruit. It has the highest total anti-oxidant power among major fruits. It protects the body from cancer causing blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually any kind of berry is good for us... high in anti-oxidants and keeps us young........blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field.... They get rid of all the free radicals that invade our bodies.)
ORANGE: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.
WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% H20; it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also key source of lycopene -- the cancer fighting oxidant. It also contains Vit C and Potassium. Watermelon has natural SPF substances that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from SUV rays.
GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene. Good for the eyes, gas, and indigestion.
TOMATOES: Very good preventive measure for men, keeps those prostate problems from invading their bodies.
I wonder what Easter wishes Joseph and Encar will send this coming Easter. For meatless Friday and Easter Sunday, I'm borrowing the couple's ending to their Christmas greeting for everybody, and for all seasons, too: Happy Healthy Living To All!!!!
(Comments to lagoc@hargray.com)