Ever hear the saying 'You are what you eat'? Well, it's true. I believe that what we put into ourselves will very often dictate what we become.
Fill ourselves with healthy nutrient filled foods that offer health, energy, satisfaction and and we will be healthy, energized and more often satisfied. In my quest to pursue this, and to better understand what the foods we eat do for our bodies, I'm continually amazed at the ways they 'speak to us'. Often, the foods that we eat have the same appearance to the part of the body that they provide the most nutrition to. Like they are telling us what to eat for health. Really? Yes. Here are some examples to what I am saying:
Walnuts - even as kids we used to call them 'brains'. It's true, they literally look like little brains. So it's amazing to find out that walnuts are considered a 'brain food'. Not only do they hold loads of nutritional benefits, and aid in reducing common medical complaints, research has indicated that they boost memory, brain function and reduce the risk of Alzheimers. (1)
Avocados - avocados are an important food when it comes to fertility. Resembling an ovary (complete with a stone (seed) inside), they are high in folic acid, which helps the female body with ovulation. Research has indicted that the high levels of monounsaturated fat in avocados is also is also a likely factor in improving fertility rates. (2)
Peppers - ever noticed when you cut into a pepper that it is a bit like a heart? Similar shape, and even has the small partitions in it unlike the chambers of the heart. It's not surprising to learn that capsicums are good for our ticker. The red ones contain Lycopene which boosts natural antioxidant defenses, reduce inflammation and studies have suggested that they reduce the risk of heart disease. Green peppers help to reduce cholesterol levels and both the red and green help with lowering blood pressure.
Beetroot - packed with nutrients and iron, beetroot are great for our blood! This might explain their potent red colouring. Studies have shown that drinking beetroot juice reduces blood pressure levels, which also contributes to less heart disease deaths.(3) Beetroot are high in iron, which helps to increase blood count, blood circulation and how red blood cells carry oxygen.
Kumara - similar in shape to the pancreas, it's interesting to see the correlation between kumara and pancreatic health. They are high in anthocyanins (potent antioxidant compounds which helps to protect body tissues) which can help intersect cell damage triggered by high blood sugar levels. This helps to alleviate stress to the pancreas whose main function is to regulate blood sugar levels.
Carrots - 'Eat your carrots so you can see in the dark' was a phrase that I commonly heard as a kid. We all knew that carrots were good for our eyes. But why? Well, it's because they are loaded with beta-carotene, a substance that the body converts to vitamin A, which is an important nutrient for eye health. Research suggests that daily carrot consumption could significantly reduce the risk of vision loss.(4)
This is only a handful of the foods that I have looked at, but I know that there are many more foods out there which are talking to us by their appearance. If the doctor tells us to look after our heart, or lower our blood pressure, but we aren't sure how, then perhaps it's time to listen to our food. On the fun side, it adds a completely different dimension to eating, and can also be a great dinner time discussion with kids.
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Kirsty Salisbury is a certified Health Coach with a love for healthy cooking, wellness and fitness. She is a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and her mission is to help people make the most of their health, reach their health goals, and to feel great within themselves.
Kirsty runs coaching sessions and workshops, and consults out of the New Lynn Osteopathic and Natural Health Clinic in West Auckland. For more information visit www.loveyourhealth.co.nz.