Cabbage
Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables are considered protective foods. They contain good sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and still can help your body in other ways. They are also enjoyed in many recipes.
- People who eat cabbage often have a lower risk of attaining cancer, especially of the stomach, colon, lung, and skin. Having high levels of antioxidants in the body can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cataracts.
- Raw cabbage juice is eaten as an ulcer remedy. It is helpful, but less efficient.
- Sauerkraut, or fermented cabbage, is used to improved digestion and gut health
- Folic acid in cabbage lowers the risk of having a baby with spina bifida
- If you even eat one serving a week, either raw or cooked, or as a fermented cabbage, you have a lower risk of colon cancer. However, it is recommended to eat 2-3 servings a week for optimal benefits.
- Cabbage reduces iodine absorption, so people who eat cabbage 2-3 times a week should also eat iodine rich foods, especially if iodine is scarce in the area they live in
Chili Pepper
Chili peppers come in many varieties of flavors and degrees of spiciness. They do not need to dominate other foods in taste, but they can be used delicately, to deepen flavor. Chili pepper lovers often add a little more pepper in their meals for a higher degree of spiciness.
- Strokes and heart disease are usually caused by the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. Chili peppers stimulate circulation and help prevent blood clots.
- Eating hot chilies causes sweating, make the eyes water, and the nose run. The warm, stimulant action increases mucus flow and helps clear congestion in the airways, which reduces and eases coughs and colds.
- Chilies increase gastric acid, which helps make sure that the body has enough acid to kill bacteria in foods, and enable efficient digestion
- Chilies can have a numbing effect on pain
- Eating less than 1 teaspoon (3g) of chili sauce with a meal raises the rate of calories used by an average of 25% for some hours
- Hotter chili peppers contain more capsaicin, the source of their spiciness and their stimulant properties, so less can be eaten if the pepper is spicier. The spiciness of the chili pepper is highest in the seeds.
- About 2 teaspoons of fresh jalapeno a day is enough to help the circulation in the body and clean the airways of the respiratory system. If eaten regularly, any amount can help with health benefits.
- Eating large amounts of chili peppers may increase the risk of stomach cancer. Be careful when handling fresh chili peppers; do not touch your eyes or any cuts.
Garlic
Garlic is considered one of the best-known healing foods, as the Greeks and the Egyptians praise the food, and it is now supported by modern research. Garlic aids circulation, is resistance to infection, and affect many aspects of your body's health.
- Garlic can control the range of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, such as flu, cold sores, colds, yeast infections, and gastroenteritis
- Eating 1-2 fresh garlic cloves a day can reduce the level of blood cholesterol by 10%
- Eating moderate amounts of garlic can lower high blood pressure
- Garlic reduces blood clotting, which gives a better flow of blood in the bloodstream
- Garlic reduces blood sugar levels, which can help diabetics
- They can reduce the risk of stomach cancer
- Eating 1-2 fresh garlic cloves a day for several weeks can give you optimum health benefits with the prevention of infection. Cooking garlic reduces the health value. Crushing garlic causes beneficial sulfur compounds to form, so it is best to eat the garlic as soon as possible after crushing or chopping.
Ginger
Fresh ginger is a pungent spice mostly used in Asian cuisine. The “stem” is a more exact term than “root” because the part of the tropical plant we eat is the underground stem. Ginger still has its healing properties when dried, but fresh ginger is finer for use in cooking.
- Ginger can prevent nausea, but cannot stop the existence of nausea
- It stimulates bile and helps relax colic and quell flatulence, or upset stomach
- It is more effective in reducing blood clots than garlic and onion
- Ginger has a stimulant effect on circulation, which aids the body in dislodging phlegm and congestion
- It helps rheumatic pain, stiffness and swelling because ginger blocks some inflammatory substances
- To relieve motion sickness, eat about ½ teaspoon (1g) of dried ginger. For treatment of rheumatism, eat about 1¾oz (50g) of cooked or 2½ teaspoons (5g) raw fresh ginger a day for at least 3 months.
- Excess ginger can cause itchiness in and around the bladder openings. If this happens, eat less.
