FOODS BEST FOR 
by Mary-Ann Shearer 

Starting from the top of your body and moving down, Mary-Ann Shearer brings us best kept secrets on how to keep our body functioning on full power! 

Best for hair

* Eat more avocadoes, raw nuts or seeds (hummus made with sesame seeds paste is delicious or just a handful or sunflower seeds or almonds to nibble on) these natural plant fats contain essential fatty acids, which are essential for brain function. Take 1 Tablespoon of organic flax oil daily if you cannot get these foods in (Millbrook or Aimega blend in capsules are the best).

* Eat more fresh fruit as they contain water soluble fibre and this helps balance your blood sugar and this is needed for hormonal function which is the system that controls hair growth and health in general.

* Eat a piece or two of fruit before you eat chocolates and sweets, it helps take the cravings away.

* Eat more whole grains, potatoes (baked are best), brown rice they are high in B Vitamins needed to stop you losing your hair and promote hair growth.

* Avoid foods containing gluten as this can upset the delicate hormonal balance of the endocrine system.

* For the same reason avoid heated fats like margarine and fried foods and artificial sweeteners, caffeine and refined sugar.

* Eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables, I have found since taking BarleyLife both mine and Mark’s hair is a lot thicker and grows twice as fast. In fact if I were a hair stylist I would insist all my clients take Barleylife. One, because hair is so much healthier and two, because they would have to have a cut every 3 weeks instead of every 6 weeks!

Best for brain

* Eat more avocadoes, raw nuts or seeds (hummus made with sesame seeds paste is delicious or just a handful or sunflower seeds or almonds to nibble on) these natural plant fats contain essential fatty acids, which are essential for brain function. Take 1 Tablespoon of organic flax oil daily if you cannot get these foods in (Millbrook or Aimega blend in capsules are the best).

* Eat more fresh fruit as they contain water soluble fibre and this helps balance your blood sugar as this is needed for good brain function.

* Eat a piece or two of fruit before you eat chocolates and sweets, it helps take the cravings away.

* Eat more oats, potatoes (baked are best), brown rice and whole-wheat bread, they are high in B Vitamins needed to stop you losing your mind.

Best for skin & eyes

* Eat more of those foods full of essential fatty acids as for your brain, they help your hormones work better and this gives you a gorgeous skin.

* Eat more bright yellow fruit and vegetables such as mangoes, carrots, butternut (make butternut chips by cutting the butternut into chip shapes and baking on a baking tray in the oven at 200ºC, remove, drizzle with virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and enjoy – better than mashed baby food!) Yellow fruit and vegetables are high in beta-carotene, which is essential for healthy skin and eyes.

* Eat more dark green vegetables as they are loaded with lutein and zeaxanthan essential for sharp eyes (one of the many reasons to drink BarleyLife every day!)

Best for teeth

* Eat corn on the cob regularly with extra virgin coconut oil or butter not margarine. Corn is high in protease inhibitors like all seeds, which help prevent tooth decay. (Add some chili pesto for a very delicious meal).

* Eat more grapes or raisins as they contain properties, which inactivate bacteria and helps prevent tooth decay.

 Best for heart

* Eat more of those essential fatty acids foods for the brain as they also give you a healthy heart.

* Eat more apples as they are high in pectin a water soluble fibre that helps to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

* Eat more artichokes, you can use the tinned ones (if you can afford them) and add to salads with some olive oil and herb salt. Artichokes lower cholesterol – contains cynarin, which has been formulated into a drug for lowering cholesterol and is also a natural diuretic (helps with water retention) and a natural anti inflammatory.

* Eat more bananas they also contain plenty of pectin, which lowers cholesterol levels.

* I know you think that eating beans may destroy the ozone layer but beans are a powerhouse of nutrients, which help reduce bad LDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Beans contain a glucose called alpha-galactose, which can cause gas but within a few days of eating regularly you will produce the enzymes needed to digest this and the gas with stop. So eat more beans.

 Best for lungs

* Eat more of those yellow fruit and veg that are good for skin such as carrots, mango. Both have an anti cancer effect particularly related to smoking including side stream smoke. (One of the reasons I drink carrot juice almost every day – I use Just Carrots dried juice).

* Eat more chili peppers – they contain capsaicin, which excellent for lung function and a natural expectorant – which helps get rid of mucous and alleviates bronchitis and emphysema and a natural decongestant, which will clear those sinuses. If you are looking for a natural high just add some chili.

Favourite chili pesto
¼ - ½ cup red chilies
Handful fresh coriander/cilantro/dahlia
1 cup Mary-Ann’s extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp May-Ann’s Garlic & Herb seasoning
1 flat tsp ground cumin
1 -2 sweet red (bell) peppers

Blend well and keep in fridge until needed. Add to any and everything!

 Best for stomach

* Eat more bananas as they help prevent and heal ulcers and strengthen the digestive system.

* Eat more of those beans again but leave out the chili if you have an ulcer otherwise the chili can speed up the digestive process. Beans also regulate colon function preventing and correcting constipation and are known to prevent haemorrhoids and other bowel problems.

 * Eat more blueberries (if you can find them) help combat diarrhoea and softens hard stools. All berries contain natural tannins which help destroy viruses and bacteria in the digestive tract.

* Eat more cabbage also help destroy bacteria and viruses and prevent ulcers and cancer; if like me cabbage is not your favorite food, try eating it in a salad that contains fresh tomato, avocado, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil and herb salt.

* Eat more honey, helps relive diarrhoea.

 Best for immune system

* Eat more broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage as they contain indoles, glucosinolates and diothiolthiones, which destroy cancer cells.

* Eat more red peppers, tomatoes, oranges and pineapple as they are all high in Vitamin C and powerful plant nutrients (phytonutrients and anti oxidants) that help the immune system function more efficiently.

* Eat more of those bright orange carrots, mangoes and pumpkins, as those powerful anti oxidants like best carotene help protect the body against cancer.

* Drink more apple juice together with grape juice (Liqui-Fruit & Ceres are made with either both or one of these as a base) are anti viral and have been shown to destroy viruses including polio viruses 100% and contain caffeic or clhorogenic acid which blocks cancer forming action of potent cancer forming substances.

 Best for bladder

* Drink more Cranberry juice (but not with added sugar) as cranberries are known to prevent urinary tract Infections, prevent kidney stones and deodorizes urine. Take Aim’s Cranverry, which is dried cranberry juice for convenience.

* Eat more rice, it lowers blood pressure and prevents kidney stones.

 

This a small start and your stomach will work better from all the natural gentle fibre.

Mary-Ann Shearer, author of best selling Natural Way series, including her new book TAKE CONTROL THE NATURAL WAY has been a nutritional counsellor since 1987 and does regular radio and television appearances as well as many talks and seminars both in South Africa and abroad.

TAKE CONTROL THE NATURAL WAY 
By Mary-Ann & Mark Shearer with Sylvia Walker

For more information contact Ibis Books & Editorial Services
P.O. Box 30992, Tokai, 7966, Cape Town, South Africa
Tel: +27 (21) 712-5875

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