9 Foods That Healed My Body + Belong In Every Kitchen

Food is a subject very close to my heart. As a young girl, I loved being in the kitchen, baking, cooking and creating new recipes. 
But, in my teenage years, as I started to gain weight, I started to see food as my enemy. I struggled every year to lose my extra weight. With each failed diet, I pretty much resigned myself to being overweight for the rest of my life. But, fortunately, the Universe had a different plan!
Just days before my 20th birthday, my body collapsed and I became extremely sick. Upon my doctor's recommendation, I was faced with the prospect of taking experimental medication for life. But, my intuition said NO. There was another way. I decided not to take the medication and was instead guided to go on my own personal healing journey…
I turned my attention to the alternative to taking pharmaceutical drugs. During this time, I learned how to heal myself of chronic disease. I was able to rebalance my thyroid and hormonal imbalances, gently cleanse my liver and miraculously heal my asthma. 
Another unexpected side-benefit of going on my healing journey was that I also lost over 60 pounds naturally!
During this time, I used specific foods to heal my body from within. I felt blessed to also rekindle my love-affair with food. I was delighted to discover that food can taste great, as well as heal. An Ayurvedic quote says, “If diet is wrong, medicine is no use and when diet is correct, medicine is of no need.”
Here are 9 foods that I introduced to my kitchen. They radically transformed my body and healed me of chronic disease, allowing me to experience vibrant health: 
1. Fresh, green vegetables. 
Focus your diet around plant foods, especially fresh green vegetables, which are high in micronutrients. Choose bitter greens, such as mustard greens, collard greens, broccoli, arugula, spinach and kale. (And opt for organic wherever possible.) 
Make healing broths and soups that are easy to digest, steam them served with a dash of seasalt and fresh lemon juice, or eat them fresh in summer salads. 
Make a healing tonic by juicing half a cucumber with some pineapple, pears or apples and half lemon – yum!
2. Organic protein. 
As you begin to heal and build your strength, you need to turn your attention to stabilizing your blood sugars and energy levels. Protein-rich foods can help! 
Try organic meat, organic chicken, wild salmon, fresh local fish, organic greek yogurt, and organic eggs. For vegetarian options, try quinoa, peas, beans, lentils, almonds, almond butter, seaweed, micro-algae, E3 Live, Warrior protein powder, hemp products, low-processed organic soy and chia seeds.
3. Extra-virgin cold-pressed, organic oils. 
Fresh, organic oils are very tasty, beautifully rich in aroma and fragrance. It's important to know that all oils should have a "best-before" date, so always use fresh oils well before this date. 
Oils can be used to make a wide array of healthy salad dressings, drizzled over steamed vegetables or used for dipping. You can use organic, extra-virgin coconut oil for making sweet treats. Unlike other oils, when placed in the fridge or freezer, coconut oil will go hard and set.
4. Seeds: Sesame, sunflower, chia, pumpkin seeds… 
There are such a wide variety of delicious seeds available. Each kind of seed has its own distinct flavor and can be used to add variety to your cooking. 
When you are healing, grind them up to make them easier on your digestion. I grind linseed, sunflower and almond seeds to make LSA, which I use on everything! Sprinkle them on salads or add to breakfast smoothies and cereal.
5. Honey (or unrefined sugar substitute). 
Sweets are an important part of the 4 tastes of the palate: sweet, salty, savory and bitter. Always look for unrefined sugar. Organic honey in it’s natural form is delicious as a natural sweetener. Other vegetarian alternatives are stevia, coconut sugar, maple syrup or coconut nectar. Best to opt for organic brands to minimize the processing. Avoid highly refined processed sugar and zero-calorie sugar substitutes like aspartame, equal and nutra-sweet as these are toxic for your body.
6. Lemons. 
These little gems made this list because fresh lemons are so versatile. I like to start my day by drinking a detoxifying lemon water drink by squeezing a quarter of a lemon into a big glass of filtered water. Try lemons cut into wedges and squeezed over salads and soups for extra flavor and yummy zing!
7. Sea salt. 
Real sea salt is unrefined salt which has been taken directly from the sea and dehydrated by the sun, forming a beautiful crystalline structure. It's ultra rich in micronutrients and totally delicious. 
If you haven’t made the switch from using highly refined, regular, white table salt to natural sea-salt yet, I urge you to do so today. You can substitute sea-salt for table salt in both your savory and sweet cooking. Your health, your body and your taste buds truly will thank you for it!
8. Herbs. 
Using either fresh or dried herbs can transform your cooking as they add new taste sensations to your food.  They can take your cooking from every day food to something quite gourmet. Buy your herbs straight from a greengrocers or local food market. For the adventurous, try growing your own! Some of my favorites are fresh parsley, coriander, basil, and dill.
9. Apple cider vinegar (ACV). 
If you want to quickly improve your digestive health, then try apple cider vinegar. I highly recommend the brand Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider vinegar, which is affordable and delicious. Use it daily in combination with (or as a substitute for) lemon juice as an alkalizing drink. Or use it to make a tasty salad dressing by blending it with some olive oil, herbs, and a sprinkle of sea-salt.

Give yourself the gift of vibrant health today by stocking up on these healthy-kitchen must haves. When your kitchen is stocked with foods that are healthy, you will be more inclined to create healthy snacks and meals for yourself.
A healthy kitchen = a healthy you!

Please do leave us a comment below and let us know how many of these healthy foods you have in your kitchen today…  I look forward to hearing from you!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

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