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| Garlic, onion, and watercress, to fight infection and bronchial congestion. |
| Chili peppers and ginger to relieve congestion, stimulate circulation, and soothe the stomach. |
| Honey to soothe the throat. |
| Tea and homemade chicken soup to relieve congestion and boost immunity. |
| F.Y.I. |
| When food starches and sugars break down into glucose in the blood, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which enables glucose to leave the bloodstream and enter cells, where it is used as energy or stored. People with diabetes don't produce insulin, produce too little, or produce enough but become unable to use it (known as insulin resistance). Their cells are deprived of energy, which causes weakness, dizziness, and a variety of other health problems, including poor circulation. |
| Worse still, glucose can become toxic when it sits in the bloodstream for too long, damaging your organs. The link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease is acutely direct: some 80 percent of diabetes sufferers eventually die of heart or blood vessel disease, according to the American Heart Association. |
| Constipation |
| Keep two words in mind when it comes to constipation: fiber and fluids. |
| Constipation is usually a sign that you are eating too many of the wrong thingsprocessed, refined foodsand too few of the right ones: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. It also may mean you aren't drinking enough water and other healthy fluids, or that you are drinking too much alcohol and coffee, which can cause dehydration. (In moderate amounts, however, coffee stimulates the digestive tract and can help relieve constipation.) |
| Both fiber and fluids are essential to help your body move food through your digestive tract and eliminate waste. When you don't eat right, you not only throw your digestive system out of whack, but you also increase your risk of certain cancers, such as colon cancer, because your body is not eliminating potentially dangerous toxins as efficiently as it should. |
| Smart Foods |
| Prunes, apricots, apples, bananas, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli for fiber and fluid. |
| Lentils and dried beans, oats, and other whole grains for fiber. |
| Water, to keep the fiber moving through your body. |
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