No one likes to go to the doctor. But when injuries and ailments are left unattended to, often we can make our situation worse by ignoring the pain. Thankfully, there are home remedies and foods we can eat that can put you on the fast route to recovery. Or at least keep an ailment under control until you can pencil in time to see a doctor.
Here’s what you should stock up on the next time you’re faced with any of these common ailments or injuries.
- Headaches.
Whether the result of a hangover, or low air pressure, headaches can range from annoying to debilitating. If the cause of your headache is from dehydration, you will want to focus on foods that pack a hydrating punch. It can be difficult to hydrate yourself if you are not a water drinker. So foods and drinks that hydrate are the next best thing. Fruit smoothies are an easy snack to make and simple to gulp down. And often are just what you need to feel refreshed in no time.
- Inflammation.
Inflammation is a result of your body’s response to releasing white blood cells. When too many white blood cells are released in response to an injury or a sickness, the result is swelling, soreness, redness, and pain. Whether you were injured in a car accident or sprained an ankle, there are foods that can help. Harvard Health Publications recommends eating fatty fish, nuts, and tomatoes. Other anti-inflammatory foods include green leafy vegetables, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and oranges.
- PMS.
That time of the month? Want to beat the PMS blues? Nutrition-rich foods can greatly reduce how much premenstrual symptoms affect you. Your go-to snack should be yogurt. Eating calcium was shown to reduce PMS by 40 percent in a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts. Other foods to eat right before that time of the month hits include lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains. If you find yourself craving sugar, try a fruit pick-me-up instead of your usual chocolate bar.
- Colds.
Battling a cold? Want to get rid of it as fast as you can? Focus on nutrition-dense food to give your body the ammunition it needs to fight off the infection. Foods rich in zinc should top your list, as they can boost your immune system and can even shorten how long the cold lingers. Pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, cashews, yogurt, and spinach. These foods contain zinc as well as other health-boosting nutrition. Yogurt also has the benefit of containing probiotics, which can help to lower inflammation in your body.
Consider adding a sweet potato to the mix, if available. Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A, which has been shown to help increase the production of white blood cells – your body’s virus fighting army.
- Feeling under the weather.
You don’t have a headache. And there are no cold or flu symptoms in sight. But still, you just don’t feel your best self. Perhaps, you’re battling with not enough sleep the night before. Your brain feels sluggish, and your energy supplies are low.
Eating the right foods can help just as much as the wrong foods can exacerbate how your body is feeling. Avoid grabbing that chocolate doughnut. Instead, choose foods that are nutritionally dense and provide a long and steady release of energy. For example, brown rice is rich in minerals, protein, and carbs and can give you an all-day energy boost. For the equivalent of a power bar or an energy drink, treat yourself to a spoonful of honey. What to eat with your honey? Apples digest more slowly than other fruits, so it can provide that long energy burn as well as help fulfill your fiber intake. Beans and almonds are also great sources of protein and easy to snack on when needing a quick pick me up.
Brought to you by our friends at lamarcalandry.com.
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