Garden Acupuncture Blog

Nutrition - What Looks Like Your Body Is Good For Your Body!

Foods That Look Like Body Parts They’re Good For

There’s no question that maintaining a nutritious diet can help keep your body healthy. But when it comes to which foods can specifically benefit which body parts, science remains surprisingly sketchy. But nature gives us a big clue as to what foods help what part of our body!

Here are 10 foods that mirror the body parts they provide nutrients for—for example, brain-boosting walnuts actually look like a brain. Coincidence? Maybe. Though these healthy foods are beneficial to the whole body, the list below is a fun reminder of what to eat to target specific areas. Remember, these are best & more powerful when eaten raw.

 

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. According to science, eating carrots greatly enhances blood flow to the eyes. Carrot gets their orange color from a plant chemical called beta-carotene, which reduces the risk of developing cataracts. The chemical also protects against macular degeneration an age-related sight problem that affects one in four individuals over the age of 65. If one tries to pop a pill of beta-carotene it doesn’t have the same effect, says scientists at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red in color, so also the heart is red and has four chambers. Research has confirmed that tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and it is indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes resembles the alveoli of the lungs. The lungs are made of branches of ever-smaller airways that finish up with tiny branches of tissue called alveoli. These structures allow oxygen to pass from the lungs to the blood stream. A diet high in fresh grapes has shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer and emphysema. Grape seeds also contain a chemical called proanthocyanidin, which is thought to reduce the severity of asthma triggered by allergy. One reason that premature babies struggle to survive is that, these alveoli do not begin to form until 23 to 24 week of pregnancy.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are similar to those of the neo-cortex. Scientists claim that walnuts help in developing over three dozen neuron-transmitters within the brain enhancing the signaling and encouraging new messaging link between the brain cells. Walnuts help warding off dementia. They also extract and break down the protein based plaques associated with Alzheimer’s diseases, according to a study by Dr. James Joseph of Tuft University in Boston.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and are shaped exactly like the human kidneys (hence their name). Kidney beans provide a variety of minerals and vitamins, and so are generally beneficial for your health. If your kidneys are healthy, kidney beans can — when consumed as part of a balanced diet — contribute to your kidney health. If your kidneys are diseased, you might need to moderate your intake of kidney beans.

Celery, Rhubarb, Bok-choy and more look just like bones structure. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are made up of 23% sodium and these foods have sodium in them. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocados and Pears are good for the health and functioning of the womb and cervix of the female and look just like these organs. Modern research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances the birth hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and can even prevent cervical cancer. It even takes exactly nine months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit, just like a human baby! There are said to be over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods.

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Studies have shown that Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the sperm count as well as overcoming male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes resemble the pancreas and can actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics. The oblong sweet potato bears a strong resemblance to the pancreas, and also promotes healthy function in the organ. “Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, which is a potent antioxidant that protects all tissues of the body, including the pancreas, from damage associated with cancer or aging,” says Somer.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries. An Italian study found that women whose diets included a lot of olive oil had a 30% lower risk of ovarian cancer. The reasons are unclear, but the healthy fats in the oil may help suppress genes predisposed to causing cancer.

Grapefruits, Oranges, and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts. The similarity between round citrus fruits––like lemons and grapefruit––and breasts may be more than coincidental. “Grapefruit contains substances called limonoids, which have been shown to inhibit the development of cancer in lab animals and in human breast cells,” says Dr. Moulavi.

Eating a Banana will cheer you up and put a smile on your face. This popular fruit contains a protein called tryptophan, when digested it gets converted into a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which is a mood regulating chemical in the brain. Banana can be termed as an antidepressant drug, since it adjusts the level of serotonin production in the brain.

Onions look like the body’s cells. Research shows onions clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

Ginger looks like the stomach and it also aids in digestion. Indians and Chinese have been using it for over 5000 years to calm stomach and cure nausea, and motion sickness. It also slows down the growth rate of bowel tumors.

A Mushrooms when sliced in half resembles the shape of the human ear. Mushrooms improve hearing abilities, since they contain Vitamin D, which is healthy for bones, especially the 3 tiny bones in the ear that transmit sound to the brain.

Broccoli – the close-up of tiny green tips on a broccoli head looks like 100 of cancer cells. A team of researchers at US National Cancer Institute found if a weekly serving of broccoli was enough to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 45%.

Ginseng root looks like a human body, and it is a holistic cure for nearly all ailments.

Honorable Mention

Red wine, which is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, including powerful resveratrol, looks like blood. “When you drink it, you’re really loading up on the healthy stuff that protects against destructive things in the blood, like LDL cholesterol, which can cause heart disease,” says Somer. “There’s also a blood-thinning compound in red wine, so it reduces blood clots, which are associated with stroke and heart disease.”

To learn more about how Garden Acupuncture can help you with your nutritional goals click here.

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Acupuncture Better At Treating Cancer Than Chemotherapy

Garden Acupuncture explains the use of Chinese herbs in the treatment of cancer.

A new discovery finds that herbs commonly used by Chinese herbalists have important anti-cancer abilities. New research concludes that the Chinese Medicine herbal formula Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan powerfully and selectively kills cancer cells while exhibiting minimal toxicity to normal cells. Researchers discovered that the herbal formula potently inhibits the proliferation of bladder cancer cells when administered directly into the bladder. They also found that Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan selectively kills cancer cells while leaving normal bladder cells unharmed and that the herbal formula prevents the proliferation of cancer cells by blocking cell cycle replication, a process by which cells divide and then duplicate.

Researchers selected the herbal formula Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan for the study based on prior investigations demonstrating that the herbal formula inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, researchers examined the benefits of Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan for the treatment of bladder cancer citing the urgent need for intravesical agents for the treatment of bladder cancer that are both effective and non-toxic. Currently, many of the chemotherapy drugs used in intravesical bladder therapy, a technique involving the direct introduction of agents directly into the bladder, have severe side effects. The goal of the study was to find an agent that can wipe out bladder cancer cells without harming the patient. As a result of the study findings, the researchers conclude that Gui Zhi Fu Ling is “a strong candidate for intravesicle chemotherapy against bladder cancer.”

Many intravesical chemotherapy agents used in the treatment of bladder cancer lead to blood in the urine, frequent urination, urgent urination, cystitis and other complications. The study found that the Chinese Medicine herbal formula Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan inhibited the growth of cancer cells but did not cause unwanted side effects. The researchers chose to study Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan because of its documented ability to inhibit the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma and cervical cancer. Particular interest was in one of the chief ingredients within the herbal formula, Mu Dan Pi (Moutan Cortex). Prior research documented the ability of Mu Dan Pi to induce apoptosis, cell death, in liver cancer cells.

Unexpected Discovery

When tested, researchers discovered that Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan may be as effective as the chemotherapy drugs mitomycin C, epirubicin and cisplatin. Further, the researchers made an important and unexpected discovery. The herbal formula exhibited significantly greater selectivity towards cancer cells than did the chemotherapy agents. In other words, Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan is more effective in targeting cancer cells than conventional chemotherapy agents. This highly targeted mechanism of action may point to one of the reasons, combined with its low toxicity, why the herbal formula does not cause harmful side effects. The researchers were able to measure the exact biochemical processes by which the herbal formula exhibited its effects and suggest that Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan causes genotoxic stresses on highly replicating cancer cells. The highly targeted genotoxic effects of Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan damage the DNA of aggressive cancers cells thereby eliminating them and preventing them from replicating while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan was discovered to activate CHK2 and P21, important proteins involved in cell cycle arrest, thereby interfering with the cell cycle progression of cancer cells.

For more information regarding Chinese herbal formulas contact Garden Acupuncture here.

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Eating Junk Food Linked To Infertility

Garden Acupuncture explains how eating the wrong food is damaging your sperm health. More importantly eating a plant based diet will benefit your sperm health and overall fertility.

A healthy sperm is a happy sperm, and happy sperm are more successful sperm. Studies analyzing the links between diet and sperm health have repeatedly shown that men who eat right are the most fertile. Unfortunately, this link is often falling on deaf ears, with infertility rates on the rise.

A recent study from the National Institutes of Health found that about 15 percent of couples attempting to have a child couldn’t conceive in the first year of trying. The cause of this infertility-related issue is multi-faceted, with some factors being the environmental toxins and diet.

For men and women alike, the standard American diet, filled with trans fats and processed carbohydrates including sugar, spells disaster for fertility.

Most recently, researchers have connected junk food to low sperm counts. According to the BBC, a study published last year in Human Reproduction, men with the highest fat intake had about 43% lower sperm count and 38% lower sperm concentration than those men with the lowest fat intake.

The study questioned 99 men about their diets and analyzed their sperm. Interestingly, those who consumed more Omega-3 fatty acids had “sperm with a more normal structure” than other men.

Another Brazilian study linked healthier sperm to increased whole grain consumption and found that fresh fruit consumption boosted sperm health. Harvard researchers also found a link between sperm health and fat when they discovered those men who ate the highest level of trans fat had the highest rate of infertility.

Lastly, a joint American and Spanish study has found that junk food products, particularly those containing trans fats, can make healthy young men infertile by damaging their sperm. The researchers found that those who ate a high amount of junk food had poorer quality sperm than those with a nutrient-dense diet.

So, what’s the solution?

Men who want healthy sperm have to have a healthy body. You can’t expect your sperm to be robust and plentiful when they are not being supplied with high-quality fuel. In addition to eating a diet rich in fruit and veggies, you can also increase omega-3 fatty acid consumption.

Other good foods for sperm health include those rich in vitamin A like carrots and red peppers. Vitamin C is also a worthy sperm health booster, so be sure you are getting plenty of kale, bright colored bell peppers, and citrus fruits-especially kiwi.

To learn even more about what Garden Acupuncture can do to help you with your fertility or nutritional health following the links.

To schedule your initial consultation, examination, and treatment click here.

To learn even more about your fertility and nutritional health watch the videos below.

 

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