How Healthy is Your Diet? Part 2: Garlic Good!
Since ancient times, the healing and life-force boosting power of garlic has been known to many and used by entire populations as a healthy addition to their food
To follow on from my last article in this mini series on "How Healthy is Your Diet?" which looked at why soda is so bad for you, I decided to switch sides and look at something that is good for you.
In our society that seems hell bent on poisoning itself with processed foods, additive and saturated fat laden junk and all manner of other unhealthy stuff that the media does a very good job of convincing us that it is all good, a natural progression toward more health giving foods would be a good choice of moves.
There are lots of healthy foods that we can choose to eat and many of us actually do include many of these in our diets. Just not enough or not in the right way.
So this article will take a look at one of them, which is that great all rounder health giving bulb that we either love or hate. That's that smelly little bulb adored by most people in the world apart from Brits, Americans and even few Aussies -- garlic.
Oh So Healthy Garlic
Garlic, which contains both allicin and diallyl sulphides is a member of the onion family and as such possesses similar blood cleansing properties. But it is much more than just a cholesterol busting flavorsome addition to food.
In its raw state, garlic is at its most potent and all of its health-giving properties are at their best. It should be used as soon as possible after peeling the papery skin from the bulb.
As soon as you cook it, you destroy most of its goodness, so the best way to enjoy this power-packed little bulb is raw, chopped finely and sprinkled over cooked food just before you eat it or into salads where it adds a lot of flavor and zing!
Medicinal Garlic
So to the health-giving properties of garlic:
It is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal, making it a great all rounder for fighting most illnesses. These range from the common cold (viral) and flu, to bacterial attacks inside (eg food poisoning) and outside the body (eg infected cuts) as well as fungal attacks (eg athlete's foot).
Garlic also helps boost the immune system, further helping the body to naturally fight off disease and infection and is also an antioxidant, helping to mop up dangerous free radicals and prevent cancer cells from forming. For helping to maintain health, there are few foods to match this pungent little bulb!
As a food, it contains essential minerals and vitamins including all the B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus potassium and zinc. It really is a powerful nutrient-packed addition to any diet.
Antisocial Garlic
Many people avoid garlic as they are concerned about the bad breath it gives you. Well, you can cut this drastically by taking garlic capsules, but you have to consider your own health above all else.
If you are more concerned with what other people think of you, then you are not concerned enough with your own well-being and that is a situation which cannot be.
Interestingly, many smokers are quick to wrinkle their noses up at garlic eaters without realizing just how disgusting their own stale tobacco breaths smell to non-smokers! Just putting things into perspective, here.
When you eat garlic yourself, you cannot smell it on another person's breath. So if someone wrinkles up their nose at you next time you have eaten garlic, just remind yourself that you are healthier inside than they are and to hell with what they think!
On that note, I think it best to leave you there to ponder your own social dilemmas and will return soon with another healthy foods article!
- Terry Didcott
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Posted on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 in Diet | 0 Comments
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