Katherine Wright - Healing Foods: Descriptions; Properties; Health Benefits

In the past, knowledge about the healing properties of foods could only be gained through observation. Today, modern analysis and study has been able to unravel the biochemical/cellular action of foods, providing scientific evidence to support the observations of the past. This has proved to be particularly interesting and rewarding with regard to the study of herbs and medicinal plants and a great deal of scientific research continues to be directed towards discovering the healing properties of these foods.

During the 20th century, great advances were made in medicine and science, and for a time it seemed that these held the answers to all human ills. Previously feared infectious diseases were conquered through a combination of vaccination and treatment with new antibiotic drugs. Also, doctors and surgeons were able to harness the products of a second technological revolution (in areas such as robotics, lasers, computers, microsurgery, cryosurgery, advanced diagnostic and scanning equipment, etc.) to treat and cure people in ways that were previously unimaginable. There is no doubt that these advances have made and will continue to make an enormous difference to our health and quality of life. In the event of illness, our chances of survival are much improved and more people than ever before are living to an advanced age.

However, there has also been a growing realization that science and medicine do not have all the answers and that each individual can influence his or her own health through simple lifestyle choices. The most important choice to make is deciding whether or not to smoke as cigarettes remain the principal cause of premature and entirely preventable death in the United Kingdom. Smoking primarily causes death from cancer and heart disease but it is also responsible for many other serious and sometimes fatal respiratory illnesses. Lung cancer, which is responsible for a fifth of all cancer deaths, is almost entirely attributable to smoking.

When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, there are two other areas of equal importance that lie within individual control diet and exercise. This book deals with diet and, more specifically, looks at the health-enhancing and/or healing properties of a wide range of foods, explaining why these should be included in the daily diet.

There is universal agreement among nutritionists, doctors and scientists about the importance of diet in both the incidence and prevention of disease. It is also accepted that the type of diet prevalent in the UK and many other Western countries is unhealthy and responsible not only for diseases that cause disability and premature death but also for an epidemic of obesity and a steep rise in the incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Although these facts are well known, many people remain confused about what they should be eating. This is partly due to the barrage of sometimes conflicting advice about food which has been aimed at the public in recent years.

It is hoped that this book will help to throw light on the subject. The first section looks at the different elements in food and their role in the human body. The second section, which forms the main part of the book, consists of an A to Z of health-giving and healing foods, describing their essential properties, giving advice on how much should be eaten and providing cooking methods, where appropriate. The entries mainly cover foods in their essential or natural state rather than products or dishes made from them, although these may be included in the description.

Although the A to Z section includes only those foods that are held to have specific health-enhancing properties, this does not mean that foods that are not included are unhealthy or harmful. It is certainly better to eat some things sparingly and in moderation but, above all, food should be enjoyed. There is little point in eating a particular food, however healthy it may be, if you hate every mouthful. Equally, occasional indulgence is not going to cause any lasting harm. There is common sense in the old adage a little of what you fancy does you good!