Before we were even born, nature was busy providing us with the essential ingredients we need to keep our bodies healthy and functioning at optimum levels. We have all heard about at least a few homegrown remedies that have been passed down from great-grandparents and grandparents to our own parents for curing ills. But we use what nature provides us to prevent maladies in ways other than applying such old adages as “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Not only does Mother Nature provide us with everything we need to stay healthy, but she also provides us with clues as to which parts of our bodies certain fruits and vegetables can best serve by simply observing their physical appearance. As an example, when looking at a sliced carrot you will note that the pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye, and as most of us already know, carrots promote eye health by greatly enhancing blood flow and improving overall eye function.
When it comes to matters of the heart, look at a tomato, which just like our hearts, is red and has four chambers. Research shows that tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, which is excellent for the blood and heart. Proponents of lycopene claim that it lowers the risk of heart disease, macular degenerative disease, and lipid oxidation, which is damage to normal fat molecules that can cause inflammation and disease. Lycopene is also known to lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and to enhance the body’s defenses against illness and diseases, including certain cancers, such as cancer of the lung, stomach, colon and rectum, breast, esophagus, prostate, cervix, mouth and pancreas.
Also of great benefit to the heart, are grapes. If you look closely, you will notice that grapes hang in a heart-shaped cluster, and that each grape looks like a blood cell. Coinciding with their appearance, grapes are said to be a profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
It is not just coincidence that a walnut looks like a little brain, having both left and right hemispheres, as well as upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even what appear to be wrinkles and folds on the walnut look just like the neo-cortex of the human brain. Studies have shown that eating walnuts can help develop more than three dozen neuron-transmitters for improved brain function.
For improved bone health, celery, bok choy, and rhubarb not only look like bones, but these vegetables also specifically target bone strength. Diets lacking sufficient sodium will result in the body pulling sodium from the bones, which makes them weak. But these amazing vegetables are 23 percent sodium, just as bones are; which makes eating them an excellent way to replenish the skeletal sodium needs of the body. As a cure for ailments, the Chinese have known about the healing properties of Rhubarb for centuries, dating back to 2700 BC, when it was first cultivated in China for medicinal purposes.
For those who suffer from kidney problems, there is a good reason that kidney beans look just like a human kidney; as these dark red beans have been found to actually heal and help maintain kidney function. Although most of the items in nature’s pharmacy are more effective when eaten raw, cooking kidney beans is advised prior to using them in your favorite recipe
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Women can improve their health with a walk down the produce aisle, where they can add to their grocery cart such items as avocadoes, eggplants, pears and olives. Looking just like the parts of the female body they target, these foods improve the health and function of the womb, ovaries and cervix. Research has shown that eating just one avocado per week balances a woman’s hormones, helps to shed unwanted birth weight, and promotes the prevention of cervical cancer.
A truly interesting and amazing fact is that it takes exactly nine months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. Another surprising truth is that there are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods, even though modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them. For women hoping to conceive, the ovary-shaped olive should be on their plate to assist in promoting the health and function of the ovaries.
More good things for women’s health can be found in oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits that look just like mammary glands. All of these fruits assist the overall health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Men who are experiencing problems with sperm count can also benefit from nature’s pharmacy by eating figs. Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow, mimicking the part of the male body that they target by increasing the mobility and numbers of male sperm to help overcome male sterility.
If you are a diabetic or know someone who is, loading up on sweet potatoes is highly advisable. There is a good reason sweet potatoes look like a pancreas—they actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Last, but not least by any means, are onions and garlic, which are two mainstay staples of kitchens across the country. Onions look like the body’s cells, and research shows these pungent veggies help clear waste materials from cells throughout the body, including the tear ducts. Garlic does more than keep vampires away, it also helps to eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.
The next time you are strolling through the produce section at your local grocery store, remember that you are in the middle of nature’s pharmacy—where good health comes in a broad variety of tastes and textures.
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