Get ready fellow star gazers of the universe…we’re going on a little trippy food journey today! Nature is full of all kinds of small wonders don’t you think!? Small wonders that benefit us in huge ways. If you’ve read my other posts you know I talk a lot about how nature provides us with everything we need, no doubt foods that grow from plants are some of the most extraordinary gifts of all – without them, our bodies wouldn’t exist. That’s intense!
Hippocrates was not just being cliche when he said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” When we look at food as something more than a meal just to satisfy our hunger, when we focus on eating foods loaded with nutrients – that’s the stuff that allows us to not only exist but actually THRIVE. And when we’re thriving, everything about us is way more ALIVE.
So, eating our fruits and veggies will help us stay healthy and live longer, but where it really gets fascinating is when we realize that in the wide world of food there are certain foods that actually look just like the parts of the body they are good for. Seriously, foods that resemble body parts they benefit…how cool is it that we can actually use certain foods to nourish certain organs and systems within our body!
Each time you take a bite of these foods, I encourage you to eat consciously, and with intention bring awareness to the part of your body that this particular food nourishes. Be grateful for these wonders of nature that, at first sight, may seem small but are actually quite extraordinary – these resemblances are yet another testament to this awesome phenomenon…now, c’mon…let’s go get our food trip on!
Nourish This With That
Brain – Walnuts & Cocoa Beans
Want to boost your brain health? Add walnuts to your life, an excellent source of hard to find Omega-3 fatty acids which support normal brain development and counter inflammation. Along with the high amount of antioxidants, this can slow the free radical damage to cells that occur during aging, reduce plaque buildup in the brain (evident in Alzheimer’s), and support cognitive and motor functioning, making walnuts a great brain food.
Get your bliss on by indulging in raw cacao and dark chocolate. To begin with, cocoa beans contain B vitamins to support brain health and the flavonols have been shown to increases blood flow to the brain which improves learning and memory. Mother nature wants us to blissful – these beans contain neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, phenylethylamine (PEA) which are considered natural anti-depressants by promoting positive mental health. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO) and the amino acid tryptophan also promote feelings of well being, making cacao and dark chocolate a true good mood food.
Nervous System – Parsley
Nourish your nervous system with the therapeutic power of parsley which contains B vitamins to support proper functioning of the nerves in the brain, the optic nerves and the entire sympathetic nervous system making parsley a nervous system tamer.
Heart – Tomato
A tomato a day keeps the doctor away. Notice the chambers just like the heart? Studies show that lycopene in tomatoes benefits heart health in many ways. It can lower LDL (bad cholesterol), lower blood pressure, and lower inflammation markers reducing risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and irregular heartbeat. Higher levels of lycopene from tomatoes has even been shown to increase survival rates in people with heart failure, earning tomatoes a big red heart.
Circulatory System – Swiss Chard
Get that circulation flowing with swiss chard. Notice those nice deep red veins? Packed with minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and copper, these leaves aid in red blood cell formation and circulation of the blood which brings oxygen to essential organs within the body, making chard quite the circulatory boss.
Blood – Red Wine
Is your blood pumping too fast? A glass of red wine is enough to relax the blood vessels and relieve some of the hearts workload. Resveratrol, an antioxidant found mostly in the skin of red grapes helps prevent inflammation and damage to blood vessels and has properties which prevent blood platelets from sticking together, reducing risk of blood clots that cause strokes and heart attacks. Studies have shown one glass of red wine a day cuts blood clot-related stroke rates by 50 percent which is quite impressive and earns red wine the title of one solid blood support beverage – I did say one glass right? Just making sure! :)
Lungs – Grapes
Just breathe. Fortunately grapes are a natural tonic for the lungs and help detoxify them, allowing us to do just that, breathe. They bear a conspicuous resemblance to the alveoli (tiny balloon-like sacs attached to the branches of the bronchial passages), of the lungs where oxygen exchange takes place. Resveratrol helps inhibit the release of inflammatory compounds that damage the cell lining of the lungs, reducing risk of lung cancer and emphysema. Proanthocyanidin may also reduce the severity of asthma triggered by allergies, making grapes quite the little breathtaking gems.
Bones – Celery
Need to boost your bone health? Try more ants on a log. Though it’s kind of an afterthought veggie, celery is chock full of vitamin K which is key for healthy bone density and preventing fractures. Both vitamin K and magnesium contained in celery work in synergy with calcium to help it absorb into bone. Manganese acts to “knit” together connective tissue in bone, boron also strengthens bones and vitamin C is essential to collagen formation, which binds bone matrix cells together, earning this stalk the title of one heck of a bone strengthening food.
Breasts – Oranges & Lemons
Support the health of your precious lady bubbles with the antioxidant power of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. The fiber may also aid to cycle through and move negative estrogen out of the body helping with breast cancer prevention, making these juicy fruits score big time with the girls.
Eyes – Carrots
Can you see more clearly now the rain is gone? If not, drink carrot juice or munch on carrots, that’s right – just like good ‘ol Bugs Bunny, he knew what’s up doc. Carrots contain carotenoids, beta carotene in particular converts to vitamin A in the body which helps protect the eyes, is essential for good vision and can decrease risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans age 65 and older. These fleshy orange roots contain one of the highest amounts of vitamin A of any plant-based food, earning them glowing honors as sweet mr. bright eyes.
Stomach – Ginger
Have a stomachache? Soothe it with ginger. A remedy to help improve digestion, alleviate upset stomach or nausea and motion sickness, the warming properties of ginger help fire up digestive juices and the anti-inflammatory properties help calm stomach upsets, making this warm root the ultimate tummy tamer.
Pancreas – Sweet Potato
Need to balance that blood sugar? Maybe you need some more low glycemic sweet potato love. They can actually help the pancreas do its job of regulating blood sugar and lowering insulin levels by gradually releasing sugars into the bloodstream, reducing extreme spikes in insulin. The alkalinity of sweet potatoes nourishes the pancreas which produces naturally alkaline pancreatic juice essential for proper digestion within the pH range of 7.8-8.0, making this sweet tuberous root a major winner.
Uterus – Avocado
Trying to balance those hormones or conceive? Add avocados to your diet – rich in essential nutrients, healthy fats for hormonal balance, and folic acid for healthy fetal development and reduced risk of cervical cancer. It’s suggested to eat one a week for hormone balancing and three a week if you’re trying to conceive. Shaped like the womb, bearing a round stone resembling a baby in the womb and taking exactly nine months to grow from blossom to a ripened fruit, earned this buttery gem the title “fertility fruit” from the Aztecs.
Whole Body – Ginseng
When it comes to a general wellness tonic, we can all benefit from the nourishing benefits of wondrous ginseng. It can tackle things like physical and mental stress, increase energy, stimulate the immune system and promote longevity. Its ability to act as an adaptogen makes it an excellent choice for adrenal health and has an overall healing effect for the entire body. This knarly root’s uncanny resemblance to the human body deserves the well bestowed name Panax, the Greek derived word meaning panacea or all-healing.
Well, fellow start gazers of the Universe, I sure hope you had a radical time exploring these characteristics of food and parts of the body they relate to based on intuitive science and the ancient doctrine of signatures – the philosophy that links signs of nature in certain plant foods to certain human body parts. What a fun and fascinating food trip it was, we should do it again sometime!
If you enjoyed this post, please share or leave a comment below! I’m curious, do any of these foods make your list of faves and I’d love to hear your take on the resemblances?