Feel Good, Look Better – Eat Your Way to Health

When you are ill and not feeling or looking the best, the last thing you tend to think about is food. But sometimes eating a particular food can be the way to good health and looks.

Here at Her.ie HQ, we all decided to get together to give you our top food tips some of which have been passed down through the generations.

1. Eating cheese gives you nice clean teeth due to the fact that it’s rich in calcium. It all makes perfect sense now: that’s why you’re supposed to say cheese when you are smiling for a photograph.
2. For nice lips walnuts are said to help. The omega-3 acids help to replace old cells with new ones which results in softer and plumper lips. Somebody better warn Angelina Jolie that there is a new pair of lips in town. Get ready to pout!
3. Brazil nuts are good for healthy-looking skin and help to prevent spots. This is due to the anti-oxidants and vitamins they contain. So the next time you see a blemish, why not nip out for a packet.
4. Cashew nuts contain the vitamin selenium which apparently helps to prevent wrinkles. Who needs botox when you’ve got cashew nuts, eh?
5. While they are good for you, you should only eat a closed handful of nuts a day. And that doesn’t mean a handful of each. Nuts are great for you but they contain a lot of fat and can be known to upset your digestive system if you consume too many.
6. If you suffer from knee pain, avocados are the best thing to eat because they contain magnesium which is good for joints and muscular relaxation. Well those and a nice massage of course.
7. With a high level of vitamin B3 in them, avocados are also said to make the skin glow. With good knees and glowing skin, a night on the town sounds like a great idea!
8. Apparently, when you eat celery, you end up burning more calories than you consume because of the energy you use up chewing it. We didn’t even think that was possible.
9. Apples are also said to burn more calories than they are contain. Another interesting apple fact is that you shouldn’t bite into one directly but cut it up into slices instead to protect your teeth.
10. If you are suffering from a cold, garlic acts as a decongestant thus relieving some of your symptoms. Oh and yes, you should also have it at that nice Italian restaurant down the road.
11. Honey helps to ease a sore throat, because of its moisturising quality, so the next time you are suffering from an infection, or have simply been talking too much, swallow a spoonful.
12. If avocados aren’t your thing and you prefer a drink, pomegranate juice is said to rejuvenate the skin. It contains vitamins A, C and E all of which are anti-oxidants.
13. For headaches and nausea, ginger is a good remedy. We’re not sure whether it actually helps or the smell just distracts you from how you’re feeling.
14. If you are suffering from period stomach cramps, broccoli helps. The magnesium it contains helps muscular relaxation which is where the pain comes from. Let’s face it, we’d eat anything if it eased that pain!
15. Eating carrots is a shortcut to getting great-looking hair and nails. They have vitamin A which is good for hair as well as iron which strengthens nails. Forget Cheryl Cole, you’re the one that’s worth it.
16. Chilli reportedly boosts your metabolism due to the fact that it contains capsaicin which heats up the body. Obviously don’t eat a whole chilly or bite a raw one because you will most likely cry from the pain.
17. Tomatoes, with the antioxidants they contain, help to prevent wrinkles. It’ll be like Death Becomes Her after we’re finished eating all these anti-wrinkle foods.
18. Rosemary helps to reduce pain and inflammation because it is a stimulant. And no we’re not talking about the woman, it’s the oil or the spice.
19. If you don’t like rosemary, then sage is also good for easing pain and inflammation. It relaxes you which in turn eases pain. If this fails, we would suggest going to your doctor for some real pain relief.
20. The list wouldn’t be complete without the appearance for chocolate which we believe is good for all ailments including the cold, stomach cramps and sure we’ll throw wrinkles in there for good measure! There’s no medical proof, it just tastes nice and makes you feel better.

If you have any weird and wonderful food tips, please share them with us below. We love a good excuse to eat!