The Healing Powers of a “Healthy Traditional Diet” with Herbs and Spices

The week of New Years, I fell ill. While the rest of the world was out celebrating with loved ones by going out and eating delicious foods or toasting with champagne, I was in my bed, suffering from chronic cough, runny nose, and body pain. Luckily, my mom was around to nurse me back to health by ensuring I drank countless bottles of water and pedialyte, and cooking me nutritious, healing foods, so that I may recover sooner than later.

I was reminded of that week as I was reading one of the diet handouts from my health coaching course. I realize that aside from the fluids, part of the reason for my recovery is the types of foods my mother was feeding me. This diet, which included oatmeal with walnuts, raisins, and hemp seeds for breakfast, chicken noodle soup made with celery, carrots, and whole wheat pasta for lunch and dinner, and coconut water and oranges at every meal, aligns with the “Healthy Traditional Diet.”

The “Healthy Traditional Diet” consists of animal proteins, minerals and water, food enzymes and beneficial bacteria, plant based proteins, and no refined or ultra processed foods. The foods served to me during my illness covered every aspect of this diet. I consumed only whole foods consisting of chicken, walnuts, and hemp seeds for protein, various vegetables and coconut water for minerals, and oranges for food enzymes and beneficial bacteria. This diet gave me much needed strength and replenished the depleted enzymes and good bacteria in my body thus boosting my immunity, while helping me to avoid processed foods and the inflammation they would have caused.

Additionally, my mother, a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, enjoys taking advantage of the medical benefits of herbs and spices, which involve reducing inflammation, aiding in digestion, and preventing and managing chronic diseases. While she typically incorporates small amounts of these ingredients into my meals, I noticed more of them in the dishes she served me during my illness to help me recover faster and grow stronger.

In my oatmeal, she added cinnamon for its antioxidants, immune system benefits, and anti-inflammatory effects. In my chicken noodle soup, she added turmeric for its anti-inflammatory benefits, and ginger to aid in digestion.

Reflecting on the meals prepared for me during my sickness, I am faced with two truths: 1) the healing powers of “Healthy Traditional Diet” combined with the various herbs and spices resulted in a speedy recovery and prevented my sickness from worsening. 2) Mother knows best!

If you would like to discuss this concept more at length or anything else on your mind, feel free to sign up for a Health Coaching session with me!

References:

1. The Weston A. Price Foundation. (2000). Timeless principles of healthy traditional diets. https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/principles-of-healthy-diets-2/#gsc.tab=0