5 Foods That Ease Symptoms of 5 Common Conditions

Your body, just like everything else, needs to be in balance. When your diet is lacking in certain vitamins or minerals, unwanted symptoms like headaches can appear. Everyone has a unique body, so the same solution doesn’t work for everyone. But, we’ve got some solutions that generally help to ease symptoms in many people. The fuel that a body intakes has a large part in how efficiently it runs.

So, make your meals work for you, not against you. Find the foods that do your body the most good while trying to combat some common ailments.

The following chart is divided into 5 sections to answer briefly the questions of what to eat when you have a headache, what to eat to drop weight faster, what to eat to combat fatigue, what to eat to ward off type 2 diabetes, and what to eat to control IBS. Each section in the chart concludes with the top food to avoid if you have that particular symptom.

Foods That Ease Symptoms and Foods to Avoid

Foods To Relieve Headaches
rice Brown Rice Full of magnesium, which you could be lacking if you have frequent migraines. Almonds are also a good source.
Spinach-icon Romaine Lettuce Dehydration leads to headaches, and this lettuce is 95% water. Watermelon is also a good source.
ginger Ginger Is not only an anti-inflammatory, but also contains an antihistamine.
fish_icon Halibut Contains half of your daily vitamin D, which a low level of may cause headaches, and omega-3 fats which calm the body and can lessen pain.
eggs Eggs High in riboflavin which keeps cells strong and may reduce the effects of migraines.
Foods to AVOID: Aged Cheeses – a common trigger because of the Tyramine which forms from the breakdown of protein as cheese ages [1].
Foods To Drop Pounds Faster
cottage_cheese_icon Lowfat Cottage Cheese 1/2 Cup has 14 g of protein and 80 calories – a body burns more calories digesting protein than carbs.
barley Barley These fruits are mostly water and fiber, plus they help satisfy your sweet tooth.
mustard Mustard This low-calorie spread has been shown to boost metabolism.
seeds Sunflower Seeds They’re protein and fiber with plenty of unsaturated fats to help a body burn more calories.
apple Pears & Apples They’re basically water and fiber, perfect! Plus, they satisfy your sweet tooth.
Foods to AVOID: Saturated Fats
Foods To Fight Fatigue
lentils Lentils This mix of proteins, carbs and fiber helps prevent blood sugar dips which cause energy crashes.
steak Steak (Sirloin) High in iron and vitamin B12, red meat keeps blood cells healthy and you energized.
cereal Whole Grain Cereal Cereals like Cheerios and Bran Flakes provide a heavy dose of iron.
cocoa Cocoa Powder (unsweetened) Rich in flavanols which increase blood flow to the brain.
tea_icon Green Tea Contains an amino acid (L-theanine) that’s shown to increase alertness.
Foods to AVOID: Nothing in-particular, it’s all about adding energy sources like proteins and carbohydrates [1].
Foods To Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
peas_icon Peas Peas and other legumes are rich in fiber and protein. 1/2 Cup a day can reduce diabetes risk by 1/3.
walnuts Walnuts This mix of polyunsaturated fats help a body use insulin more efficiently.
quiinoa Quinoa Packed with magnesium, which helps decrease insulin resistance.
coffee Coffee Filled with powerful anti-oxidents that help the body use insulin.
evoo Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) The nutrients in EVOO work together to fight inflammation that can lead to diabetes.
Foods to AVOID: Reducing total calorie intake may help.
Foods To Relieve Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS)
Lettuce Salads Lettuce and other raw vegetables are high in fiber, which encourages the growth of healthy bacteria in the stomach thus reducing inflammation and helping to keep things moving along.
broccoli Broccoli & Zucchini These vegetables are high in fiber.
apple Pears & Apples These fruits are high in fiber and water, both needed for regularity.
pasta Whole Wheat Pasta Look for the whole wheat symbol, which means it is rich in fiber.
cereal Whole Grain Cereal Think shredded wheat, bran flakes or whole grains for the most fiber content.
Foods to AVOID: Fried Foods are a biggie, but there are many foods that can trigger diarrhea.

Important Note

And with every diet, no matter what ails you, always remember to drink plenty of water and get your 8 glasses per day.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.

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