Ever heard of the Doctrine of Signatures theory? We hadn’t either, until nutritionist Christa Orecchio filled us in and now we think it’s pretty fascinating. According to Orecchio, the Doctrine of Signatures began as a theory developed by 16th century Renaissance physician Paracelsus, that said plants that resemble parts of the body had healthy benefits for that body part. Thanks to today's investigative, nutritional sciences (yay, technology), it's now known to be true. You can stop Googling nutritional stats--if a whole food resembles an organ or physiological function, it most likely provides a benefit for it. Here, Christa shares a few of her favorite Doctrine of Signatures foods.
What you see is what you get when it comes to these foods:
20/20 Vision
A sliced carrot looks just like a human eye. Carrots contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to Vitamin A, an important nutrient that greatly enhances blood flow and function of the eyes. If you missed headstand in practice today, enlist carrots to bring blood flow to the eyes.
Smarty pants
When you open a walnut, it looks like a miniature brain with a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. The wrinkles and folds it contains strongly resemble the neo-cortex. Walnuts are high in DHA, a type of Omega-3 fatty acid essential for brain health. Just a quarter cup provides your daily amount of DHA.
Good breath
If you skip your ujjayi breathing for a day, you can likely love your lungs with lotus root. This aquatic vegetable is a common tonic used in Chinese medicine to improve lung function. When sliced, it closely resembles the bronchial of the lungs. It contains abundant amounts of protein, amino acids, fiber, and Vitamins C, B1 and B2. Try it sautéed in coconut oil for a healthy version of a potato chip.
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