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Found: 5 Ultra-Healing Foods A Functional RD Swears By

Author:

Hannah Frye

June 03, 2023

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by Cameron Whitman / Stocksy

June 03, 2023

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Fad diets pretty much always end in disappointment. Whether you get tired of restrictive eating patterns or fail to feel better, it’s generally not worth following trends when it comes to what you put on your plate.

Instead, try to go back to basics with whole and natural foods. According to functional registered dietitian Michelle Shapiro, R.D., some items that are so healing that you may just want to make them a staple in your diet. To come, the top five healing foods she recently shared on the mindbodygreen podcast.

Grass-fed beef

You may not suspect beef to have "healing" powers, but Shapiro clarifies that grass-fed meat can benefit your overall health.

In fact, several studies suggest that diets rich in grass-fed animal sources elevate precursors for vitamins A and E 1, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants, such as glutathione, compared to grain-fed. The review study also states that grass-fed beef tends to be lower in fat, a notable benefit for those looking to increase lean protein in their diets.

Cruciferous veggies

All vegetables are great to have in your diet, but cruciferous veggies hold a special place in Shapiro's heart. She notes that this kind of veggie is especially beneficial for the liver. In fact, one pre-clinical study found that mice who ingested these vegetables developed fewer tumors or fatty acid disease than those in the control group 2.

Some examples of cruciferous veggies include:

Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Kale

Ghee

Shapiro also uses ghee in many of her recipes, which she views as a healthier alternative than traditional butter. According to the USDA 3, ghee (aka, clarified butter) contains less fat, more vitamin A, and more vitamin E than traditional butter 4.

This ingredient has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, but its many health benefits have also been studied in recent years. See, ghee contains a high amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)5. While there are more studies needed to confirm CLA’s role in metabolic health, some studies have shown that CLA can be helpful in reducing fat in animals 6.

Sweet potato

Next up, Shapiro praises a crowd-pleaser: sweet potatoes. There are many benefits that come with adding sweet potatoes to your plate, so we've highlighted just a few important ones to note:

They contain vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium.
Purple sweet potatoes have been shown to protect the brain 7 and improve learning 8.
They contain two types of fiber 9, which is great for digestive health.
Orange and purple sweet potatoes 10 are packed with antioxidants.
Some evidence suggests that regularly eating sweet potatoes 11 may help improve blood sugar regulation in people with type 2 diabetes.

Bone broth

Finally, Shapiro always has bone broth in her house. Another super-healing food, bone broth has benefits for both your gut and your skin.

Part of the reason it’s so beloved by beauty lovers is because it contains collagen—a building block of your skin that decreases with age, resulting in fine lines and sagging skin.

However, we should note that collagen supplements can give you a significantly higher dose, so opt for powders in addition to bone broth if the collagen content is your reason for ingesting—find our favorite collagen supplements here for reference.

The takeaway

Shapiro’s favorite nutrient-dense foods include grass-fed beef, cruciferous vegetables, ghee, sweet potatoes, and bone broth. However, any whole and natural food is always a great addition to your daily plate. Perhaps just consider these your star players.