Meals That Heal

Want more energy, or better sleep? Reach for a menu instead of medicine.

Food For Health And Well-Being
Low on energy? Can't fall asleep at night? Worried about high cholesterol? Well, close the medicine cabinet and grab a fork.

"There's a growing awareness that simple choices like what we eat play a powerful role in our health and well-being -- not only in preventing disease but also in feeling better and in the quality of life," says Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. He was the first researcher to show that diet and lifestyle changes can reverse heart disease without surgery or drugs. "And it's not just what you exclude from your diet; there are more than a thousand substances in food that protect the body with anti-cancer, anti-heart disease, anti-aging properties," he says. Most of these are found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. (Of course, if you're already on medications for heart disease or other conditions, don't stop taking them without asking your doctor.) Here, with help from Ornish and registered dietitian Mindy Hermann, prescriptive meals that are easy, delicious -- and healing.

Energizing Breakfast
Blueberry crunch with yogurt, whole grain cereal, sunflower seeds and green tea.

Start the day by lowering your cancer risk with blueberries, which have more free-radical-fighting antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable. Blueberries also help boost memory, so you can find your car keys in the morning. Like the blue-berries, cereal fiber is heart-healthy.

Soy yogurt is a good source of low-fat vegetable protein rather than LDL-raising animal fat. Plain nonfat dairy yogurt is high in protein and contains friendly bacteria that may help prevent yeast infections, boost immune function and deactivate potential carcinogens.

And while refined white-flour carbohydrates, such as those in pastries, bagels and many break-fast cereals, cause insulin surges and cravings, whole grains are absorbed more slowly, keeping hunger pangs away and energy on an even keel throughout the morning. (Look for "100% whole grain" on the label.)

Instead of the usual cup of joe, which will give you a burst of energy followed by lethargy, try a cup of green tea, which contains less caffeine, boosts immune function, and may reduce the risk of cancers of the GI tract. Drinking green tea may also reduce the recurrence of breast

You can find the recipe for blueberry crunch along with other recipes at the Meals That Heal: Breakfast page. Other breakfast recipes include blueberry muffins, oatmeal pancakes, and raisin-studded breakfast rice pudding.

Mood-Boosting, Disease-Fighting Lunch
Triple tomato bruschetta, gourmet green salad with walnuts, chickpeas and turkey breast, seedless grapes, and herbal iced tea.

Tomatoes are loaded with vitamin C, and cooked tomatoes especially (like those in stews, or sauces on pasta and pizza) are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid linked with a lower risk of prostate, breast and digestive-tract cancers.

In one large study, European men who ate the most lycopene-rich foods were 50 percent less likely to have a heart attack than men who ate little of these foods.

Not only is this meal pleasing to the eyes, but it's good for them too: "Spinach in the salad contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that may help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of decreased vision and even blindness in older people," says Dr. Ornish. Spinach also has folate, which reduces heart-damaging homocysteine levels, and chickpeas are a rich source of cancer-fighting isoflavones. Add heart-healthy and mood-boosting omega-3 fatty acids by adding some flaxseeds or chopped walnuts to the salad. You may also want to take a daily fish-oil supplement, which studies suggest can help fight depression. Ending the meal with grapes gives you the benefits of red wine without the hangover: Grapes contain antioxidants known as polyphenols, and one in particular, resveratrol, increases HDL, or good, cholesterol. What's more, the flavonoids in grapes can improve arterial health and reduce the chance of blood clots, lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke.

You can find the recipe for the triple tomato bruschetta as well as a recipe for a waldorf chicken salad at the Meals That Heal: Lunch page.

Heart-Healthy Snack
Earlier this year, Dr. Ornish and his team at the Preventive Medicine Research Institute presented the results of the first clinical study that shows drinking an 8-ounce glass of pomegranate juice a day for three months may improve blood flow to the heart in people with coronary heart disease. Dubbed "best healthy beverage" this year in Reader's Digest's "Best of America" issue, pomegranate juice also has more antioxidants than any other drink, which fight the free radical damage that can lead to premature aging, heart disease and cancer. So drink it straight, or reserve 4 ounces for a mouth- watering, fruity smoothie treat that you can enjoy every day.

The recipe for the heart-healthy pomegranate smoothie can be found at the Meals That Heal: Afternoon Snack page along with a recipe for frozen pomegranate pops.

Dinner For A Better Night's Sleep
Mexican platter, green salad, easy gazpacho, and a 4-ounce glass of red wine.

Go south of the border with a meal that may improve your health and your sleep. In addition to getting more of the healing benefits of tomatoes, greens and nonfat yogurt, "the carbohydrates in corn tortillas and beans, as well as the cheese, may help boost serotonin production, which, in turn, may help people sleep better and improve their mood," says Dr. Ornish. Red wine can relax you and contains the heart helping substance revertrol, but more than one glass can interfere with sleep. Most important, says Dr. Ornish, don't eat a full meal right before bed. (For more of his recipes, go to www.pmri.org or www.ornish.com)

The Mexican platter and other dinner ideas including shrimp "fried" rice and quick black bean soup are available at the Meals That Heal: Dinner page.

Bedtime Snack
European hot chocolate.

Foods containin tryptophan, such as a glass of warm milk with honey and a handful of almonds, can make you feel sleepy and increase serotonin levels in the brain. A cup of chamomile tea can also be relaxing. Or try some European hot chocolate. "Chocolate is one of my favorite foods," says Dr. Ornish. Eating a piece of dark chocolate daily is good for both body and mind. It contains the flavonoids that fight free radicals, which can damage cells, as well as serotonin, which improves mood (and gives you that silly-grin feeling). And some research suggests that chocolate added to milk can reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance. But chocolate can be high in calories and fat, so indulge wisely.

To make some relaxing european hot chocolate go the Meals That Heal: Evening Snack page for the complete recipe.