10 Russian superfoods to help you stay healthy

1. Garlic

Garlic can vanquish not only vampires but also viruses. The aromatic cloves have an amazing ability to boost the body's immune system. In addition, garlic is used as a painkiller for toothaches. Place garlic in an inflamed area and you’ll immediately feel better. But we still recommend you see a dentist.

2. Beetroot

In addition to being a vital ingredient in the most delicious festive salads (the best-known of which is Herring Under a Fur Coat), cooked beetroot helps improve digestion. In the case of gastrointestinal ailments it’s worth taking advantage of the wonderful healing properties of beetroot.

3. Potatoes

Steam from boiled potatoes is an excellent inhalant in the case of bronchial ailments and colds. Cover your head with a towel and lean over a saucepan of freshly cooked potatoes; then breathe in the steam for a minute or two. Your respiratory tract will quickly clear.

4. Onion

Onions are good for all sorts of colds. Cut a peeled onion in half and put it next to one’s bed. This has helped me on many occasions. Although the room fills with a specific smell that not everyone likes, the effectiveness is beyond doubt.

5. Sea buckthorn

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The berries of sea buckthorn are recommended for people prone to cardiovascular disease, ulcers and hypertension. Sea buckthorn's miracle oil is excellent for healing wounds and sores and fighting inflammation. Sea buckthorn oil helps with various burns - both thermal and chemical - and even radioactive damage to the skin.

6. Sour cabbage

Besides a whole range of vitamins and minerals, sour cabbage contains an abundance of Vitamin U, derived from the Latin ulvus meaning "ulcer." It prevents one of the most common nervous diseases of our stressful age - peptic ulcers, and scientists believe it even prevents cancer. So include sour cabbage in your diet. At the very least, it's delicious! My best friend's mother, who is a medical worker, advises to eat sour cabbage as a remedy for any ailment. And I always listen to her.

7. Brine

The best-known first aid remedy for a hangover is brine from salted cucumbers. It cures an aching head and has a reinvigorating effect. You might have noticed that in nearly every Russian film the protagonists drink brine from a three-liter jar the morning after a big night of drinking.

8. Tvorog (Russian curd cheese)

Thanks to its salutary properties, tvorog strengthens bone tissue and teeth, but it’s also an excellent health food for anyone trying to lose weight, as well as for athletes facing strenuous tests of physical endurance. There’s more protein in tvorog than in any other food. At the very least, tvorog has a favorable effect on the nervous system and improves mood.

9. Honey

Honey is an essential remedy for a cold, and it’s most commonly consumed with warm milk and butter. In addition, honey is used as a remedy for a whole list of other ailments - heart impairment, stomach problems, liver disease, atherosclerosis, all kinds of inflammatory processes and even nervous disorders.

10. Tea

Tea infusion is widely used for cosmetic purposes.  An ordinary gauze compress soaked in tea counteracts tiredness in the eyes and relaxes face muscles. This helps to be rid of bags under the eyes and improve one’s complexion. Some women use tea-soaked face masks, or wash their hair in green tea to strengthen it. Tea reminds me of the old joke in which a young woman asks her gynecologist why she gets pregnant all the time. What should she take not to get pregnant? The doctor thinks for a while, and replies: "Tea." "Before or after?" asks the young woman. "Instead!" is the reply.

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