It happens to all of us at some point. The people we care about go through a crisis, a serious sickness or an extended stay in the hospital, and we want to do something to help. When a loved one is suffering, it is a perfect time to surround them with love and healing. Taking a plant-based meal is a wonderful act of love and can be also be a catalyst for healing.

From personal experience, as someone who has suffered with multiple chronic medical issues, I can testify to the healing power of food. For over a decade, I dealt with a host of medical conditions. Only by changing the foods I ate, was my body able to heal and allow me to become healthy. Food truly was my medicine.

Eating plant-based, whole foods means fueling your body from the following food groups:

WHOLE GRAINS - This group includes brown rice, millet, oats, barley, corn, bulgur, and all products made from whole grains including bread, cereals, pastas, and more. Whole grains are filling but have very little fat. In countries where whole grains are staples, such as rural Asia, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, are much less common than in the States and Europe.

LEGUMES - This group includes beans, peas, and lentils. They are hearty, high protein foods that are rich in calcium, iron, cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, and even traces of omega 3 fatty acids.

VEGETABLES - These foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals, are very low in fat, and like all plant foods, have no cholesterol at all.

FRUIT - These are vitamin rich and have no cholesterol. They do have natural sugar but are low on the glycemic index, except for watermelon and pineapple.

For more information about how diet influences our health, What is a Plant-Based Diet can help.

There are so many delicious plant-based recipes to choose from. Trust me when I tell you that we are not talking about taking them endless bowls of salads and fruit trays. These are some of my favorite healthy recipes that are great for sharing with those you love.

Plant-Based Casseroles

Healthy Soups

Side Dishes

Desserts

What a perfect way to say, "I love you and want to help you get healthy!"

About the Author- Terri Edwards is a Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. She gets to see people regularly who are preventing and reversing diseases through the food choices they make, including herself.