Anti-Inflammatory Cooking

The anti-inflammatory diet is an eating plan designed to prevent or reduce low-grade chronic inflammation, a key risk factor in a host of health problems and several major diseases. The typical anti-inflammatory diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, protein, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats.

Often resulting from lifestyle factors like stress and a lack of exercise, chronic inflammation results when the immune system releases chemicals meant to combat injury and bacterial and virus infections, even when there are no apparent foreign invaders to fight off. These invaders often hide and can be found and handled through Nutrition Response Testing.

Since our food choices influence the level of inflammation in our bodies, the anti-inflammatory diet is helpful to curb chronic inflammation and help prevent or treat the following conditions: allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, gout, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease (such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), stroke, Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Lisa has found that concentrating on flavors creates delicious dishes. Instead of automatically adding salt, when tasting what you’re cooking, ask yourself “what flavor is missing?” Is it…

• Salty
• Sweet
• Bitter
• Sour

Here are some suggestions for adding these flavors to your dish:

• Salty: sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, Herbamare (Dr. Lisa’s favorite)
• Sour: apple cider vinegar (with “the mother”), lemon, lime
• Sweet: (In small amounts) onions, garlic, orange, apple, honey
• Bitter: horseradish, dark leafy greens

General Tips:

• Aim for a variety]
• Include as much fresh food as possible
• Minimize your consumption of processed and fast foods
• Eliminate sugars from your diet, especially artificial sweeteners
• Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables in all parts of the color spectrum
• Choose organic whenever possible
• Focus on eating lots of dark leafy greens
• Drink tea instead of coffee (black, green, herbal)
• Focus on water consumption
• Eat twice as many vegetables as fruits
• Meats should be grass-fed
• Stay away from juices
• Avoid hydrogenated oils (margarine, peanut, corn, cottonseed, vegetable)
• Try to include good carbohydrates, fat, and protein at each meal

Foods to Focus on:

• Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
• Cherries
• Apples
• Artichokes
• Avocados
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Dark leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, collards)
• Sweet potatoes
• Broccoli
• Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts)
• Beans (red beans, pinto beans, black beans)
• Whole grains (oats and brown rice)
• Dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

Herbs & Spices & Add-ins

• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Garlic
• For sweeteners – raw local honey, grade B maple syrup, Sucanat

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids:

• Wild-caught oily fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies)
• Flaxseed
• Walnuts
• Eggs

Most Inflammatory Foods to AVOID:

• Low-quality grains & gluten
• Dairy
• Soy
• Processed meats
• Sugar
• Bad hydrogenated fats

Meal Ideas:

Breakfast foods: breakfast smoothie, chia bowl, oatmeal.

Lunch: salad with quinoa and vegetables, soup, grilled salmon. Use lettuce wraps instead of tortillas.

Snacks: fresh blueberry fruit salad, apples, and nut butter, walnuts, chia seed pudding, guacamole.

Beverages: ginger turmeric tea, golden milk, green juice, green smoothie, herbal tea, turmeric tea, green tea.

If you would like to learn more about how to keep an anti-inflammatory diet, give us a call at 410-717-6610.

Sources:
https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/anti-inflammatory-diet-pyramid/dr-weils-anti-inflammatory-diet/
https://www.verywellhealth.com/anti-inflammatory-diet-88752