What is an anti-inflammatory diet?
/
Basic healthy eating principles are not overly complicated. But it is always hard to implement as our habits get the best of us and changing them takes work.
What is inflammation with regard to our body and health? Acute inflammation is an injury with a local inflammatory response while chronic inflammation is a systemic (whole body) persistent activation of our immune system. It is chronic inflammation that we are referring to as the deadly disease-causing type. Diet is the largest contributor to how we manage and prevent or repair chronic inflammation.
The term anti-inflammatory diet has become a hot topic. There is no single diet that is anti-inflammatory. Ones like Blue zones diet, DASH, Mediterranean are just a few diets that can be anti-inflammatory if implemented correctly.
Let’s instead talk about anti-inflammatory eating principles and how you can make them happen to fit your personal eating style and tastes.
First let’s toss out the term diet. Diets are temporary and are doomed to fail because of that. This is a permanent change to the way you eat. This is a new you and a new way of feeding the healthy inflammatory, pain-free version of you.
The Dos and Don’ts of an Anti-inflammatory Diet
What foods you should not include in your new healthy lifestyle?
No Ultra processed foods – this includes the obvious fast foods but also the less obvious “healthy” versions that are pretending to be good for you. Ex: breads, pasta, cakes, cookies, sodas, salad dressing, most canned products.
No Sugar (whole fruits excluded)
No Alcohol (60 days at least) alcohol converts to ethanol – cars can be run off this not your body – it is a poison
No snacking
I’m sure you’re thinking well, what is left to eat? Turns out, there’s still quite a bit. Here’s a list of all the things you should eat:
All vegetables – higher carb ones such as corn, peas and root vegetables and potatoes, are carbohydrates and consumed as such in moderation
Proteins: chicken, fish, meats (grass fed and finished beef, pork, lamb, etc.) beans, and legumes
Fats such as nuts, avocados and pressed oils such as olive, avocado, grape seed (these should be limited as they are dense calorie foods)
Carbohydrates from whole intact grains and pseudo-seeds only (barley, rice, farro, quinoa, etc.)
What should my plate look like?
The anti-inflammatory way of eating is a plant first way of life.
Fill half your plate with vegetables at every meal (green leafy and cruciferous, asparagus, peppers, onions, leeks, etc. The goal should be 3 to 4 cups per plate, per meal – build up slowly. This allows your gut microbiome to adjust and support the beneficial anti-inflammatory microbes to grow and flourish
Adequate protein for your body (lbs/2.2 = protein amount – you can go as high 1.5 or use your ideal weight in lbs/2.2 )
Carbohydrates – ¼ to ½ cup of whole intact grains or a starchy vegetable
Vegetables – 2 cups of fruit per day (this is whole fruits berries, apples, pineapple, watermelon)
* For those with inflammatory diseases the recommendation is to target carbs in your meals in the morning and lunch and not for dinner. We are better able to digest and balance glucose and be insulin sensitive during the day versus at night.
How to implement an anti-inflammatory diet?
Prepping can make this new way of eating easier and help stop you from slipping into old habits. Make your meals like you are having company, instead of 1 chicken breast make 4 or 5, roast whole pans of vegetables, make a quinoa salad to add to a healthy green one or as a side dish.
As mentioned above, half your plate should be filled with vegetables and go easy on the dressing and added oils. The goal is to build up to four cups of vegetables at every meal, and eat 30 different plants per week. Spices do count, so get your spice on!
Snacking, alcohol, and all highly processed foods are not to be eaten. Try it for 60 days and track how you feel. How are your joints, how’s your breathing, sensitivities? How are you sleeping? Make note of the changes. Jot them down on a post it, for example: 4/25 - I sleep great, 4/27 - no joint pain! This is your new normal and quickly you won’t remember how poorly you felt.
Hydration, hydration hydration!! It hot out there you want to target 91 to 123 oz per day depending on activity levels.
Keep track of what you put in your mouth via a diary, pictures, or with an app. We underestimate the number of calories we eat per day by 700. To give you an idea of the impact 500 calories extra per day will cause a 1-to-2-pound weight gain per week which translates into 52 to 104 lbs in a year. WOW! And those 500 calories add up quickly. Our favorite whiskey/bourbons are 139-124 calories and that’s per drink. 1 TBS of olive oil is 120 calories, if you use 1 serving of condiments at 1 ounce each you could have a large pepperoni pizza worth of added calories.
Serve all your meals with at least 2 kinds of vegetables, 7 to 9 oz protein and ¼ cup of whole grain (use a cup to measure out the amounts).
Anti-inflammatory Recipes Ideas
Breakfast:
Protein Chia seed pudding
Ingredients:
3 tbsp chia seeds
½ cup coconut milk
½ c water
2 scoops protein powder
½ banana, mashed
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 handful mixed berries
Slivered almonds, to serve
Directions:
Place the chia seeds in a bowl and cover with the coconut milk. Add the protein powder, banana, cinnamon, vanilla, and pure maple syrup. Stir well.
Place in the fridge overnight.
Top with fresh berries and slivered almond before enjoying.
Bean breakfast burrito (**Note you can use store bought salsa)
Ingredients:
1 3/4 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved
1 Tbsp. jalapeño, halved and seeded
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 scallions, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
10 large eggs
1 tsp. oil
15 oz. can black beans (smashed with fork)
8 cauliflower or egg tortillas
2 1/2 c. spinach, trimmed
Directions:
Heat broiler. Arrange tomatillos and jalapeño, cut-side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil until blistered, 8 to 9 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a food processor. Add lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and ¼ tsp salt; pulse until combined but not smooth. Beat eggs with 2 Tbsp water and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add eggs and cook, stirring often with a rubber spatula, to desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for medium-soft eggs.
Spread beans on each tortilla; top with spinach, eggs, cheese, and the salsa. Fold sides over filling and roll from bottom up.
Freeze parchment-and-foil-wrapped burritos up to 3 weeks. To reheat, remove foil and microwave until hot, 2 minutes per side.
Vegetable Egg Bake
Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C fresh baby spinach, chopped (I typically use 3 pounds of fresh spinach this packs the vegetables in and gives and easy on the goal meal)
1/2 of an orange or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 C onion, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Whisk together eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix in spinach, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and onion.
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes.
If you divide the pan into quarters you will have a 3 egg meal with 21 grams of protein.
Lunch/Dinner
Roasted vegetables
You can roast any vegetable with this method. We roast broccoli, beets, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, etc.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line large rimmed sheet pan (preferably two)
Chop vegetables in to 1 to 2 inch cubes - place on pan, place in oven and roast till done – the amount of done will depend on taste, a little browning is a nice crispy treat.
Pull from the oven drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, salt pepper and spices to your taste. Your choice of seasoning: Chipotle, Italian herbs, Asian, or leave plain and add them to salads with a squeeze of lemon juice and a protein of your choice.
Salmon with lemon garlic Asparagus
Ingredients:
1 8 oz filet or 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, preferably wild, cut into 4 portions (The large piece will give you leftovers for your salad or other meals
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon grated garlic
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use a large rimmed baking sheet and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit whole sheet.
Place salmon on one side of the prepared baking sheet and asparagus on the other. Sprinkle the salmon and asparagus with salt and pepper.
Heat oil, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small skillet over medium heat. Drizzle the mixture over the salmon and asparagus. Bake until the salmon is cooked through and the asparagus is just tender, 12 to 15 minutes
Chicken/Turkey/Beef Meatballs with zoodles
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground chicken or turkey or grass feed and finished beef
1 lbs chopped Spinach/kale/Swiss chard (can also mix roasted eggplant slices
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup almond meal
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
Fresh basil
2 to 3 cups marinara sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh or frozen zoodles
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lined large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine chicken or turkey or beef with egg, almond meal, garlic, dried basil, and dried oregano, green vegetable; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop and form the meatballs with your hands form into balls and place on baking pan
Bake till done (about 20 mins)
Heat marinara sauce in pan then add the meatballs and zoodles.
Cover and simmer for a few mins.
Serve topped with fresh basil.
Tracy Farrell is an expert in gut health, thyroid, and endocrine issues. She has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare starting on the administrative side and then as a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and Integrative Health Coach for the last five years at Natural Endocrine Solutions. She has certifications in Small Intestine Bacterial and Fungal Overgrowth (SIBO & SIFO) and has coordinated wellness programs for clients with autoimmune disorders and thyroid issues such as Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease. Most recently she received a Bone Density Certification from Functional Diagnostic Nutrition.
