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| photo by O[R]bz |
In past blogs, I have detailed the ravages of chronic inflammation, an epidemic of our age.
The bad news is this condition can contribute to Type 2 Diabetes, and has been linked to illnesses like heart disease, depression, Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
The good news is that chronic inflammation can be tackled, one bite at a time. There is an array of inflammation-fighting foods: green tea, ginger, onions, garlic, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, blueberries and sweet potatoes to name a few.
Other culinary firefighters include: oily fish like salmon, cod and sardines; grass-fed beef; olive, hemp and canola oils; and green leafy vegetables like spinach, salad greens, watercress, mustard greens, kale, chard and dandelion.
The laundry list continues with: walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts and hazelnuts; cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale. And just to prove that a cooling diet isn't a restrictive one, the delicious avocado is also anti-inflammatory.
Like flavor? Good, because many herbs and spices are anti-inflammatory. These include: basil, cayenne and chilli peppers, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, licorice, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme and turmeric.
Bringing it together
Now you know which foods to incorporate into your diet, where do you start? I say start at the beginning, with an easy dish like a salad.
Here's a recipe for a no-fail salad. Start with some salad greens. You can include some iceberg lettuce, but for inflammation-fighting punch, you'll want to focus on spinach or darker lettuces such as Romaine.
Next, throw in as many inflammation-fighting foods as you can. How about avocado to help fill you up, sunflower seeds for crunch, and a touch of ginger for an interesting bite? Or how about layering thin slices of grass-fed beef over a salad enlivened with purple onion and raspberries?
Whatever your salad pleasure, top it with your favorite dressing. One easy mixture is vinegar, olive oil and pepper.
Pair this salad with some crusty bread and wash it down with a glass of Xango, a juice made from the mangosteen fruit, which has startling anti-inflammatory powers. You'll be cool as a cucumber in no time!
Cynthia Podlaski is not a nutritionist. She is a Xango distributor with a passion for wellness.
