ANTI-INFLAMMATORY-DOES YOUR BODY HAVE INFLAMMATION?
Our weekly encouragement discussed feeding our spirit the word of God to stand strong against the enemy. Just as our spirit needs the word of God our body also needs good nutrition. It's easy to consume junk food, but our bodies crave whole foods for energy. After being diagnosed with several ailments are found they all had one root cause…. inflammation. Inflammation is a major root cause of diseases today, so let's combat it with an anti-inflammatory diet!
Some diseases, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, caused by inflammation include:
Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis
Cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure and heart disease
Gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis
Lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma
Mental illnesses, such as depression
Metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease
Some cancers
The Cleveland Clinic list includes the following:
· Autoimmune diseases: Such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
· Heart inflammation: Such as pericarditis, endocarditis, and myocarditis
· Other inflammatory diseases: Such as giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)
As I researched this I also saw osteopenia and osteoporosis is also caused by inflammation.
With the root cause of so many diseases being inflammation, I have decided to attempt to change my diet to anti-inflammatory. Or at least add more anti-inflammatory foods rather than inflammatory ones.
John Hopkin reports also that inflammation can result from exposure to environmental toxins, a lingering virus, aging, or chronic stress.
So, what are inflammatory foods? Mainly all processed foods and sugar.
· Red meat, such as steak and hamburgers
· Processed meat, such as bologna, bacon, sausage and lunchmeat
· Commercial baked goods such as snack cakes, pies, cookies and brownies
· Bread and pasta made with white flour
· Deep-fried items such as French fries, fried chicken and donuts
· Foods high in added sugar, such as candy, jelly and syrup
· Sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, bottled or canned tea drinks, and sports drinks
· Trans fats, found in margarine, microwave popcorn, refrigerated biscuits and dough, and nondairy coffee creamers.
· Cooking methods can make a difference as with deep frying or grilling causes more inflammation
So how should I cook to reduce inflammation?
Bake, steam, or fast stir-fry.
So what sweeteners are anti-inflammatory? From my research, I found the following:
· Monk Fruit
· Honey
· Maple syrup pure
· Stevia
I have used a monk fruit erythritol sweetener for years but in doing this research I found erythritol and xylitol both are associated with increased blood clot formation. This increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Before writing this I would have suggested it but not now. I will not be buying this again.
A list of anti-inflammatory foods will be at the end of this post along with some menu ideas. Print these out and take the list to the market with you to bring home the best choices.
I hope you will join me this month as I start a journey of decreasing inflammatory food in my diet. This will not be easy for me. I like sugar but I am learning to use monk fruit as a substitute, and I do like it. I also use honey and natural maple syrup sparingly. Increasing God's word in my spirit to make my vessel strong will help me with this endeavor. Thanks for joining this life-boosting discussion! As always comment below any gems you have that will help us all grow in our journey as women helping women. Stay strong in the Word and fuel your body with goodness!
Anti-inflammatory food list Foods like fruits, vegetables, and spices contain anti-inflammatory compounds and may help reduce inflammation. The most anti-inflammatory foods may include:
Quick List
berries
fatty fish
broccoli
avocados
green tea
herbal teas
peppers
mushrooms
grapes
turmeric
extra virgin olive oil
dark chocolate and cocoa
tomatoes
cherries
Bread
Sourdough is a good choice for anti-inflammatory as well as rye bread.
Food list
Use the following lists to make your grocery list
Vegetables
artichoke
arugula
asparagus
beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
celery
cucumber
fennel
garlic
green beans
green leaf lettuce
kale
onions
mushrooms
leeks
radishes
rhubarb
shallot
spinach
turnips
yellow squash
zucchini
FRUITS
Apricot
Avocado
Banana
blueberries
blackberries
cantaloupe
cherries
clementines
dates
figs
grapes
guava
honeydew melon
lemons
mango
nectarine
orange
papaya
pear
peach
pineapple
plums
pomegranates
raspberries
strawberries
watermelon
PROTEIN
Beans
bluefin tuna
chicken
clams
crabs
edamame
eggs
flounder
grouper
halibut
kefir
lentils
lobster
nuts
rainbow trout
salmon
shrimp
soy milk
soy nuts
snapper
striped bass
Tofu
tuna
GRAINS
Barley
Basmati rice
black rice
brown rice
buckwheat
einkorn flour
mullet
oats
rice crackers
sorghum
sourdough bread
spelt flour
quinoa
wild rice
STARCH VEGETABLES
acorn squash
butternut squash
Jerusalem artichoke
parsnip
pumpkin
purple potatoes
red potatoes
spaghetti squash
sweet potatoes
yams
HERBS
ashwagandha
basil
black pepper
cardamom
cayenne pepper
cilantro
cinnamon cloves
cumin
fennel
fenugreek
ginger
garlic
mint
oregano
parsley
Rosemary
sage
Thyme
turmeric
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SWEETS
· 70% or greater dark chocolate (sparingly)
· Whole Fruits
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BEVERAGES
· Water
· Tea – Green, White, Oolong and Herbal Teas (or, try this recipe for a delicious, anti-inflammatory Golden Milk Latte aka Turmeric Tea!)
· Red Wine (sparingly)
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BREAD
Sourdough
Rye
The Mediterranean diet is very close to an anti-inflammatory diet. You can look up Mediterranean diets for menu ideas also.
Menus Ideas
Breakfast
1. Oatmeal with cranberries, cinnamon and walnuts
Sourdough toast
Herbal tea or coffee
2. Greek Yogurt (try my easy homemade yogurt see the YouTube video below)
https://youtube.com/shorts/KllW7kVhREQ?si=Va8lcAbgcjKVYBz8
with fruit and nuts
Herbal tea or coffee
3. Omelet with mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, tomatoes and cheese
Sourdough toast
Fruit
Turmeric tea
4. Oatmeal with cinnamon, blueberries, flaxseed or nuts
Turmeric tea
5. Scramble eggs with sauteed onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms
Sourdough toast
Herbal tea or coffee
LUNCH
1. Salad with salad greens, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and cottage cheese with olive oil vinaigrette
Fruit and nuts
2. Tuna or Chicken salad on a bed of lettuce
Tofu squares with Hoisin sauce
Fresh fruit
3. spinach salad with strawberries
Yogurt with fresh fruit drizzled
with honey
4. Hummus with vegetable slices
Cheese and apple slices
5. Bone broth soup
Sourdough bread and butter
Yogurt with nuts and fruit
DINNER
1. Roast chicken
Green beans
Scalloped apples with cinnamon
2. Parmesan fish
Baked sweet potato
Salad
3. Cornish hen
Sauté zucchini
Buttered red potatoes, cabbage and carrots
4. Caesar salad with grilled chicken
Vegetable bone broth soup
5. Broiled salmon with balsamic glaze
Sauté spinach with parmesan cheese
DESSERT CHOICES
1. Fresh fruit
2. Homemade ice cream made with monk fruit or honey
3. Peanut butter and apples
4. Yogurt and fruit
5. Dates stuffed with cream cheese
SNACK CHOICES
1. Nuts
2. Greek yogurt
3. Hummus
4. Sliced bell peppers, and carrots with hummus or guacamole
5. Cottage cheese with fruit
I hope this has given you a start. I will post the recipes on the recipe page. I hope this will bless you. Until next month be blessed and be a blessing to someone.
