Not only is this recipe quick and healthy, it is also packed with protein and vitamins D and C. This nutrient rich dish has multiple health promoting benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immune boosting benefits.
You may remember having a cut, sprain, or a sore throat. The injured area feels painful and hot and looks red and swollen. These are physical signs of inflammation. Inflammation is a natural and essential process that your body uses to defend itself from infections and heal injured cells and tissues.
The inflammatory response produces specific biochemicals that can destroy invaders like bacteria and viruses, increases blood flow to areas that need it, and cleans up debris. It can be a good thing. But, sometimes it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.
You may be thinking what does nutrition and lifestyle habits have to do with inflammation? We’ll get to that but, first let’s look at the two types of inflammation.
Types of Inflammation (Acute vs. Chronic)
There are two kinds of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is short-lived. It’s like a flaming fire that produces the painful, red, hot, swollen symptoms described above. When inflammation is acute it’s usually at high levels in a small localized area in response to an infection or some kind of injury to the body. It’s necessary for proper healing and injury repair.
When your cells detect an infection or damage, they send out warning signals to call over your immune system to help out. Your immune system sends over many types of white blood cells to help fight off invading germs [bacteria/viruses/pathogens] and cleans up the damage so you can heal.
Acute Inflammation
Symptoms of acute inflammation may need short-term treatment such as pain relievers or cold compresses. More serious symptoms like fever, severe pain, or shortness of breath may need medical attention.
In general, acute inflammation goes away after the injury is healed, often within days or even hours. Acute inflammation is the “good” kind of inflammation because it does an essential job and then quiets itself down.
Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is different. It’s more of the slow-burning and smoldering type of fire. This type of inflammation can exist throughout your whole body at lower levels. This means that the symptoms aren’t localized to one particular area that needs it. Instead, they can appear gradually, and can last much longer—months or even years. This is the “bad” kind of inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is often invisible without immediate or serious symptoms, but over the long-term it’s been linked to many chronic diseases such as:
Acne, eczema, and psoriasis
Allergies and asthma
Autoimmune diseases (arthritis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus)
How does chronic inflammation begin? It may start acutely—from an infection or injury—and then instead of shutting off, it becomes persistent. Chronic low-grade inflammation can also occur with exposure to chemicals (e.g., tobacco) or radiation, consuming an unhealthy diet or too much alcohol, not being very physically active, feeling stressed or socially isolated, and having excess weight. Now that we see that inflammation underlies so many of our medical conditions, here’s what to do to put out those slow-burning, smoldering fires.
Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips for Reducing Chronic Inflammation
Studies suggest that reducing inflammation can reduce the risk of several of these conditions including heart disease and cancer. There are medications used such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics to help lower inflammation and to treat some of these diseases.
Fortunately, there are also several simple lifestyle changes—including a healthy whole food, plant-based diet—which by the way doesn’t have any negative side effects, and can be very helpful to prevent or reverse inflammation therefore, reducing its damaging effects on the body.
“For chronic low-grade inflammation not caused by a defined illness, lifestyle changes are the mainstay of both prevention and treatment,” says Harvard Health. The good news is that anti-inflammatory foods help you stay healthy and reduce your risk of many diseases. In fact, it’s estimated that 60 percent of chronic diseases could be prevented with a healthy diet. Here’s how.
Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains (brown rice, oats, bran), nuts (almonds), seeds, fish, legumes (beans, lentils), and healthy oils (olive oil)
Pay particular attention to foods high in antioxidant polyphenols, including colorful plants such as berries, cherries, plums, red grapes, avocados, onions, carrots, beets, turmeric, green tea, and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale
Omega-3 fats can help to reduce pain and clear up inflammation and are found in salmon, soy, walnuts, and flax
High fiber foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes) encourage friendly gut microbes to help reduce inflammation
Avoid charring foods when cooking at high temperatures
Avoid inflammatory foods such as red and processed meats (lunch meats, hot dogs, hamburgers), fried foods (fries), unhealthy fats (shortening, lard), sugary foods and drinks (sodas, candy, sports drinks), refined carbohydrates (white bread, cookies, pie), and ultra-processed foods (microwaveable dinners, dehydrated soups)
Be Physically Active
Regular exercise reduces inflammation over the long-term, so try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (brisk walking) per week; about 20-30 minutes per day
To this add two or more strength training sessions (using weights or resistance bands) each week
Get Quality Sleep
Disrupted sleep has recently been linked to increased inflammation and atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in the vessels that’s linked with heart disease), so aim for 7-9 hours of restful sleep every night to help the body heal and repair
Tips for better sleep: try to maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule every day, get exposure to natural daylight earlier in the day, avoid caffeine later in the day, cut out screens an hour before bedtime, and create a relaxing nighttime routine
Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol
Quitting smoking can help reduce inflammation and several other health concerns by reducing exposure to toxins that are directly linked to inflammation. Avoid places where you may be exposed to second and/or third hand smoke.
Limit your alcohol intake to no more than one or two drinks per day
Stress Management
Engage in relaxing stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or tai chi
Be Sociable
New research suggests that feeling socially isolated is linked with higher levels of inflammation, so reach out to family and friends (or make new ones)
See your Healthcare Provider Regularly and Dentist
Get your cholesterol and blood lipids tested because high amounts of “bad” LDL cholesterol is linked to inflammation and negatively affects your blood vessels
You can request a blood test to measure levels of CRP (C-reactive protein) which is a marker of inflammation (this test is also used to check your risk of developing heart disease)
If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, this may be a sign of gum inflammation (gingivitis), so ramp up your oral hygiene and see your dentist
Key Points to Remember
Chronic, long-term, low-level inflammation is linked with many health issues. The first approach to preventing and improving this is through food and lifestyle changes. Start by focusing on adding colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fish to your diet. Implementing a healthy lifestyle such as physical activity, restful sleep, and stress management is beneficial for the management of inflammation and will promote optimal health.
These changes can be integrated into your day-to-day practices. First try adding one additional fruit or vegetable to your day. Then, several times a day at each snack or meal. For inspiration, try recipes from my Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan.
If you’d like a plan designed to help you enjoy more of these anti-inflammatory foods, consult a registered dietitian nutritionist who can provide personalized research-based nutrition advice for your health, lifestyle, and goals. If you’d like to learn more about how simple, delicious whole food plant-based nutrition can help to prevent or reverse inflammation along with many other chronic diseases, book a free phone consultation https://www.corenutritionhw.com/services.
References
Harvard Health. (2018, November 7). Foods that fight inflammation. Retrieved from
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are a delicious healthy swap for the traditional buffalo wings. These baked cauliflower wings are a great snack or appetizer to serve at parties or tailgating.
Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
In a small bowl, add 3/4 cup almond milk with 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, let sit for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the spices, salt and flour.
Combine almond milk mixture with flour mixture, mix well.
Coat cauliflower florets into the batter, coat evenly in the mixture. Place coated cauliflower on baking pans, leaving room in between so that air can circulate around cauliflower.
Bake for 20 minutes, then flip cauliflower, bake for another 20 minutes.
To make buffalo sauce, combine buffalo sauce with melted butter, then whisk.
Once cauliflower is done, toss cauliflower into the buffalo sauce to coat and enjoy.
There is so much “talk” in the wellness space, especially about nutrition and it can be difficult to sift through the myths to find the facts. Nutrition can be confusing. There is so much information out there and much of it is flawed, misinterpreted, or flat out false. There are a lot of reasons why many nutrition myths continue to stick around.
Many people who write, blog, post and speak about nutrition do not have training in nutrition.
The core elements of evidence-based nutrition are not as “sexy”. To craft more appealing messages for the broader public, nutrition messages may be overstated or inaccurately extrapolated from scientific evidence. Some messages are flat out false.
Like all sciences, we continually learn more about nutrition through research. There is still a lot we don’t know.
Food Choices
Factors that affect what we eat include:
Taste and preferences
Cultural traditions
Budgets
Values
Accessibility
Convenience
A way of eating that works for one person may not work for another person. Every person is unique. Some people who carry on nutrition myths draw on their own personal experiences with nutrition in attempt to help other people. While well-intentioned, this is a flawed way of interpreting nutrition science. It is important to seek help from credentialed health professionals who are able to separate fact from fiction.
Myth #1
Carbohydrates cause weight gain.
Fact: No one nutrient or food causes weight gain.
Weight gain is complex and cannot be attributed to just one thing. In general, weight gain will result when we consume calories in excess of what our body needs to maintain body weight.
Carbs are not to blame for weight gain. A diet for optimal health includes many foods with carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are our body’s preferred source of energy.
Consider the “nutrient density” of the carbohydrate. Choose carbohydrates that have fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Complex carbs with fiber digest and absorb more slowly than simple carbohydrates so the blood sugar response is different. Aim to choose high-quality carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils and whole grains.
Myth #2
A vegetarian diet does not provide enough protein.
Fact: Many vegetarian foods have protein and can provide adequate protein.
Plant food sources of protein include, beans, lentils, soy products (tofu, edamame, tempeh) nuts and seeds. Whole grains also have protein, although they wouldn’t be considered a considerable source of protein.
Some vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products which are excellent sources of protein.
Vegetarian diets are not all the same. They should be carefully planned to include sources of protein at each meal and snack. Well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets can be adequate and meet your protein needs.
Consult with your doctor or registered dietitian about your daily protein needs.
Myth #3
You should only eat at certain times.
Fact: There is no timing for eating that works for everyone.
Some people may benefit from a structured schedule for their meals and snacks.
Other people may benefit from eating based on hunger cues.
In general, creating “strict rules” about when to eat can be a slippery slope. These rules can be hard to follow in certain situations or when we feel hungry.
Rules can make us feel like a “failure” if we don’t follow them.
There is still a lot to learn about intermittent fasting in humans.
It is possible to have a healthy diet and eat at different times of the day.
Myth #4
Snacking is unhealthy.
Fact: Snacking can be healthy, even when weight loss is a goal.
A well-balanced meal with carbs, protein, and fat will keep us full for an average of 3-4 hours. This also depends on each persons individualized needs, the size of the meal, etc. In general, most people have a greater time window than 3-4 hours between meals.
The composition of the snack is important. A balanced snack might include a source of protein and also a fruit or veggie. Examples include: peanut butter and apple slices, roasted edamame and carrot sticks, or hummus with celery sticks. A snack food that is mostly carbohydrates will be digested and absorbed quickly. This may result in the quick return of hunger or overeating later.
Many people have trouble fitting fruits and vegetable in at meal times. Snacks are an easy way to get an additional serving.
Snacking can also play an important role in pre- and post-workouts. Snacking can help curb hunger while providing fuel to have enough energy for the day.
Myth #5
Juicing or cleansing is required to “detox” your body.
Fact: Our body has natural mechanisms through which to detox.
Cleanses claim to detox the body, aid weight loss, improve skin health, etc. There is no one food or regimented diet that can deliver on these promises.
Some cleanses, diets, and supplements may be more harmful than good. For example, some supplements may interfere with prescription medications. Talk with your doctor or registered dietitian before taking any supplements or follow a restrictive diet.
The best way of eating to promote natural detoxification is a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
Myth #6
Vitamin C prevents colds.
Fact: Vitamin C does not prevent colds, but some studies show that it can shorten the duration of the common cold.
To help shorten the duration of a cold, you should be consuming adequate vitamin C daily, not just when you get a cold. The best way to do this is to eat a diet containing vitamin C rich foods.
Vitamin C is only found in plant foods. Fruits rich in Vitamin C include citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime), berries, melon, kiwi, pineapple and papaya. Vegetables rich in vitamin C include peppers, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
Supplements also contain vitamin C. Some supplements contain excessive amounts of vitamin C that can cause GI upset. As always, it is best to speak with your doctor or dietitian before supplementing your diet. It is better to get vitamin C through food because then you get all of the other vitamins and minerals as well as fiber, in those plant foods.
Myth #7
Foods with gluten are unhealthy.
Fact: Only some people need to have a gluten-free diet.
Gluten is a group of proteins in cereal grains (wheat, rye, barley, triticale).
People who have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity should avoid foods with gluten.
Only a credentialed healthcare professional is able to diagnose these conditions.
Many nutrient-dense foods contain gluten-whole wheat products (breads, pasta) and whole grains (wheatberries, farro, kamut, etc.)
For a person without celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, foods with gluten can be part of an overall healthy diet.
Word of Caution
Look out for red flags when distinguishing between nutrition myths and facts. Common red flags include:
A source that does not list an author, a date published, and/or sources.
A website or program that promotes marketing gimmicks like quick results for weight loss, often including a paid celebrity spokesperson.
Friend or family member without a relevant education background- although they may mean well, they may be perpetuating myths or sharing information that is specific to their personal history or experiences.
Credible Sources
Credible nutrition information can seem hard to find amidst the loud noise of other information sources.
Here’s how to find credible information:
Ask a credentialed healthcare professional in their field of expertise.
Look for authored pieces (authors with credentials) date, published, and sources.
Read about the topic yourself. Look at several high-quality sources. One study is only able to provide limited information-look at the body of evidence.
Be open to new ideas. Like all sciences, nutrition is evolving, and we continually learn from research studies.
If you would like more information on personalized nutrition and wellness programs, book a free phone consultation at https://www.corenutritionhw.com/services. Stay healthy and well!
If you are needing something quick, healthy and delicious, try this plant-based strawberry smoothie topped with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Not only are berries packed with antioxidants, but they may also provide anti-cancer benefits, a boost to the immune system and protective benefits to the liver and brain.
