Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Anti-inflamatory diet

(referenced by Thom. Dickson, Natural Health Choices Clinic, NCNM faculty, 2003):

Organically grown foods have been shown to have 2-5 times more nutrients and decreases exposure to pesticides.  Eat 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% healthy fats with no one food eaten no more than 5 times per week:

Steamed veggies: 3% asparagus, bean sprouts, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, swiss chard, cucumber, endive, lettuce, mustard greens, radish, spinach and watercress;  6% string beans, beets, brussels sprouts, chives, collards, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, onion, parsley, red pepper, pumpkin, rutabagas, turnip and zucchini;  15% artichoke, parsnip, green peas, squash, carrot and 20+% yam.

Grains:  1-2 cups of cooked grains per day (ok for her as she has no indications of high insulin levels (ie overweight, high BP/cholesterol or dM).  Allowed grains include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, basmati or brown rice, rye, teff and rice crisps ans wasa crackers for snacks.

Legumes: soaked for 48-72 hours and cooked slowly:  split peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, fermented soy (tempeh or miso), mung beans, garbanzo beans, aduki and azuki beans.

Fish: poached, baked, steamed or broiled:  deep sea ocean (vs farmed) fish (cod, haddock, halibut, mackerel, sardines, summer flounder, wild pacific salmon) is preferred.  (no shellfish: shrimp, lobster, crab, clam)

Free range, organically grown Chicken/turkey:  only the meat, not the skin.  Baked, broiled or steamed.

Fruits:  only 1-2 pieces of any fruit except citrus.  Best to have it baked and better to have low carb fruits such as:  3% cantaloupe, rhubarb, strawberries, melons; 6% apricot, blackberries, cranberries, papay, peach, plum, rasberries or kiwi;  15% apple, blueberries, cherries, grapes, mango, pear, pineapple, pomegranate; 20+% banana, figs, prunes and any dried fruit.

Sweeteners:  occassional maple/rice/barley syrup, raw honey or stevia and ONLY with meals.  NO sugar, nutra sweet or any other sweetener.

Seeds and nuts:  grind flax, pumpkin, sesame or sunflower seeds and add to steamed veggies, cooked grains etc.  Nut butters are fine (almond, cashew, sesame)

Butter/Oils:  mix together 1 pound of butter and 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil (from a new, dark jar), whip at room temp and refrigerate.  Use extra virgin olive oil for all other situations requiring oil.

Spices:  have at it.

Drink:  a MINIMUM of 6-8 glassses of spring, bottled, filtered or reverse-osmosis filtered water every day.  Sip the water, try to drink one glass per hour.  A few drops of chlorophyll will add a pleasant taste.  NO distilled water.  Small amounts of soy, rice or oat milk are allowed ONLY on cooked grains or in cooking.