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Anti-Inflammatory Foods/Diet

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET - MINIMALLY COOKED FOODS

Eat only the following organically grown foods for 21 days

Steamed vegetables: Eat a variety of any and all vegetables that you tolerate. Avoid tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and bell peppers. Yams, sweet potatoes, and squash are allowed. The primary reason for using steamed vegetables is that steaming improves the utilization or the availability of the food substances and it reduces the irritating residue in the gut, allowing it to restore itself.

Nuts: Any nut that you can tolerate except peanuts (actually a legume). I like almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and walnuts

Legumes: Eat a variety of any legumes you are able to tolerate: split peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, mung beans, garbanzo beans, aduki & azuki beans.

Grains: Eat one to two cups of cooked grains per day of those you tolerate.

Allowed grains are: millet, basmati or brown rice, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, and amaranth. Other grain foods that may be eaten are rice crisps and wasa crackers. In general, plan meals so that bread is not required (rice and beans instead of tacos, celery and nut butter or a chicken salad instead of a sandwich).

NO WHEAT, whole grain or otherwise and no bread especially white!

Fish: Deep sea fish is preferred (salmon, halibut, cod, sardines, tuna, mackerel - no shellfish or swordfish). The fish should be poached, baked, steamed, or broiled.

Chicken/Turkey: Eat only white meat and do not eat the skin. The chicken should be baked, broiled, or steamed. Free-range or organic chicken is preferable.   

Fruit: Cherries, apples, avocadoes, black currants, blueberries, fresh pinappple, guavas, kiwifruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, mulberries, oranges, papaya, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes. Raw is best, can be baked at a low temp and made into juice Acerola if digestion is a problem.      

Sweeteners: Very small amounts of maple syrup, rice syrup, barley syrup and honey may be used.

Absolutely no sugar, Nutrasweet, or any other sweetener is allowed. Often sugar cravings can be avoided by eating protein with each meal.

Butter/Oils: For butter, mix together 1 pound of butter and 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil (from a new dark jar). Whip at room temperature and store in the refrigerator. Provides the benefits and taste of butter and essential fatty acids. Use extra virgin olive oil for all other situations requiring oil.

Herbal teas and good water to drink: Drink 8 to 10 glasses of clean water every day.  Drink 2 to 4 cups of herbal tea, sipped slowly in the evening. Following herbs have anti-inflammatory properties:

1) Turmeric (Curcuma longa): Turmeric accounts for the yellow color of curry and American mustard and has a distinctive sharp flavor. I recommend turmeric for all inflammatory disorders, including arthritis, tendonitis, and auto immune conditions. Take 400 to 600 milligrams of turmeric extracts (available in tablets or capsules) three times per day or as directed on the product label. Whole turmeric is more effective than isolated curcumin, its major constituent. Look for products standardized for 95% curcuminoids. Be patient: the full benefit takes two months to develop. Don't use turmeric if you have gallstones or bile duct dysfunction. Pregnant women shouldn't use it without their doctors' approval. In rare cases, extended use can cause stomach upset or heartburn.      

 

2) Ginger: Powdered dry ginger is an excellent anti-inflammatory. Take one to two capsules (500 to 1,000 mg) twice a day with food. As with turmeric, you won't get the full effect for two months.      

 

3) Boswellin: This is the extract of the herb Boswellia, used in Ayurvedic medicine and available in capsule form. It may be useful for generalized inflammatory conditions such as fibromyalgia. The dosage is two capsules twice a day unless the product label directs differently.      

 

You can take all of these herbs in combination. In fact, I most frequently recommend the herbal remedy that contains oils and herbs. If you can get fresh Turmeric or dried and fresh ginger you can add them to juice/shakes, I have several recipes.

 

For the time-being, avoid the following foods: Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir).  Eggs.  Fried foods. Processed foods. Wheat products (breads, muffins, doughnuts, etc.). Corn products (chips, tacos, enchiladas).  All caffeinated products.  If necessary, wean down with green tea or black tea.  Alcohol of all kinds.  Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, green and red bell peppers.  Citrus (grapefruit, oranges, lime, lemon).  Peanuts and peanut butter (substitute almond butter if necessary).  Meat - red meat and especially pork and pork products.  Sugar, Nutrasweet, and all sweeteners (except maple syrup and honey)      

Week Menu

The biggest change in many diets is in breakfast. Experiment with having "dinner" in the morning, either prepared the night before or made fresh.

-Oatmeal (add sunflower or flax, dried fruit), L-chicken salad, fruit, D-rice and beans.

-Protein smoothie (banana, protein powder, other fruit), L-leftover rice and beans, D-baked salmon and salad.

-alternative grain cereal with soy milk, Snack-almonds, L-california rolls/sushi, D-bean soup.

-rice and lentils, L-buckwheat soba, D-Indian curry over rice with steamed vegetables.

-almond butter on rice toast, L- soy cheese on rice crackers, D-chicken with sweet potatoes.

-spaghetti squash with raisins, maple syrup, and cinnamon. L-split pea soup D-Stir fry.

-barley soup L-chicken with steamed vegetables D-Thai take out with baked apples (cinnamon and maple syrup) for dessert.

 

 

 

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