Food background, vegetables spice and herbs
Inflammation can wreak havoc on your health. It’s the body’s natural reaction to a stressor, which can be an injury, illness, infection or even a tough workout. Acute inflammation is a good thing, as long as it resolves the effects of stress on the body in the short term. But when it is chronic, occurring at high levels over a period of time due to a lack of sleep, poor diet, repeated infections, or other health conditions, it can lead to digestive problems, reduce the body’s ability to heal and lower immunity, leading to inflammatory diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.
Exercise, getting enough rest and reducing emotional stress are ways to reduce inflammation in your body. As far as eating right, Grace O, founder of FoodTrients, believes that there are many foods that help reduce or avoid chronic inflammation and regularly features them on the FoodTrients website. Fortunately, they are easy to work into your diet and quite delicious.
“I keep coming back to the Mediterranean diet, which is high in lean proteins like fish, as well as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low saturated fats such as olive oil that help with reducing inflammation in the body,” Grace says. “And if you look at some of the ‘blue zones’ including Icaria, Greece, and Sardinia, Italy, the long, healthy lives of those residents are attributed to their Mediterranean diet and a lifestyle of integrated physical activity and social connections.”
Following are two of Grace’s recipes that are high in anti-inflammatory ingredients and are excellent additions to any dietary regimen. To see the complete list of anti-inflammatory recipes click here.
Serves 5
This is a hearty vegetarian ‘chili’ loaded with flavor and nutrition. It contains 39 percent of the RDA for fiber, 24 percent for protein, 215 percent of vitamin A, which protects vision, boosts the immune system and is beneficial to reproduction, growth, and development. Vitamin A also helps keep the heart, lungs, and other organs working properly.
Ingredients
1 ½ Tbs. olive oil
2 (12 oz.) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ -inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 poblano peppers, diced
4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 qt. unsalted vegetable broth
1 (10 oz.) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
2 cups of water, divided
1 cup uncooked white or multicolored quinoa
1 ½ cans (about 23 oz.) of no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed
½ teaspoon salt
Sliced jalapeño peppers, plain Greek yogurt, and cilantro for serving
Directions
Serves 4
Whole grains are a key part of a Mediterranean diet, plus they are hearty and satisfying. This recipe provides the protein and vitamins from the egg. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, iron, folate, and potassium. Spinach also adds some protein to your diet. The oatmeal provides antioxidants, improves insulin response, lowers blood sugar, improves cholesterol levels, promotes healthy bacteria in the digestive tract while it’s also a good source of vitamins and minerals including magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, folate, and vitamins B-1 and B-5. Cooking the oats in the skillet with the onions gives it a risotto-like texture.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups water
4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1 cup), divided
1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 cups washed baby spinach (about 2 oz.)
4 large eggs, poached*
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
Directions
*For perfect poached eggs:
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CONTACT:
Trina Kaye – Public Relations / The Trina Kaye Organization / TrinaKaye@tkopr.com / 310-963-3964