Grab and Go Anti Inflammatory Foods

Hello again, I hope you have been reading and taking notes from this series of “Grab and Go” foods. My goal is to help you see that making healthy food choices can be as fast and easy as grabbing packaged goods. It all starts with a change of information. I want to help, so take a few minutes each week to read the blog, as it could really benefit you.

Let’s talk about anti inflammatory foods like the ones listed below. (Be sure to include these on your next grocery list and be prepared for the week ahead.) We need foods that have fiber, antioxidants (I talked about them last week), anthocyanins, vitamins and minerals. These are big words, but they could simply be called “healthy natural foods” with grand benefits.

Cherries and Berries
Fatty Fish like Salmon and Sardines
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels, Peppers and Kale
Avocado, just a slice with your meal
Grapes, about a dozen red
Tomatoes
Green Tea
Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa)
Mushrooms, shitake, portobello (and Lions mane)

All of these foods have a variety of benefits including vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants like anthocyanins, catechins and carotenoids like lycopene. Green tea has EGCG , and EPA and DHA both are in fish. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know how to eat. What you do need to know is that by the time food is highly processed like white flour, or deep fried and full of sugar, you are eating inflammatory foods, and that is not good.

Inflammatory diseases include allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, celiac disease, diabetes 1 and 2, heart disease, arthritis, endometriosis and more. When you choose to eat crap you are going to feel like crap!

You can cook salmon ahead and eat it on a salad, or with some tomatoes and mushrooms sauteed in a little olive oil. How about some roasted broccoli,cauliflower, and peppers… yum! Are you getting hungry? If you love to cook, you can go to town with some great spices, and don’t forget the turmeric because that is also an anti inflammatory food. Wash it down with some hot or cold green tea, and have a little dark chocolate for dessert….Come on, this is good stuff!

• Feed your body’s natural killer cells to keep your immune system functioning properly!