To your very good health!

A quick guide to anti-inflammatory foods

Dodi Newman

There appears to be a consensus in the medical world that you can be generally healthier and suffer less from inflammation by eating the right food. “Many major diseases that plague us — including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s —have been linked to chronic inflammation,” says the Harvard Health website. And Dr. Frank Hu of Harvard’s School of Public Health says “Many experimental studies have shown that components of foods or beverages may have anti-inflammatory effects.

So how can you cook with anti-inflammatory foods without spending all day in the kitchen? Get organized! It can be hard to change habits, and cooking with fewer processed foods can take more time. Here are some tips to make that change easier:

Make a plan

Make a weekly meal plan, then go to the store and buy what you need for that plan. You’ll save time in the long run by not puzzling over what to eat every day, and you’ll save money too, because you’ll only buy what you use.

When planning dinner, a good rule of thumb is to fill half your plate with vegetables, one quarter with protein and one quarter with whole grains. But remember that being too strict makes it harder to succeed, and be realistic about your constraints and desires— food, after all, is a great source of pleasure. My own meal plan features beef on Sundays. I assign healthy proteins to the other days, and I make sure that I have vegetarian protein twice a week (tofu, eggs, legumes served with whole grains).

If, like me, you eat dinner with a partner who doesn’t share your dietary goals, make lunch a source of especially healthy foods. I now have a large salad that typically includes different greens, cooked legumes, a cut-up tomato or other veg, nuts and seeds, and maybe some grated cheese.

Get a good start at breakfast with whole fruit instead of jam and juice.

Cook ahead, prep, and mix things up

Cook foods like legumes and whole grains in large quantities, adding a bay leaf or two to beans and chickpeas. Then freeze them in portions as needed for one or more— they freeze very well. Freeze legumes with a bit of their cooking water to cover so they don’t dry out. Freeze grains well drained.

Winter squash, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers also freeze well. Roast a lot of them together and freeze in portions.

Keep a jar of chopped mixed raw nuts in the fridge to add to cereals or salads: equal parts of almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts work well!

Wash enough salad greens to last for 3-5 days and store them in air-right containers in the fridge.

Make a week’s worth of salad dressing and keep it in the fridge. Dressing also works well to animate steamed vegetables.

Cook vegetables together in one pot. Broccoli and carrots cooked together are great, so are celery and carrots, leek and carrots.

Plan ahead

Now that we are heading into summer, not having to cook a hot meal can be a godsend. Plan to have leftovers so you can make a cold chicken or potato salad (cold potatoes are actually quite healthy: as they cool, the starch they contain becomes resistant to digestion, meaning that a substantial portion of their calories are not absorbed). Don’t be afraid to experiment (and if you are, the net is a never-ending source of excellent recipes). Toss yesterday’s veggies with a vinaigrette or blend them with a bit of vegetable or chicken broth to make a cold soup; use rice or other leftover grains in a cold pilaf; purée pre-cooked legumes and make hummus and other spreads. Add colourful fruit and nuts for a crunchy accent and fresh herbs for bursts of flavour. From that abundance, choose what might work together, and the results will be a revelation!

Bon appétit!

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Which foods are anti-inflammatory?

Below is a broad, if not complete, list of foods that might be helpful (YES), foods you might want to stay away from (NO), and finally foods that are neutral when it comes to fighting inflammation (NEUTRAL). By no means should you consider this medical advice and consult a professional if you have questions.

YES

• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids:
• Salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, scallops
• Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts. Raw nuts have less fat than roasted, and if you do use roasted, get unsalted dry-roasted ones.
• Seeds, such as flax, chia, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• Olive, canola, and light sesame oil (dark sesame oil is roasted and that may destroy its benefits). Rather than using oil for frying or sautéing, try adding it “raw” to a finished dish. This preserves the flavour of the oil and it’s healthier, too.
• Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, Vitamins C and K — the more colourful and stronger hued  the better:
• Green leafy vegetable—kale, spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, anything in the cabbage family
• Tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots, winter squash
• Onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, scallions
• Colourful fruit: cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, oranges, kiwi, apricots (fresh or dried)
• Legumes, fresh or dried. If canned, look for low-salt
• Ginger and turmeric, as tea or spice
• Grains and starches:
• Whole grains like brown rice and spelt, quinoa and buckwheat
• Sweet and purple potatoes
• Whole grain pasta and bread

NO

• Fried foods
• Refined carbs— white flour, highly refined sugars and syrups, jams
• Red meat—meat, lamb
• All processed meats
• Highly saturated fats—lard, coconut and soybean oil, butter, any cream, margarine

NEUTRAL

• Chicken, pork
• Dairy (unless very fatty like heavy cream, rich cheeses)
• Eggs in moderation
• White or yellow potatoes