5 Tips to Get More Anti-Inflammatory Foods into Your Diet

Inflammation can be tricky to manage. In short, controlled amounts, it helps your body recover from injury and illness by supplying necessary blood and heat to affected areas. However, ongoing or chronic inflammation increases your risk for heart and kidney disease and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

The good news is that the meals you choose can increase or help to decrease overall inflammation. Many people with chronic conditions follow eating guidelines to keep their levels in check.

I'd love to share with you five tips to get more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet.

1. Choose Cooking Oils Wisely

When the news about saturated fats and heart disease risk broke, manufacturers raced to create healthier cooking oils. However, they may have done more harm than good in some cases.

While plant-based oils are generally higher in the unsaturated fats once considered beneficial, some researchers have begun to cast aspersions on the high omega-6 levels in the typical western diet. While omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids benefit human health, the wrong balance can increase inflammation.

What should you eat? Opt for cooking oils that have a better omega-3 to omega-6 balance — like olive and avocado oil — and aim to get more fatty fish in your diet. Seafood such as salmon, sardines and mackerel contain high levels of omega-3s to help balance the omega-6 in many popular cooking oils like safflower and sunflower.

What about canola oil? This cooking oil is known by many as a cheaper, healthier alternative. Some people tolerate it without problems — however, others develop violent allergies. Humans shouldn’t eat the raw plant since it’s genetically modified to eliminate toxic erucic acid and glucosinolates. However, high-heat cooking methods and hydrogenation alter the chemical structure, making it problematic for some people. Use with caution and mindfully examine any inflammatory effects.

2. Visit Your Farmer’s Market

Farmer’s markets are absolute bonanzas for getting more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet. Why is that? You’ll find the freshest, organically-grown produce brimming with antioxidants and phytonutrients to support vibrant health.

Part of that dynamic involves calming widespread systemic inflammation. Fresh food works by providing your body with the nutrition it needs to overcome daily stressors and toxins like micromanaging supervisors and environmental pollutants.

For example, summer stone fruits are a spectacular antioxidant source. Pick up a basket of fresh nectarines, peaches, apricots, plums or cherries — or their exciting hybrid cousins.

Do you want a healthy and anti-inflammatory summer spritzer, unlike the alcohol-based numbers that can spur swelling and anxiety? Mix a can of Zevia zero-calorie ginger ale with a dash of peach puree and top with fresh apricot and plum slices. Divine! For gut health, which is connected to inflammation try my Love Your Gut Synbiotic.

Vegetable Marrakesh Casserole

3. Go International

What’s on your dinner menu tonight? The typical American diet has become overly laden with problematic foods. However, you can improve your diet by taking tips from friends around the globe.

Many clinical nutritionists like myself uphold the Mediterranean diet as a model of healthy eating. Why? It’s high in plant-based foods, healthy oils and lean proteins, reserving fattier, denser meals like red meats as accompaniments, not the meal's centerpiece.

Plus, many people have little trouble getting on board with this meal plan. Who wouldn’t love a healthy plate of whole-grain spaghetti with zucchini, paired with a light caesar salad?

Do you have more exotic tastes? If so, go gaga for Asian cuisine. Popular spices like turmeric and ginger are anti-inflammatory powerhouses. Your best bet is pairing these herbs with black pepper to enhance the calming effect — try an exotic curried chicken with a side of carrot ginger soup with roasted vegetables.

4. Pick a Better Flour

If you’re like many, you have the trusty bag of bleached, all-purpose flour on your pantry shelf or tucked into a storage container. However, you could be serving up an inflammatory nightmare for your pancreas.

The manufacturing process can sometimes create a chemical byproduct called alloxan, which scientists use to induce diabetes in laboratory animals. When you combine alloxan with the rapidly absorbing, blood-sugar-spiking nature of white flour, you have a recipe for the Type 2 form of the disease in humans.

Fortunately, you have a world of other choices. You might have to experiment a bit to get the taste and texture to your liking, but you can play with quinoa and amaranth if you like ancient grains.

Are you craving more protein in your diet? Try lentil or garbanzo bean flour. You can even find insect flour in select specialty stores if you aren’t squeamish. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with opting for whole-grain flour or a gluten-free substitute like oat.

Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato with Basil Pesto and Chopped Salad

5. Think Plant-Based

Strive to make your diet as plant-based as possible. Such foods contain natural nutrients your body absorbs better than supplements. They provide the building blocks for all the processes your body needs to perform to function at its best and help promote homeostasis — your ability to maintain internal stability as conditions change. Drastic fluctuations can spur inflammation.

The easiest way to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet is to look at your plate as a clock at each meal. Fill half of it with the deep, leafy green and colorful stuff, leaving 15 minutes for lean protein and 15 for starch.

You can also identify painless ways to incorporate more vegetables into typical meals. For example, do you take a sandwich or wrap most days for lunch? Top it with red pepper, red onion, lettuce and tomato.

Do you have a handful of vegetables left over from various meals that you don’t want to get limp and soggy? Mix up some broth-based vegetable soup and indulge in a bowl before your main course.

Eat More Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Feel Better

Chronic, widespread inflammation increases your risk of nearly every disease. It can also make you feel downright yucky and unenergetic most days.

However, you can tame the flame by getting more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet. Follow the five tips above to improve your meal planning and boost your overall health.

Winter according to Ayurveda and Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

I want you to close your eyes and take a big inhale.

And then, take a long exhale out of your mouth.

Winter is here in Australia (cue the Game of Thrones music). It’s time to pause, take a deep breath, and slow down.

According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical philosophy, winter helps balance the fast-paced nature of summer and autumn, giving you the opportunity to redirect your energy inwards, rest, reflect and practice stillness. It’s crucial to embrace winter’s change rather than fight it.

If you crave warming soups or stews but choose to drink smoothies by the fire to stay warm because they’re ‘healthy’, it’s time to change. The worst thing you can do for your body is ignore what the season tells you. According to Ayurveda, winter is the season where the Agni – digestive fire – is strongest. The body needs more fuel to stay warm and healthy in the cooler months, and the cold weather forces the fire principle deep into the core of the body – igniting our digestive capacity. Routines that follow the change of season will help you keep your health on track.

Winter food should be warm and comforting, and no, before you close this tab and call the hot chips place down the road, that’s not the kind of comforting food I’m talking about! Focus on eating warm, cooked, slightly oily, well-spiced foods with tons of flavour, and avoid frozen or cold food, excessively sweet, heavy or oily foods.

When it comes to the eating principles of Ayurveda, it’s best to drink room temperature, warm or hot beverages, and avoid iced or chilled drinks. If you tend to feel sluggish during winter, give some warming, soothing drinks a try.

If your gut needs reinforcements (hint: it most definitely does!), include a tablespoon of my love your gut synbiotic powder daily in room temperature water. It supports the digestive system with dietary fibre, digestive enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics to help get things working well internally. You’re guaranteed to feel clearer, more energetic and brighter after just a short period of time.

I recommend consuming loads of root veggies, such as sweet potato and carrots, with hot spices, like garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper and chilli. If you love to root for root vegetables, this sweet potato, broccoli and ham soup is soup-erb!

Winter is also a great time to increase your protein intake with plant based sources or other foods such as eggs, chicken, and lamb, which brings me to what you’ve all been waiting for: my delicious winter lamb shanks recipe.

Now, I know I could tempt you by telling you that these shanks will help warm up your insides, or I could say that lamb is rich in protein, which is excellent for maintaining a healthy weight, building muscles and protecting your bones, but really, these slow-cooked, hearty lamb shanks sell themselves.

They are nothing short of glorious, and I cannot wait for you to try them.

Slow cooked lamb shanks

Serves 4

A beautiful mixture of aromatic spices infuses the most delicious flavour into every mouthful of these succulent lamb shanks. Just brown the shanks and place all the ingredients in the slow cooker mid-morning, and by evening, you’ll have an intensely flavoursome and fulfilling meal, the slow-cooked meat just falling off the bone. Instead of dried blueberries and cranberries, you could use dates or raw honey for a touch of sweetness.

Cauliflower or celeriac mash partner these shanks perfectly.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 lamb shanks
100 g (3 ½ oz) mushrooms, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons mixed ground spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin and ginger
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
3 tablespoons dried cranberries or blueberries
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) good-quality beef or chicken stock, such as the Gut-Healing Turmeric Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Method:

Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, cook the shanks, turning occasionally, for 3–5 minutes, or until browned all over.
Transfer to a slow cooker.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and sauté the mushrooms, carrot, celery and onion for 3 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the garlic, ground spices and salt, cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the mixture to the slow cooker.
Add the dried berries, pour lemon juice and vinegar, pour in the stock, and add a few good grinds of black pepper.
Put the lid on, set the cooker to low and leave to simmer for 8 hours.
Transfer the shanks to a warmed wide serving bowl and spoon the sauce over the top.
If using, garnish with parsley, and serve with your choice of accompaniments.

Note: If you don’t have dried berries, you can add fresh berries near the end of the cooking time. The shanks can also be cooked in a 100°C (200°F) oven in an ovenproof dish with a tight-fitting lid for 6 hours.

Is Hummus keto?

Hummus is a beloved staple snack for most health-conscious people all over the world. Because it is versatile, savory, and can taste fantastic with just about anything, it makes a strong case as a substitute for pretzel bites or queso for that matter.

You may wonder, what happens if you are on a ketogenic diet, but just can’t keep your hands off hummus?

Let's find out in this article whether you can snack on hummus while on keto.

Exploring the origins of Hummus

Hummus has origins in Western Asia and Egypt, where it has been traditionally prepared from cooked and battered chickpeas; however, other legumes are also used.

Back in the thirteenth century, it was prepared and served as a room-temperature dish, primarily containing chickpeas, herbs, spices, vinegar, and oil. The first hummus recipe was published in an Arabic cookbook from the 13th-century.

Today, hummus is an incredibly popular food that has captured the hearts of most people. Today, the ever-flavourful hummus is flaunted as a superfood, especially in the health-conscious communities, where it is used as a staple dip.

Most of the hummus you’ll find in the markets uses the traditional Middle Eastern recipes; that said, you can try mixing it with different foods and flavors such as:

Tahini (mashed sesame seeds)
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Sea salt
Garlic
Tomatoes
Spinach
Basil
Rosemary herb
Chillies and peppers

Is hummus keto-friendly?

The key ingredient of hummus is chickpeas, coming under the umbrella of the legume family.

Legumes, which also include other beans, are not advised for the ketogenic diet. Despite being excellent sources of plant-based protein, they are abundant in carbs (making it a less desirable option for keto-dieters) and low in fat.

The keto diet applies restrictions on the number of carbs consumed. Depending on your weight, your carb consumption may be restricted from 20g to 50g of carbs per day.

Carb-amount in hummus

A 2-tablespoon, which is approximately a 30-grams serving of plain hummus has the following nutritional constituents.

Calories: 78
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: 5 grams
Total carbs: 6 grams
Fibre: 2 grams
Net carbs: 4 grams

The serving size of the hummus is approximately the size of a golf ball, smaller than your typical serving. Despite these small amounts, it contains a solid 4 grams of total carbohydrates. Most flavours, such as herbs, species, peppers, and garlic do not alter the carb amount or the number of other nutrients.

What do food experts suggest about hummus?

Let’s ascertain whether hummus, the beloved snack amongst dieters is keto-friendly or not?

As we clarified earlier, chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are the major ingredient of hummus. According to the US Department of Agriculture, a cup of garbanzo beans comprises 45 grams of carbohydrates. When chickpeas or other beans are transformed into hummus, the total carb content is about 49 grams.

A spokesperson for the Chicago-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Robert Foroutan, suggests that a meager amount of hummus can potentially fit into your diet.

However, the downside is that it will not make it gratifying. Foroutan further suggests that the recommended source of carbs can be instead obtained from dark-leafy vegetables such as spinach and other veg like broccoli and asparagus.

Lower carb alternatives to hummus

While a small serving or two of traditional hummus should be fine on a keto diet, you’d still want a low-carb alternative to your regimen, especially if you are longing for a dip. Here are a few options to consider as low-carb alternatives to hummus:

Black soybean hummus. Hummus made from black soybeans is very high in fibre, which helps keep the net carb amount in check. Black soybean hummus contains about 2 grams of net carbs per 3-tablespoon or a 30-gram serving.
Baba ganoush. Baba Ganoush is a Mediterranean dip and spread, but instead of chickpeas or legumes, it is made from eggplants, and the other ingredients are very much similar. In a 3-tablespoon serving of the baba ganoush recipe, we have approximately 3 grams of net carbohydrates.
No Bean Hummus. This is where my no bean hummus comes into play. Hand on heart…it tastes identical to the real thing…. I’ve just snuck in a raw zucchini and almonds for creaminess. Find the recipe here.

The bottom line

While the high number of carbs found in most commercial versions of hummus may not fit the bill for the most ketogenic dieters, it's still conceivable to enjoy your favorite dips without breaking away from the ketosis process.

Choosing to prepare your own hummus with low-carb, legume-free ingredients - the DIY cauliflower and avocado hummus with olive oil, for example - is perfect for keto-dieters.

As for traditional hummus, you can still enjoy the delicious, savoury hummus if you're following the keto diet consistently. You can relish your hummus on your carb backloading days, or if consume it either before or after a workout.