The goal of Vitality Consultants is, and always has been, to work with our clients to restore the body to a state of vibrant health. When something harmful or irritating affects a part of our body, there is a biological response to try to remove it. We suggest an anti-inflammatory diet plan.
The signs and symptoms of inflammation show that the body is trying to heal itself. Rapid aging, joint problems, arthritis, migraines, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity, cancer, and Alzheimer’s are all related to inflammation in the body. The Paleolithic diet, which is naturally an anti-inflammatory diet plan, is fairly easy to understand, eliminates most of the typical body ailments, and is commonly recommended as a good starting point for most Americans striving for enhanced nutrition.
An anti-inflammatory diet plan is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on scientific knowledge of how they can help your body maintain optimum health. Along with reducing inflammation, this diet will provide steady energy and ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, and protective phytonutrients. It is not uncommon to hear of people losing fifty or more pounds within a relatively short period of time, feeling years younger, and having more energy than they have felt in years.
“We believe that it is possible to eliminate almost every disease by the food choices we make.”
So what does the Anti-Inflammatory Diet plan look like?
- Emphasis on good quality protein
- Lots of vegetables (Especially of the dark leafy green variety) kale, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and spinach are all vegetables known to reduce inflammation.
- Nuts and seeds in moderation
- Fruit in moderation
- Healthy fats from coconut oil, avocados, olive oil
- Water
What does the Anti-Inflammatory Diet avoid?
- Processed or packaged food.
- Sugar
- Chemical additives and preservatives
- Grains such as corn, wheat, soy
- Dairy
- Soft Drinks, juices, alcohol
- Beans and legumes (including peanuts)
- Poor quality, processed meats like hot dogs and lunch meats
- Hydrogenated and poor quality oils and fats.
- White Potatoes
http://nutritiondata.self.com/ is a website that will give you the nutrition information and inflammatory rating on all food items packaged, cooked, and in the raw.
When I chat with people about what it is to live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle everyone seems to nod in approval. Eliminating sugar, chemical additives, and preservatives makes sense. People agree that a healthy meal cooked from scratch is going to be superior, but seem conflicted and confused that we turn down grains, legumes, certain nuts, dairy, and soy. I typically hear “everything in moderation.” The truth is that for the vast majority of human existence, we survived on meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and seasonal fruit. Our genetics have not changed dramatically since then. It was only with the invention of agriculture, in more recent times, that we have started eating grains, beans, legumes, as well as far too much fat, sugar, and salt. The majority of the items found inside a grocery store were never part of a human diet. We are frequently not able to consume these items without inflammation, insulin spikes, and possible organ damage. We have been fed a lot of false nutrition information over the last few decades, and I still hear from my mother’s generation that fat is bad and that whole grains are the answer. Current research is finally catching up and showing that a diet high in good fats and low in carbohydrates is preferable. We believe that it is possible to eliminate almost every disease by the food choices we make.
Still not convinced? Try it out for thirty days and see what happens. Take a picture of yourself before and after. I bet you’ll be surprised. I love researching nutrition and reading studies, but nothing seems to compare with self experimentation. You are the best judge of a diet’s effectiveness. It’s easy, delicious, convenient, and surprisingly less expensive than eating out.
Here are a few anti-inflammatory recipes for you to try to see how eating delicious can taste naughty!
Spicy Thai Zoodles
Ingredients
- 6 cups spiralized zucchini dried (see Pro Tip below)
- Salt
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz cabbage chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and shredded
- 2 eggs beaten
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
- ⅓ cup Bragg Liquid Aminos coconut aminos or tamari soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
- 1 -2 Tbsp sriracha sauce or to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ inch ginger peeled and minced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 4 green onions chopped
Instructions
- While zucchini is drying, spray a skillet with olive oil spray, add beaten eggs and red pepper flakes and stir to scramble over medium heat. Remove the eggs from the skillet and set aside.
- Add olive oil to the same skillet and return to stove. Add carrots, cabbage and garlic. Saute over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are still crunchy and a bit under-cooked.
- In a medium bowl combine sugar, Bragg Liquid Aminos, sriracha sauce and ginger. Whisk until well combined. Pour mixture over the vegetables in the skillet.
- Add the dried zoodles to the skillet and toss gently to coat. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add eggs, green onions and cilantro tothe skillet. Toss to combine all ingredients.
Notes
- To remove moisture from zucchini noodles, lay the zoodles on a couple of layers of paper towels, sprinkle with salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels. Let sit for 10 minutes to remove extra water from the zoodles. Before cooking press the paper towels against the zucchini to absorb any extra moisture. You can even roll the paper towels a bit to get the most water out as possible.
- Add any additional spiralized or shredded vegetables that you enjoy. Broccoli or cauliflower florets work well too.
- Want to make this into a complete meal? Add chicken, shrimp or steak.
25-Minute Pot Roast
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lb chuck roast
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 carrots peeled and cut into 3" pieces
- 1 stalk celery diced small
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ⅓ cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ cup red wine
Instructions
- Season the roast well with salt and pepper.
- Place the inner pot into the pressure cooker. Pour the oil in the inner pot. Turn the dial to 30 minutes. Place the beef in the oil and cook until it is lightly browned on all sides. Remove the beef and reserve.
- Place the vegetables in the inner pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add bay leaf, rosemary, wine and broth.
- Place the beef back in the pot. Place the lid on the pressure cooker, lock lid and switch the pressure release valve to closed.
- Once the timer reaches 0, the pressure cooker will automatically switch to warm. Switch the pressure release valve to open. When the steam is completely released, remove the lid.
- Serve with the pressure cooker Steamed Broccoli recipe below or any other favorite side dish.
2-Minute Steamed Broccoli
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli cut into florets
- ½ cup water
- Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Instructions
- Place the inner pot into the pressure cooker.
- Pour the water into the pot. Place the broccoli in the pot and season to taste. Turn the dial to 2 minutes.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker, lock lid and switch the pressure release valve to closed.
- Once the timer reaches 0, the pressure cooker will automatically switch to warm. Switch the pressure release valve to open. When the steam is completely released, remove the lid and serve.
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If you’re interested in an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and more information and recipes like these, check out The Official Anti-Inflammatory Diet Masterclass. Or email us at info@vitalityconsultantsllc.com for more details.