Three Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Superfoods

Want to eat an anti-inflammatory diet, but don’t know where to begin?

If you read my last post, you know that we can use certain foods to powerfully reduce inflammation in the body. But let’s keep it simple and start with a few you can easily add to your routine today!

Walnuts- with healthy omega 3 fats, in particular a fatty acid known as ALA, walnuts have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body. They are also a “low-glycemic” food which prevent blood sugar spikes and, therefore, help prevent inflammation.

Delicious ways to include walnuts:

a handful in your oatmeal, in a yogurt parfait with dark chocolate chips and berries, or tossed into a salad.

Acai-these Amazonian berries contain flavonoids prevent the formation of inflammatory compounds and boost immunity,

Delicious ways to include acai:

Buy frozen smoothie packs at your natural market (Trader Joe’s has them) and add to a smoothie as a change from the usual banana or strawberries.

Use the smoothie pack to make an acai bowl for breakfast or snack. Just blend one packet with about half a cup of coconut milk and nut butter if you like, and top with low-sugar granola, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs and shredded coconut.

Ginger- the active compound in ginger, called gingerol, can help to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory proteins that typically cause more frequent inflammation in the body.

Delicious ways to include ginger:

Ginger tea is delicious and helps reduce nausea too. Buy ginger tea bags or make your own with a chunk of fresh ginger or ground ginger. I like to use a drop of food-grade ginger essential oil in hot water

Grated ginger is great in soups, stews and stir-fries

Ginger chews are great for a little spicy treat

Ginger smoothie- blend a cup of water or unsweetened almond milk with 1 cup of pineapple, half a banana, 1 cup organic spinach, 2 teaspoons of grated ginger and a scoop of vanilla protein powder for a yummy snack or breakfast. Use a mix of full-fat canned coconut milk and water if you want to add some calories. This is a great option if you’re having digestive discomfort.

Try to include these foods in your routine this week and let me know how it goes!