Anti-inflammatory & more.

goodmorning you lovely reader, i hope your day has been wonderful so far & that you had a delicious breakfast. it is freeeeezing here in washington but that didn't stop me from drinking a green juice & having apple nachos.. oh & 2 roasted carrots i just prepared this morning (so dang good)! never let the weather be a reason to keep your body from the nutrients it deserves & remember to listen to your bodies cues. if it's cold you will want soups, broths, warm meals & if it's hot you will want smoothies, fruit & lighter meals.

listening to the body and being tuned into what our body needs is super, super, super crazy important. seriously guys, God is so cool, he made our bodies perfect and each different part needs a different vitamin, mineral or nutrient. when we are stressed, we will need different foods than when we are about to go to sleep. when we are running a marathon, we will need different foods than when we are recovering from an illness. you get the point: we need different foods at different times of our lives for different reasons.

lots of different!

recently i posted on my Facebook page & was looking for feedback from my readers, from you guys! i wanted to know what you would like to read about, what you want to know & concerns/struggles you want me to address. one of my followers commented and said:

"I'd like to hear your thoughts on an anti-inflammatory diet and/or the best diets for those dealing with depression or anxiety." so today i will go into more detail about an anti-inflammatory diet. we will cover 1) what this diet looks like, 2) the benefits of this diet, 3) a variety of anti-inflammatory foods & 4) a fun recipe. okay, let's learn!

first off, let's take a look at what inflammation is. it is word that is tossed around quite a bit. people talk about their bodies being inflamed or eating foods that are anti-inflammatory but what does this even mean? inflammation is a state of stress within the body. the stress is caused by allergens, xenobiotics, endotoxins or inadequate blood supply (ischemia). these factors cause the body to begin the first phase of detox. if the body isn't supported enough this detox leads to oxidation which in turn leads to inflammation.

exposure to chemicals/allergens ---> process of detox ----> oxidation ---> inflammation

1) what an anti-inflammatory diet looks like:

an anti-inflammatory diet is a diet that high in real living food. fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts & booster foods. for your time on the diet, you should watch your intake of animal fats/foods since they are high in arachidonic acid. arachidonic acid leads to inflammation in the body. you will want to have a good healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. that means not too many omega-3s & not too many omega-6s. since inflammation is caused by foreign substances, allergens & other xenobiotics, it is crucial to avoid these at all costs. that means buying organic, non-GMO and clean food items since these foods will have lower (or none) amount of pesticides, chemicals & other junky additives that will cause inflammation.

avoid the following: NSAIDS (motrin, aspirin, advil, aleve), corticosteroids (prednisone & hydrocortisone) , sulfasalazine (anti-inflammatory drug)

2) the benefits of this diet:

by following the protocols above you will notice changes in your mood, energy & overall well-being. you will recognize the absence of inflammation in your body. you will gain back your motivation, smiling face & sense of purpose. you will rid yourself of uncontrollable cravings, sleepless nights & unnecessary pain. most of all, you will treat your body with the respect that is so deserves. i cannot fathom enough the importance of treating our bodies as the temples they are. God never intended for us to destroy our bodies.

3) a variety of anti-inflammatory foods:

foods that are high in thiamin (b1) will combat depressions. some of these foods are: brewers yeast, wheat germ, peanut, sunflower seeds, pork and pine nuts. thiamin is destroyed by sulfites (food additive) & baking soda. you should obtain the majority from food sources & then supplement with 50-200 mg / day.

magnesium is an excellent mineral to consume at all times of life. it is needed for over 300 enzymatic functions in the body & it is the bae mineral that helps us to relax our muscles. some food sources: whole grains, nuts, legumes, seafood & greens. citrate or glycerinate are the most bioavailable sources for supplementation.

miscellaneous foods/nutrients: vitamin e, licorice root, quercetin, onion, garlic, turmeric, ginger, EPA, DHA, black willow, boswellia, wintergreen, glutamine

4) recipe:

this anti-inflammatory smoothie is delicious, nutrition and full of anti-inflammatory goodies. you will need a high speed blender, mason jar and an empty belly.

elizabeth smoothie sandwich (?)

1/2 frozen banana (organic)

3/4 cup califia toasted coconut mylk

6 frozen strawberries (organic)

1 tsp. spirulina

3 cups baby spinach (organic)

1 t. essential living foods cacao superfood mix

purely elizabeth granola (optional but not really)

mix all of these goodies in you blender until smooth

pour granola into the bottom of your cup

pour the smoothie over top

pour some more granola over top

most of the scientific data is from the book: Clinical Nutrition: A Functional Approach, 2nd edition, Jeffrey S. Bland, PhD.

this post is not intended to treat or diagnose any disease or disorder. it is simply me sharing my passion & findings based off research and self-tests. comment below with any questions, comments or tips!