Dark leafy greens deliver concentrated doses of nutrients known by studies to dial down inflammation. These dark leafy greens can help with inflammation because they contain good doses of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. You can enhance the absorption of these vitamins by cooking with a little healthy fat like olive oil. We are talking about kale, collard greens, and spinach as the top green leafy veggies.
When eating to dial down inflammation, be sure to include lots of plant-based foods like beans, nuts, and other whole foods. Whole foods help prevent inflammation due to their high fiber and antioxidants. Nuts also have healthy fats. Research shows nuts and beans are the top sources of anti-inflammatory nutrients. Dr. Rakel uses the following phrase to remember the order of protein sources from best to worse, "Roots, Fins, Two Legs, Four Legs:" Roots (beans, nuts), fins (fish), two legs (poultry), four legs (beef and processed meats).
What type of oil do you use in your kitchen and/or how many different types do you have in your pantry right now? That should be very limited and if you are fighting inflammation in your body, and who isn't, your choice of oil should be olive. And let this sink in, the reason is the fat in olive oil! I often hear people say, "Olive oil? That has too much fat in it." It cannot be said often enough that there are good fats and bad fats. Your body must have fats to operate properly. Olive oil is one of the very best fats. It is rich in oleic acid which is a healthy fat that calms inflammation. In fact, some studies have shown its compound oleocanthal compares to ibuprofen. If you are relying on ibuprofen to help you get through the day, try using more olive oil in your daily diet. It is better for you than all that ibuprofen. It doesn't take a lot and you can find many ways to add more olive oil to your diet daily. Last night I had drops of two flavored olive oils, lime and pear, on my salad and it was delicious.
If you are one of the many chocoholics out there, I have good news for you. If you are always looking for any excuse to eat chocolate here is a good one for you. Dark chocolate (always eat dark chocolate) assists in the production of serotonin and can help ease you into sleep. But only a bite of dark chocolate, not a bag or bar! This is not an excuse to gorge on chocolate.
I was surprised when I ran across this information about pepper. I like pepper and have always used it liberally and I guess that is a good thing. Perhaps it is why I am a 35+-year breast cancer survivor and have also survived colon cancer, who knows? Here are a couple of the surprising things I discovered about black pepper:
