We are hearing more and more about the benefits of a low-inflammation diet -- one that helps reduce inflammation, which can lead to other problems. Low-grade inflammation can operate for years in our bodies until stress or some other event, causes it to turn into cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or heart disease.
The right foods can make a difference. Environmental Nutrition newsletter offers nine foods that may help fight inflammation. Don't limit your diet to just these nine; however, you may want to include them as part of a healthy plan.
1. Broccoli. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts, are linked with lower inflammation, according to a study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Researchers think antioxidants may be the reason.
2. Wheat berries. A 2015 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that eating whole wheat and the polyphenol antioxidants it contains can lower inflammation.
3. Extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil contains oleocanthal, a naturally occurring compound with anti-inflammatory powers similar to ibuprofen.
4. Lentils. Eating four servings of legumes, such as lentils, weekly can reduce inflammation, according to Spanish scientists.
5. Salmon. The high amounts of healthy omega-3 fats also lower inflammation.
6. Grapefruit. A Harvard study showed that women with higher intakes of flavonoid antioxidants from grapefruit had significantly lower inflammation markers compared to those with the lowest intakes.
7. Brazil nuts. These nuts contain a bundle of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals that not only lower inflammation but also improve blood lipids.
8. Turmeric. Indians who follow a traditional diet tend to have low rates of heart ailments. Curcumin, the antioxidant that gives turmeric its yellow color, fights inflammation.
9. Yogurt. Preliminary research suggest that the beneficial bacteria found in fermented dairy, like yogurt, may play a role in inhibiting inflammation.
Research Minute
In a study published online in May in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, healthy adults 60 to 85 were randomly assigned to receive a fish oil supplement or a placebo. After six months, the group taking the fish oil supplement had increased hand-grip strength, thigh muscle volume and enhanced upper-and lower-body strength. Researchers suggested that these improvements could be comparable to preventing two to three years of muscle mass loss that normally occurs due to aging. Information courtesy of Food and Nutrition magazine, July/August 2015.
Q and A
Q: Is lemonade a healthy fruit juice?
A: Consider lemonade more like a sugar-sweetened drink. Commercial "real old-fashioned" lemonade is typically only about 15 percent lemon juice, similar to fruit drinks that contain a little juice and a lot of sugar water. Most recipes for homemade lemonade call for three to four tablespoons of sugar (picture nine to twelve restaurant sugar packets!) in each 12-ounce serving of lemonade -- as many calories as an equal amount of sugar-sweetened soda. Whether homemade the old-fashioned way from lemon juice and sugar, mixed from frozen concentrate or a powdered mix, or a bottled organic drink, regular lemonade usually contains about 150 to 200 calories in each 12-ounce portion.
For lower calories, one option is to dilute frozen concentrate or mix with more water than listed on package instructions. Most powdered mixes are lemonade flavor, without any lemon juice at all, though some do reduce added sugar, cutting calories by about a third. Mixes and "light" ready-to-drink lemonade sweetened with zero-calorie sweeteners contain ten or fewer calories, comparable to diet soft drinks. Unlike soda, some lemonades contain from 10 to 100 percent of Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C. Sometimes this vitamin C is from lemon juice; in other cases, especially when high amounts of vitamin C are present, it's because of added vitamin C and is not a sign of actual fruit juice content. If you're looking for a naturally low-calorie alternative to regular soda, consider iced tea (unsweetened or very lightly sweetened, regular or decaf) or ice water with a dash of added juice. Or try making fruit-infused water! Although lemonade may have a "health halo" and seem like a more nutritious choice than soda or fruit juice drinks, big bottles or glass-after-glass of any of these sugar-loaded drinks on a hot day can make calorie and sugar consumption quickly soar.
Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Recipe
Even in the summer, your slow cooker can be your best help in getting dinner on the table after a day at work. This recipe for pulled-chicken sandwiches, from Cooking Light magazine, offers a quick, easy, healthy dinner.
Pulled-Chicken Sandwiches
3 cups thinly sliced onion
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
8 (1.2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
Place onion in a 4-quart oval slow cooker. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of chicken, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place chicken in a single layer on top of onion. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Combine ketchup and next 7 ingredients (through hot sauce); pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours until chicken is tender and sauce is thick. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Shred chicken with 2 forks, and stir into sauce. Spoon 3/4 cup chicken mixture onto bottom of each bun; cover with bun tops. Yield: 8 servings, serving size 1 sandwich.
Per serving: 271 calories, 27 g protein, 33.6 g carbohydrate, 3.6 g fat, 58 mg cholesterol, 3.6 g fiber, 613 mg sodium.
Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Illinois, and the media rep for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @Nutrition Rd. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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