by NancyRD | Apr 9, 2019 | Uncategorized
Anti-Inflammatory Food and Colors
The foods that help fight inflammation come in all different colors. Each color has special properties that help fight inflammation and provide a myriad of other benefits to our body. These special properties are often referred to as the large category of “phytonutrients” which is basically a fancy word for plant nutrients. There are over 100,000 phytonutrients in the plants we eat! You can learn more about phytonutrients here. The anti-inflammatory nutrients make up hundreds of those phytonutrients. The color of a plant tells us some things about which phytonurients and which anti-inflammatory nutrients that plant contains. It’s vitally important that we get a variety of colors in our diet to make sure we are getting in the wide variety of phytonutrients and anti-inflammatory compounds that we need for optimal health. This post is all about the blue and purple foods and how they benefit our health.
Anti-Inflammatory Blue and Purple Foods
Blue and Purple foods are notorious for protecting our brain cognition and memory. Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer compounds are also prevalent in blue and purple foods. Blue and purple colored foods are helpful for reducing the negative effects of chronic stress. Purple is a fun anti-inflammatory phytonutrient food group because lots of traditional items like carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes purple varieties as well! These purple varieties tend to be higher in disease fighting compounds due to their hue. Blue and purple foods help improve the aesthetics of our meals by providing bright pops of colors on our plates. These foods are often have “black” in their name but they aren’t actually black! Think blackberries for example, they are really just a very deep shade of blue.
Blue and Purple Foods List:
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BLUE AND PURPLE FOODS COMPOUNDS
Blue and purple foods provide us an array of hard to pronounce, but no less beneficial, phytonutrient compounds. Anthocyanidins,
hydroxystilbenes, procyanidins, pterostilbene, and the familiar resveratrol are all anti-inflammatory compounds found in blue and purple foods. Let’s review some of the specific benefits of these phytonutrients!
Pteorstilbene:
Found in blueberries and black grapes, this phytonutrient may help ward off cancer, keep cholesterol under control, and preserve brain function. Pteorstilbene found in blue and purple foods has been shown to have an anti-cancer effect by reducing the cell proliferation in breast cancer. The anti-oxidant activity in blueberries has been shown to be protective against atherosclerosis (plaque build up in arteries). Gastrointestinal cancers in the stomach, colon, and esophagus have been shown to have positive change related to high intakes of this phytonutrient as well. There are studies to support blue and purple foods for type 2 diabetes management as well due to pteorstilbene. This anti-oxidant may also slow down neurodegeneration. You can read this wonderful review to learn more about the research discussed above. Don’t forget to add blueberries and black grapes to your grocery list this week!
Procyanidins:
Part of the flavanoid antioxidant family, these phytonutrients help strengthen capillaries and reduce blood pressure. They play a helpful role in maintaining healthy vascular function. This anti-inflammatory compound can be found in red foods as well as the blue and purple foods listed above. The University of Michigan has some information here about procyanidins.
Resveratrol:
Red wine is the most familiar resveratrol containing food item. However, its also high in black grapes and blueberries. This phytonutrient has high anti-inflammatory properties and slows down the aging process. Resveratrol promotes a healthy heart and lungs and also helps manage types 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity. There has been numerous studies on resveratrol and its health benefits. Additional benefits include reducing the risk of neuro-degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and potentionally extending lifespan. Check out Oregon State University’s information on resveratrol here which contains links to over 100 research articles.
Tips for Increasing Blue and Purple Foods in Your Diet:
- Add berries to… everything! Smoothies, cereals, yogurt, salads, desserts, etc.
- Swap regular kale for purple kale
- Use black rice, also known as forbidden rice, in stir-fry or casseroles
- Shred purple cabbage and mix with leafy greens for salads
- Try eggplant Parmesan for a healthy Italian meal
- Replace regular potatoes with purple potatoes for a fun new hue
Recipes to Boost Blue and Purple Food consumption:
Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan from The Two Bite Club
Black Rice, Vegetable, and Egg Bowls from Nutrition Meets Chef
Triple Berry Kale Salad from The Recipe Critic (swap purple kale)
Roasted Purple Potatoes with lemon dijon thyme dressing from She Likes Food
How to Eat to Fight Inflammation
Just eating a few blue and purple foods each week mixed in to your normal intake of cheeseburgers and donuts isn’t going to get you the benefits you are after. Check out my Ultimate Guide to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet to make sure your following the full plan for optimal results. Eating a healthy meal of stir-fried edamame with purple cabbage and blackberries for dessert isn’t going to counter the effects of the meat lovers pizza you had the night before! If you’d like to not only fight inflammation and gain health; but lose weight as well, check out How to Go Low Carb the Healthy Way. You can combine the anti-inflammatory diet and low-carb meal plans together for optimal health and weight management results. Sign-up for my newsletter below to get even more tips on following the Anti-inflammatory meal plan.
Anti-inflammatory Rainbow
I’ll be sharing information on red foods, orange foods, green foods, white and brown foods, and yellow foods over the next few months. Definitely check out the other wonderful colors of the anti-inflammatory rainbow and incorporate them into your nutrition plan as well. Your meals will not only be healthy and tasty, but beautiful as well! Check back often or sign-up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a thing! Eating a rainbow of colors is the best way to ensure a highly anti-inflammatory diet that includes the broad spectrum of phytonutrients we need for optimal health.
What’s your favorite blue or purple food and/or recipe? Post in the comments below!
by NancyRD | Jan 6, 2018 | Uncategorized
Anti-Inflammatory Food and Colors
The foods that help fight inflammation come in all different colors. Each color has special properties that help fight inflammation and provide a myriad of other benefits to our body. These special properties are often referred to as the large category of “phytonutrients” which is basically a fancy word for plant nutrients. There are over 100,000 phytonutrients in the plants we eat! You can learn more about phytonutrients here. The anti-inflammatory nutrients make up hundreds of those phytonutrients. The color of a plant tells us some things about which phytonurients and which anti-inflammatory nutrients that plant contains. It’s vitally important that we get a variety of colors in our diet to make sure we are getting in the wide variety of phytonutrients and anti-inflammatory compounds that we need for optimal health. This post is all about the green foods and how they benefit our health.
Anti-Inflammatory Green Foods
Green foods provide anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits in addition to supporting brain health, hormone balance, heart health, and liver health. A couple of the green foods are unique in that they also contain some healthy fats in addition to the phytonutrients; these include olives and avocados. Due to the wide variety of phytonutrients in green foods and the multitude of health benefits they provide its essential to consume them regularly and to obtain a variety of green foods in your diet. Many of these green foods also contain high amounts of fiber which improves digestion, keeps blood glucose under control, and lowers blood cholesterol. In addition to the fabulous anti-inflammatory phytonutrients they contain, green foods are also high in folate and Vitamin K. You will definitely get a powerful supply of vitamins and minerals from the green foods.
Green Foods List:
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY GREEN FOODS COMPOUNDS
Green Foods have numerous compounds that provide us health benefit. These green food compounds include: Catechins, Chlorophyll, Flavolignans, Folates, Glucosinolates, Isoflavones, Phytosterols, Phenols, Suforaphane, Tannins, Theaflavins. Let’s dive a little deeper into what these green phytonutrients can do for you!
Glucosinolates:
These cancer fighting phytonutrients are high in the cruciferous vegetable family which includes broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy. This green food compound helps the liver get rid of toxins as well. There is no need to do a “detox diet” when you can just up your intake of natural detoxifiers like these amazing green foods! Glucosinolates are especially helpful for reducing the risk of breast and uterine cancers as well as cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Chopping and cooking these vegetables helps release glucosinolates and increases their bio-availability (ability to be utilized by the body). Check out this research paper on glucosinolates. Oregon State has a great informational page on glucosinolates and cruciferous vegetables here.
Phytosterols:
Phytosterols pack some health boosting punch. They can help keep cholesterol levels in check, for one. Many people don’t get enough plant sterols in their diets. Make sure to eat lettuces and leafy greens on a regular basis and consume the fatty green foods (olives and avocados) to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. If you would like to read more about phytosterols click here. These green compounds have also been implicated in cancer prevention.
Catechins:
Highest in green tea, this green foods compound has been shown to reduce cancer risks dramatically. Catechins also may pay a role in weight management and appear reduce body fat. You can read more about that here. But there is NO replacement for eating healthy and being active when it comes to significant and lasting weight management. If you would like more information on losing weight check out my 12 week online weight management program here.
Chlorophyll:
Another amazing green food compound. Chlorophyll is a powerful cancer fighting phytonutrient. It is also useful in wound healing! You can read a lot more about chlorophyll from the Linus Pauling Institute. Take note that spinach and parsley are two of the highest cholorophyll containing green foods. Because chlorophyll is what gives green foods their color, there is very little in other anti-inflammatory rainbow food colors, so you’ll want to get in green foods weekly to make sure you are not missing out on this special nutrient.
Tips for Increasing Green Foods in Your Diet:
- Avocados can be added to salads, sandwiches, eggs, and any Mexican dish
- Include bok choy, edamame, and broccoli in stir-fry
- Choose green tea instead of coffee for a nice pick-me-up and warm morning drink
- Add leafy greens to smoothies
- Include several green food in salads such as cucumber, spinach, celery, and cabbages
- Scramble eggs or create omelets that include spinach and green peppers
- Include celery, okra, and green beans in soups or stews
- Flavor foods with a variety of fresh or dried herbs
Recipes to Boost Green Foods Consumption:
Vanilla Mint Green Smoothie From 3 Boys Unprocessed
Green Grape Avocado Quinoa Salad from the Food Network
Beef and Cabbage Stir-fry from Budget Bytes
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts from Eat Yourself Skinny
How to Eat to Fight Inflammation
Just eating a few green foods each week mixed in to your normal intake of pizza and ice cream isn’t going to get you the benefits you are after. Check out my Ultimate Guide to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet to make sure your following the full plan for optimal results. Eating a healthy meal of salmon with a spinach salad isn’t going to counter the effects of the bacon cheese burger and fries you had the night before! If you’d like to not only fight inflammation and gain health; but lose weight as well, check out How to Go Low Carb the Healthy Way. You can combine the anti-inflammatory diet and low-carb meal plans together for optimal health and weight management results. Sign-up for my newsletter below to get even more tips on following the Anti-inflammatory meal plan.
Anti-inflammatory Rainbow
I’ll be sharing information on red foods, orange foods, blue and purple foods, white and brown foods, and yellow foods over the next few months. Definitely check out the other wonderful colors of the anti-inflammatory rainbow and incorporate them into your nutrition plan as well. Your meals will not only be healthy and tasty, but beautiful as well! Check back often or sign-up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a thing! Eating a rainbow of colors is the best way to ensure a highly anti-inflammatory diet that includes the broad spectrum of phytonutrients we need for optimal health.
What’s your favorite green food and/or recipe? Post in the comments below!
by NancyRD | Dec 3, 2017 | Uncategorized
Anti-Inflammatory Food and Colors
The foods that help fight inflammation come in all different colors. Each color has special properties that help fight inflammation and provide a myriad of other benefits to our body. These special properties are often referred to as the large category of “phytonutrients” which is basically a fancy word for plant nutrients. There are over 100,000 phytonutrients in the plants we eat! You can learn more about phytonutrients here. The anti-inflammatory nutrients make up hundreds of those phytonutrients. The color of a plant tells us some things about which phytonutrients and which anti-inflammatory nutrients that plant contains. It’s vitally important that we get a variety of colors in our diet to make sure we are getting in the wide variety of phytonutrients and anti-inflammatory compounds that we need for optimal health. This post is all about the red foods and how they benefit our health.
Anti-Inflammatory Red Foods
The benefits of the red food include anti-cancer, ant-inflammatory, immune boosting, DNA protection, prostrate health, natural detoxification, and vascular/heart health. Keep the skin on foods such as red apples and radishes to reap the benefits. Watch out for dried fruits such as raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries – these often contain added sugars that may negate some of the health benefits. Strawberries are high in folic acid and Vitamin C – both powerful nutrients in their own right. Cranberries have anti-bacterial properties that have been useful in both our gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Red or pink grapefruits have cholesterol fighting compounds. Most red foods are also high in fiber, especially berries and stone fruits, fiber fights inflammations and helps us maintain a healthy gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems. You can read more about the health benefits of red foods and how to get more of them in your diet here.
Red Foods List:
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY RED FOODS COMPOUNDS
Red food anti-inflammatory compounds include anthocyanins, astaxanthin (found in pink/red seafood), carotenoids (also found in orange foods), ellagic acid, flavonols/flavonoids, lycopene. As you can see below these compounds provider a wide variety of health benefits.
Lycopene:
High in cooked tomatoes, watermelon, and even pink grapefruit, lycopene helps protect against prostrate, breast, lung, and skin cancers. You can also reduce your risk of heart attack by consuming more of these foods. Because lycopene requires fat to be absorbed by the body make sure to include a healthy oil such as olive oil or some nuts and seeds to your meals with these red foods. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has more information on lycopene here.
Anthocyanins:
Anthocyanins are anti-oxidants and/or phytonutrients that help protect the heart and brain. They have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks and significantly help lower blood pressure. Other help benefits include: improving memory and cognition, fighting liver disease, and reducing the age-related decline in brain health. Anthocyanins have a strong role in preventing and/or managing many chronic conditions related to lifestyle habits such as heart disease and diabetes. Read more about anthocyanins here from Today’s Dietitian. You can also find more about anthocyanins in this research article.
Flavonols:
Flavonols help fight and prevent coronary heart disease, stroke, and the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol. Found in apples, cherries, and cranberries these phytonutrients have been shown to reduce the risk of asthma, diabetes, cancers, and heart disease. U.C. Davis has a great fact sheet about flavonols here. Flavonols have been shown to reduce C-reactive protein – a laboratory marker of inflammation levels. They may even benefit athletic performance, although it appears the jury is still out on that topic, find out more here. Quercetin is the most common flavonoid.
Tips for Increasing Red Foods in Your Diet:
- Add berries or pomegranate seeds to salads
- Use marinara sauce (red) instead of alfredo or wine sauces on pasta
- Use red onions in a tomato and red pepper salsa
- Roast tomatoes with other vegetables for a side dish
- Eat red foods such as red applies or plums as snacks
- Choose dark red kidney beans for soups or bean salads
- Consider adding radishes, beets, and red bell pepper to fresh salads in addition to tomatoes
- Choose pink/red grapefruits over white ones
Recipes to Boost Red Foods Consumption:
Triple Berry Salad from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Homemade Crock Pot Marinara Sauce from Life Currents
Beetroot Crisps from Nicky and Max
Skillet Red Beans and Rice from MyRecipes
Charred Green Beans with Garlic and Pomegranate Seeds from The Healthy Maven
How to Eat to Fight Inflammation
Just eating a few red foods each week mixed in to your normal intake of fast-foods and sweets isn’t going to get you the benefits you are after. Check out my Ultimate Guide to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet to make sure your following the full plan for optimal results. If you’d like to not only fight inflammation and gain health; but lose weight as well, check out How to Go Low Carb the Healthy Way. You can combine the anti-inflammatory diet and low-carb meal plans together for optimal health and weight management results. Sign-up for my newsletter below to get even more tips on following the Anti-inflammatory meal plan.
Anti-inflammatory Rainbow
I’ll be sharing information on orange foods, green foods, blue and purple foods, white and brown foods, and yellow foods over the next few months. Check back often or sign-up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a thing! Eating a rainbow of natural colors is the best way to ensure a highly anti-inflammatory diet that includes the broad spectrum of phytonutrients we need for optimal health.
What are your favorite red foods and/or recipes? Post in the comments below!
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