Anti-Inflammatory Diet Recipes: 30 easy and delicious essential recipes to heal inflammation, eliminate pain, stop autoimmune and heart disease

52 Pages·2015·1.46 MB·English

by  Darcy

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Recipes
30+ easy and delicious essential recipes to heal
inflammation, eliminate pain, stop autoimmune
and heart disease.
By Julia Darcy
Copyright © 2015
Copyright ©2015 by Julia Darcy
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of author.
Disclaimer
This book was designed to guide individuals and is not meant to replace the work of a
professional therapist, counselor or physician.
This book is for educational purposes only. The author and publisher shall have neither
liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage
caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this
book.
ISBN: 978-0-9947683-2-2
Introduction
Let’s start by explaining what inflammation is. Inflammation is simply a protective
process, where the body defends itself from harmful pathogens and triggers including
irritants, damaged cells and other triggers. Inflammation should not be confused with
infection – Infection causes inflammation which is the body’s response towards removing
the infection.
What causes inflammation and pain?
Inflammation is a natural biological process that allows the body to heal and regenerate
itself in situations of injury and it occurs in different stages. Commonly mistaken as the
entire inflammatory response, Irritation is simply the first phase – Irritants are triggers that
cause the immune system to react in such a way that this ‘trigger’ is removed from the
body. This essential process is required for healing of tissues on the organ level, and the
body on the whole. In everyday life, there are several triggers that initiate a response of
the immune system.
In cases of allergies, a common example of inflammatory response, the trigger material
causes a reaction during which the body secretes a large amount of defensive material –
the White Blood Cells (WBC), which ingest the foreign material and excrete them from
the body. When this is carried out, there is a side effect to it all – the inflammatory
response. This response causes localized swelling, redness, and a bit of pain.
Under normal circumstances, inflammation is for a short duration, where the effects are
reduced as soon as the trigger material is removed – called acute inflammation.
Sometimes, the inflammation can be for a much longer duration where the initial
inflammation is actually responsible for further secondary inflammation – this condition is
called chronic inflammation and is characterized by long durations of irritation in the
tissues as well as swelling, redness and severe discomfort to the body. Chronic
Inflammation is the condition where the irritant remains within the body and cannot be
removed, or in certain situations, where the body itself thinks that the tissue where this
inflammation has occurred is foreign material. In this situation, the body gives out a blown
up immune response that damages tissues and organs severely to a point of disabling a
person.
During an inflammatory response, we feel pain, discomfort, stiffness and a bit of all-out-
agony. This pain is often a constant, throbbing or pulsing type which can also be a
pinching or stabbing type of pain.
There are different kinds of pain, all of which share a common origin – the swelling of the
tissue in response to the inflammation pushes against sensitive nerve endings which then
send pain signals to the brain. While nerve cells are constantly sending signals to the brain
during normal, healthy situations, the brain recognizes these as not important and ignores
them. However, when the pressure on these nerves increases, the brain recognizes these
signals and translates into what we feel as pain.
Disease where inflammation occurs
Constant inflammation of tissues within the body causes chronic inflammation – a highly
dangerous situation where the body mistakes its own tissues to be foreign material or
triggers, and beings a minor or major attack on itself via the White Blood Cells.
This is a highly dangerous situation as the body begins a fight with itself and starts to
damage and kill healthy tissue. This type of disease is called an autoimmune disease and
includes several diseases and disorders which can be fatal – Lupus, Celiac disease,
Addison’s, Huntington’s, Vasculitis, Arthritis and even Alzheimer’s; to name a few.
How to test for inflammation:
While it is easy to check for acute inflammation because of the obvious irritation, swelling
and pain, sometimes it becomes difficult during chronic inflammation, to identify what
exactly is happening in the body as there are no external signs, just a deep pain that causes
severe discomfort. The simplest way is usually through a blood test where an important
marker – the C Reactive Protein is checked for along with the levels of WBC’s.
- Blood test C - reactive protein: C - reactive protein or CRP is the best method to detect
inflammation. During an infection and the resulting inflammation, the levels of CRP in the
body become increased. When it exceeds a minimal amount that is an indication that your
body is becoming increasingly damaged from the inside and can be easily affected by
disorders and diseases.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a CRP level of less than 1.0 mg/L is a
low risk for heart conditions. Moderate risk is indicated by a level between 1.0 and 3.0
mg/L, and anything over 3.0mg/L is an obvious high risk indicator for heart disease. A
CRP blood level of over 10mg/L indicates a strong possibility of inflammatory disease and
even a damaged immune system.
Inflammatory triggers : what not to eat
As discussed earlier, sometimes the food we eat can be a trigger that causes a rapid
inflammatory attack. Examples of this include regular food allergies such as nut, seafood,
soy allergies, and also gluten and lactose (milk) intolerance. These foods cause the body to
react in a manner that is similar to an infection, and makes the body think that it is under
attack.
The body immediately mounts a response, observed as an inflammatory reaction that tries
to remove this allergy causing substance(s) from the body.
It’s not always possible to keep track of what we consume; however, we can always try to
make sure that we control our diet to avoid these triggers, for healthier lives.
Why choose an anti-inflammatory diet?
While chronic inflammation can be caused by a wide variety of factors including stress,
tobacco smoke, exposure to toxins and triggers; dietary choices play an equally big role in
inflammation too. Excessive consumption of processed foods has caused a major increase
in inflammatory diseases and disorders.
An Anti – Inflammatory diet (AID) is not a diet as such, at least not in the popular sense
where you go on it to lose weight. This diet is more a means of having the knowledge and
will to prepare foods in a scientific manner that allows your body to maintain the best of
health. This does have the added advantage of helping you lose excess weight and getting
into proper shape.
An AID has the primary aim of reducing inflammation of course, along with providing
your body with a steady supply of energy, vitamins and minerals along with all the other
essentials including fiber, fatty acids and other nutrients; such that your body is at its peak.
The diet allows a wide variety of foods that are as fresh as possible. The diet also cuts
down on the amount of junk and processed food that is eaten and increases a fruit and
vegetable intake to supplement the growth and healing of the body.
The origins of anti-inflammatory diet
Anti-inflammatory diets began not as a cure but as a precaution, reducing the amount of
triggers being consumed in order to avoid causing damage to the body. Consumption of
fresh foods is always the criteria, with the focus on reducing the amount of inflammation
and getting a healthier response from the immune system. As the amount of ‘Western’
ingredients – red meat, heavy (high-fat) dairy products, hydrogenated fats, carbonated
drinks etc., is reduced, the body automatically produces less inflammation as the presence
of these trigger foods is a lot less. The aim of the anti-inflammatory diet is simply not just
the decrease in inflammation, but to also prevent disease and chronic illnesses.