Joint pain? Arthritis? Inflammation? Here are my recommendations of what to eat & what to avoid
Dr. Anya's Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Foods
What to eat: ideally organic produce, grass-fed meats, organic poultry & eggs, and wild-caught fish
- Majority of your diet: organic fruits and vegetables. Eat fruits and vegetables raw or lightly cooked, sautéed in organic olive, coconut, avocado oil or grass-fed ghee. Red and sweet potatoes are acceptable as long as they are consumed with an organic, grass-fed, wild-caught protein, such as eggs, fish, meat, or poultry.
- Meats: Fresh or frozen wild-caught fish. Avoid all farm raised fish. Wild-caught shellfish are also a good option. Organic poultry, chicken & eggs, meat from grass-fed animals. Go to www.eatwild.com to find producers of grass-fed animal products. Wild game (deer, elk, etc.)
- Snacks: Raw Organic Nuts & Seeds: raw almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, etc. Be mindful of portion size and opt for approximately 1/4 cup of nuts and seeds.
- Spices like ginger, turmeric, garlic, dill, oregano, coriander, fennel, red chili pepper, cayenne, basil, rosemary, kelp, sea salt
- Organic Oils and grass-fed fats: organic avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and coconut oil. Grass-fed ghee (butter with milk solids removed)
- Salad dressing: make your own organic extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar and/or lemon juice), mustard if you like, and spices. I like to add fresh parsley, rosemary, basil, and crushed garlic cloves to olive oil and lemon juice. (When eating in a restaurant, use dressings sparingly, as most are made with soybean oil or worse, and most are rich in sugar).
- Beverages: Whenever you are thirsty, drink water or organic unsweetened green tea (non-organic green tea may contain pesticides and should be avoided).
- Alcohol: Organic red wine and stout beer are the best choices.
- Candy: Dark chocolate. Be sure to temper your consumption as dark chocolate is high in calories. Try to eat no more than 50-100 calories per day.
What to avoid:
- All breads, pasta, grains, cereal, cookies, and pastries; including 'gluten free' food items.
- Processed, packaged, and refined foods.
- Vegetable oils including soybean, canola, etc. Double check labels of salad dressings & condiments.
- Any added sugar, preservatives, coloring, flavorings, dyes. This includes beverages.
Read the labels of everything you consume and do not eat it if you cannot pronounce the words! Also opt for items that have the fewest ingredients. I aim to only consume foods with less than 10 ingredients.
Meal Suggestions
In every meal & snack have these 4 things:
High quality protein (grass-fed, organic, wild-caught)
Healthy fats (ex. raw organic nuts, coconut, olives, olive oil, avocados)
Fiber (ideally from organic vegetables)
Something green or colorful - eat the rainbow of colors of organic produce each week
Breakfast Options:
• Soft boiled, poached, gently fried, or omelet with organic eggs, your favorite organic vegetables and spices (a small serving of sautéed organic potatoes is okay if you are not carbohydrate sensitive). It is best to use grass-fed ghee, organic virgin coconut oil, olive, or avocado oil for cooking eggs and potatoes.
• Organic fruit topped with organic hemp seeds, soaked chia seeds (soak for 10 minutes) and/or 1/4 cup of organic raw nut that has been soaked in water for 10 minutes. Blend the soaked seeds and nuts with water or organic nut milk and pour over the fruit.
• Meal Shake: Blend favorite frozen organic fruit (bananas, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, etc.), a few handfuls of raw organic spinach, half of an avocado and organic protein powder. You can also add some coconut or your favorite raw nuts and seeds. Use water, organic nut milks like coconut, almond, cashew, etc. Avoid soy, rice, oat, and dairy milks. This shake is highly nutritious and filling, and also easy and quick to prepare.
Lunch and Dinner Options: ¼ of your plate is high-quality (organic, grass-fed, wild-caught) protein and ¾ is vegetables
• 4oz organic chicken, wild-caught fish, or grass-fed steak salad. My favorite is organic baby green mix, avocado, cucumber, kalamata olives, celery, and carrots. Feel free to add in any vegetables that you enjoy and experiment with a new vegetable each week. Top with your homemade salad dressing.
• 4oz organic chicken, wild-caught fish, grass-fed steak, organic beans, and steamed/sautéed vegetables with favorite spices. You can have a small portion of sautéed or baked potato. Have as much salad as you like.
• Organic marinara or pasta sauce poured over vegetables and meatballs from grass-fed, organic ground meat (or animal protein sources of your choice). I like to sauté diced organic mushrooms and zucchini and mix in with grass-fed ground beef for a hearty meat sauce.
• Have as much salad as you like with lunch and dinner. When you feel like you have room for dessert, eat more vegetables, or wait an hour to see if you are indeed still hungry.
Snack Options:
• Organic fresh fruits. I like organic apples with organic nut butter
• Organic celery sticks with organic nut butter or hummus
• Organic cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, etc. with organic hummus
• 1-2 Tbsp of organic coconut cream over fresh or frozen organic berries.
• ¼ c raw almonds, macadamia, pecan, walnut, or other nuts.
Please realize that you may not have to significantly alter the meals you currently prepare. Simply substitute in vegetables instead of grains, bread, and pasta, and eat more fruit (or healthy dessert/snack options) between meals.
For additional information & recipes please refer to Dr. Anya's best-selling book, "You Can't Outrun Your Fork" available via this link on Amazon.