Anti-Inflammatory Diet = Good Summer Eating

Recent health journals have been reporting that lowering cellular inflammation in the body reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as facilitating weight loss, reducing depression, acne, aging, arthritis, Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Drs. Barry Sears (Zone Diet), Nicholas Perricone (weight loss and cosmetic guru) and Andrew Weil (natural health and healthy aging proponent) have written books and listed anti-inflammatory diets on their websites over the last ten years. Several new books have also been released on this topic.

While the content of this diet differs somewhat by creator, included in all diets are colorful fruits and vegetables, especially berries. Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid lists 3-4 servings of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables as the base of this diet (a serving equals ½ cup cooked or chopped fruit or vegetable, 2 cups of leafy greens or 1 piece of fruit). Fruits and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that protect the body against disease, especially cancer.

All diets emphasis choosing healthy fats, focusing on monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts, avocados and fatty fish like salmon and sardines. Fish oil supplements are another method to boost omega-three fatty acid intake, also linked to reduced chronic disease risk. Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids are walnuts and flax (now added to some cereals, bread and granola bars).

Healthy carbohydrates can include whole grain breads, legumes and fruits and vegetables. Many healthy carbs contain fiber and have a lower glycemic index(slowing the spike in blood sugar created when eatingf ood made from refined flour and sugar), both linked to lower inflammation.

The anit-inflammatory diet advises to avoid processed foods as much as possible. Some health educators recommend basing food choices on the number of ingredients listed on the package food label. Processed foods often contain multiple preservatives and ingredient derivatives. Be cautious, however, of food spoilage and mold if unprocessed food is purchased. Tea, both black and green, contains antioxidants linked to reduced chronic disease. Red wine and dark chocolate, eaten in moderation, are also foods found on the Mediterranean diet and Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory food pyramid.

Finally, spices such as turmeric, ginger, green onions and garlic have found their place on these diets. Flavoring your food with these antioxidant spices and herbs instead of salt has long been a recommendation for lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. The anti-inflammation diet recommendations fit well with the abundance of colorful summer vegetables and fruits into our markets. Enjoy the dark greens, blue and blackberries,summer squash and tomatoes, seasoned with a little olive oil and vinegar and topped with toasted sunflower seeds. Add some fresh brewed ice tea - either black or green - and you'll be eating healthy this summer.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/PAG00361/anti-inflammatory-food-pyramid.html Pyramid shown is the Anti-inflammatory Food Pyramid from Dr.Weil.

Are we there yet?

Recalling those long trips to New England every summer to visit family reminds me of that familiar phrase “Are we there yet?” With two young children and at least seven hours of driving time, the challenge to keep them entertained was huge. It was my husband’s job to get us there safely, and it was my job to keep peace in the car so Dad was not distracted and everyone arrived in one piece… including me.


After one ‘not so successful’ trip (you really don’t want to know), I decided there had to be a better way! So with a little creativity I came up with a method to keep the ‘troops’ happy. Shopping at my local farmers’ market one day I discovered sturdy plastic boxes with a tight fitting lid that seafood came in that one of the vendors was selling. They were just about the size of a child’s lap and deep enough to provide room for lots of goodies. They needed cleaning and deodorizing, but a little elbow grease, some lemon juice and a little sunshine took care of that. The next challenge was - what would keep my kids busy, not cost me a fortune, not make too much of a mess and still fit into this box?

After a quick search through the house I found construction paper, scissors, crayons, markers, glue sticks, colored pencils and stickers, not a bad start. We also had a series of cassette tapes of favorite children’s stories. At a discount store there were comic books, coloring books, puzzle books and some inexpensive trinkets. And as an added treat I bought some juice boxes (they were brand new when my kids were little!!!) and a few non-traditional snacks. Oh yes and did I mention the library? It was a great source for games to play in the car while traveling. Now that the ‘loot’ was assembled, how do I make it fun?

We started our trips pretty early in the morning so there was not much activity right away, but after that first rest stop, the troops were rarin’ to go and usually needed a drink or a snack. When everyone was strapped in and we were comfortably on our way, I would hand each child a box, complete with their name written on the side in their favorite color. Inside the box was a piece of constriction paper, and some markers. Their first job was to make a card for Aunt Jeanine and Uncle Jerry thanking them for having us for a visit. The lid of the box provided a desk top for writing or creating and all of the supplies were kept neatly inside during the trip. Every 30 minutes or so I would hand them something else from the goodies I had hidden in the front seat beside my feet. When it seemed that they needed to relax a bit, we would pop in one of the story tapes. After a while the whole family might get involved in a game, like ‘name the license plates’ or ‘I am going to market and I am going to buy …’ trying to come up with an item for every letter of the alphabet or we might even sing a few songs. As the children got older, the items in the box changed but they still looked forward to the next 'treasure' from Mom's front seat stash.

Traveling with children can be fun…just be prepared with a good bag of tricks!