If you’re looking to reduce the inflammation in your body, and you should be, break out the pie cherries.
No, really. Those tart red orbs, fresh or dried, can reduce the pain of arthritis and exercise. One study even showed that the fruit has the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food. You can add the juice to smoothies and drinks, the dried fruit to cereal and yogurt and the fresh cherries to, of course, pie.
But before we get to the rest of the top 10 most anti-inflammatory foods, we should take care to avoid the foods most criticized for causing physical ailments – added sugars, refined carbohydrates and saturated and trans fats.
Now on to the good stuff: olives, turmeric, red onions, grapes, chia seeds, broccoli, salmon, ginger and blueberries. Sound familiar? They should – almost all of them are high in cancer-fighting antioxidants.
How to get more of them in your diet? Freeze red/purple or green grapes to eat for a snack or add them to salads, even savory ones like chicken and shrimp. Blueberries are good in everything from pancakes to a pork loin sauce. Use turmeric and ginger in a smooth and spicy curry or ginger alone for tea, salad dressings and stir fries.
Olives and their oil add flavor and good fat to vegetarian dishes – add half a cup to your marinara sauce, it makes all the difference – or toss green or black olives over a pizza. Piquant red onions brighten up any sandwich or carmelized, add depth to grain dishes. Chewy little chia seeds, full of plant-based Omega 3’s, can bolster homemade bread, serve as the base of a pudding, or throw them into granola or a smoothie.
The only protein on the list, salmon, is already a frequent entree for most of us, but other fatty fish like tuna and sardines, deserve more of our attention. A swift four minutes a side on the grill, accompanied by steamed broccoli, and your dinner is a picture of health on the plate.
You should be feeling better already.
Recap of Top 10 Inflammation Fighting Foods:
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Cherries, Tart
- Chia Seeds
- Ginger
- Grapes (green/purple or red)
- Olives/Olive Oil
- Red onions
- Salmon
- Turmeric
Source: Frances Largeman-Roth, U.S. News and World Report/Health
Pamela Hasterok
Couple of anti-inflammatory GFP Recipes include:
Chana Masala (red onions, turmeric, olive oil)
Broccoli Salad (broccoli, red onions, olive oil)
Smoothie in a Bowl (blueberries, substitute cherries and chia seeds)