Vietnam was great and now that I am home I am doing some re-balancing. The trip was fun, relaxing and I ate lots of delicious food.  But, when I am traveling my diet can't be as balanced as when I am at home, that's OK,  I am now in the phase of coming back into balance.   Also, I am recovering from the long 27 hour flight so I am a little inflamed. Today I  am sharing my top 10 anti-inflammatory foods.  I am eating lots of them right now.  

One of the great things about our body is even when we get out of balance it is not hard to come back home to our body once we discover our own unique way to eat, move, think and supplement.  This is what I help my clients figure out.   Once you learn what your body needs to get balanced  and re-balanced you can stop struggling with food, eat the foods you love and achieve natural permanent weight loss, vibrant health and greater happiness. 

This is the reason I recommend doing a seasonal cleanse, to re-balance, to come home to your body. I love it!  I am having a great time as I work on the recipes and processes for the Spring Cleanse.  

Nourishing Foods Cleanse * Spring Renewal *

In this cleanse we will remove toxins and restore our energy by supporting
our ADRENALS and KIDNEYS

April 15-19 Monday-Friday
More Information Coming SOON

 

Inflammation is a positive natural response in our body which helps us to heal. It helps our body respond to stress.  When you get a cold, your body responds with inflammation in the form of a fever that helps you heal. The inflammation does its job, gets rid of the virus, and disappears.  The same thing happens when you cut yourself.  Immune cells are called to the site through the blood stream. The blood vessels near the site become miraculously permeable and the site becomes warm and red due to the increased blood flow ( hence inflammation).  This helps with the healing.

Inflammation is a part of the body's natural defense system against injury and disease. The problem is when we have chronic inflammation, which means we are inflamed all the time.  Instead of protecting our body it starts to break it down causing pain, premature aging and is the root cause heart disease and cancer.  It may be the root cause of all degenerative disease.

Chronic inflammation is caused primarily 2 things, what goes into your mouth and your stress levels.   The biggest causes of inflammation are trans fats, high glycemic foods (refined carbohydrates) and chemicals. These substances stimulate the inflammation response in your body.

Chronic inflammation shows up in our body many ways.  It could be as simple as acne or as drastic as heart disease.  Symptoms like pains in your joints, acid reflux even fatigue along with osteoporosis and arthritis are all the result of inflammation.

Basically you can help your body fight inflammation by  limiting sugar, eliminating chemicals and processed foods, reducing stress and getting enough sleep and sunshine.

By eating the right diet you can reduce inflammation in your body.  Yes, there are drugs on the market to ease your pain and allergies but they weaken your immunity and have side effects.  I like to use foods to heal instead.  

Luckily nature has provided us with some amazing anti-inflammatory foods that are really yummy.  Besides their abilities to reduce inflammation, they also supply us with loads of essential vitamins and minerals that boost our immune health.  

Japanese Adzuki Bean Soup with Spinach 

To make sure you look your best, you have to help your body clean itself from inside. Here is one of my favorite recipes that will help get rid of toxins and  it's anti-inflammatory.

The health benefits of adzuki beans are  they strengthen the kidneys and promote regular bowel movements. They are small brown/red beans which have a white stripe on one edge. They are originally from China and are very popular in Japan. Once they are cooked they give a nutty, sweet flavor and offer the lowest amount of fat and highest protein per bean than any other (17 g per cup) They are a great source of fiber, potassium, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin and other vitamin B products. They are also rich in manganese, zinc and iron; all of which are incredibly good for you and needed in your everyday diet.

4 servings

• Drain the beans, place the beans, kombu, bay leaf and 1 ½ cups water in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 1 hour or until almost tender.
• In a stockpot, heat the olive over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, sauté 5 minutes more or until mushrooms are beginning soften.
• Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
• Add the cooked beans with their liquid, stock, thyme, salt and cayenne to taste.
• Simmer an additional 25 minutes or until beans and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add in the chopped spinach and dulse. Stir to wilt the spinach.
• Taste to adjust seasoning.
• Serve garnished with scallions.

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