Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid

HEALTHY SWEETS
How much: Sparingly
Healthy choices: Unsweetened dried fruit, dark chocolate, fruit sorbet
Why: Dark chocolate provides polyphenols with antioxidant activity. Choose dark chocolate with at least 70 percent pure cocoa and have an ounce a few times a week. Fruit sorbet is a better option than other frozen desserts.

RED WINE
How much: Optional, no more than 1-2 glasses per day
Healthy choices: Organic red wine
Why: Red wine has beneficial antioxidant activity. Limit intake to no more than 1-2 servings per day. If you do not drink alcohol, do not start.

SUPPLEMENTS
How much: Daily
Healthy choices: High quality multivitamin/multimineral that includes key antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, mixed carotenoids, and selenium); co-enzyme Q10; 2-3 grams of a molecularly distilled fish oil; 2,000 IU of vitamin D3
Why: Supplements help fill any gaps in your diet when you are unable to get your daily requirement of micronutrients.  

TEA
How much: 2-4 cups per day
Healthy choices: White, green, oolong teas
Why: Tea is rich in catechins, antioxidant compounds that reduce inflammation. Purchase high-quality tea and learn how to correctly brew it for maximum taste and health benefits.

HEALTHY HERBS & SPICES
How much: Unlimited amounts
Healthy choices: Turmeric, curry powder (which contains turmeric), ginger and garlic (dried and fresh), chili peppers, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme
Why: Use these herbs and spices generously to season foods. Turmeric and ginger are powerful, natural anti-inflammatory agents.

OTHER SOURCES OF PROTEIN
How much: 1-2 servings a week (one portion is equal to 1 ounce of cheese, 1 eight-ounce serving of dairy, 1 egg, 3 ounces cooked poultry or skinless meat)
Healthy choices: High quality natural cheese and yogurt, omega-3 enriched eggs, skinless poultry, grass-fed lean meats
Why: In general, try to reduce consumption of animal foods.  If you eat chicken, choose organic, cage-free chicken and remove the skin and associated fat.  Use organic, reduced-fat dairy products moderately, especially yogurt and natural cheeses such as Emmental (Swiss), Jarlsberg and true Parmesan.  If you eat eggs, choose omega-3 enriched eggs (made by feeding hens a flax-meal-enriched diet), or organic eggs from free-range chickens.

COOKED ASIAN MUSHROOMS
How much: Unlimited amounts
Healthy choices: Shiitake, enokidake, maitake, oyster mushrooms (and wild mushrooms if available)
Why: These mushrooms contain compounds that enhance immune function. Never eat mushrooms raw, and minimize consumption of common commercial button mushrooms (including crimini and portobello).

WHOLE SOY FOODS
How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup tofu or tempeh, 1 cup soymilk, ½ cup cooked edamame, 1 ounce of soynuts)
Healthy choices: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy nuts, soymilk
Why: Soy foods contain isoflavones that have antioxidant activity and are protective against cancer.  Choose whole soy foods over fractionated foods like isolated soy protein powders and imitation meats made with soy isolate. 

FISH & SEAFOOD
How much:  2-6 servings per week (one serving is equal to 4 ounces of fish or seafood)
Healthy choices: Wild Alaskan salmon (especially sockeye), herring, sardines, and black cod (sablefish)
Why: These fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which are strongly anti-inflammatory. If you choose not to eat fish, take a molecularly distilled fish oil supplement that provides both EPA and DHA in a dose of 2-3 grams per day.

HEALTHY FATS
How much:  5-7 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 teaspoon of oil, 2 walnuts, 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, 1 ounce of avocado)
Healthy choices: For cooking, use extra virgin olive oil and expeller-pressed organic canola oil. Other sources of healthy fats include nuts (especially walnuts), avocados, and seeds - including hemp seeds and freshly ground flaxseed. Omega-3 fats are also found in cold water fish, omega-3 enriched eggs, and whole soy foods. Organic, expeller pressed, high-oleic sunflower or safflower oils may also be used, as well as walnut and hazelnut oils in salads and dark roasted sesame oil as a flavoring for soups and stir-fries
Why: Healthy fats are those rich in either monounsaturated or omega-3 fats.  Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity and canola oil contains a small fraction of omega-3 fatty acids. 

WHOLE & CRACKED GRAINS
How much:  3-5 servings a day (one serving is equal to about ½ cup cooked grains)
Healthy choices: Brown rice, basmati rice, wild rice, buckwheat, groats, barley, quinoa, steel-cut oats
Why: Whole grains digest slowly, reducing frequency of spikes in blood sugar that promote inflammation. "Whole grains" means grains that are intact or in a few large pieces, not whole wheat bread or other products made from flour.

PASTA (al dente)
How much: 2-3 servings per week (one serving is equal to about ½ cup cooked pasta)
Healthy choices: Organic pasta, rice noodles, bean thread noodles, and part whole wheat and buckwheat noodles like Japanese udon and soba
Why: Pasta cooked al dente (when it has "tooth" to it) has a lower glycemic index than fully-cooked pasta. Low-glycemic-load carbohydrates should be the bulk of your carbohydrate intake to help minimize spikes in blood glucose levels.

BEANS & LEGUMES
How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup cooked beans or legumes)
Healthy choices: Beans like Anasazi, adzuki and black, as well as chickpeas, black-eyed peas and lentils
Why: Beans are rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and soluble fiber.  They are a low-glycemic-load food.  Eat them well-cooked either whole or pureed into spreads like hummus.

VEGETABLES
How much: 4-5 servings per day minimum (one serving is equal to 2 cups salad greens, ½ cup vegetables cooked, raw or juiced)
Healthy Choices: Lightly cooked dark leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy and cauliflower), carrots, beets, onions, peas, squashes, sea vegetables and washed raw salad greens
Why: Vegetables are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.  Go for a wide range of colors, eat them both raw and cooked, and choose organic when possible.

FRUITS
How much:  3-4 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 medium size piece of fruit, ½ cup chopped fruit, ¼ cup of dried fruit)
Healthy choices: Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, oranges, pink grapefruit, red grapes, plums, pomegranates, blackberries, cherries, apples, and pears - all lower in glycemic load than most tropical fruits
Why: Fruits are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.  Go for a wide range of colors, choose fruit that is fresh in season or frozen, and buy organic when possible.

Additional Item:

WATER
How much: Throughout the day
Healthy choices: Drink pure water, or drinks that are mostly water (tea, very diluted fruit juice, sparkling water with lemon) throughout the day.
Why: Water is vital for overall functioning of the body.

Turmeric Shows Promise in Combating Diabetes and Obesity

Turmeric, an Asian spice found in many curries, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain, but can it prevent diabetes? 

Since inflammation plays a big role in many diseases and is believed to be involved in the onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Drew Tortoriello, M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, and his colleagues were curious what effect the herb might have on diabetic mice.

Dr. Tortoriello, working with pediatric resident Stuart Weisberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Rudolph Leibel, M.D., fellow endocrinologist and the co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, discovered that turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and the liver compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin, the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.

Their findings are the subject of a soon-to-be published paper in Endocrinology and were recently presented at ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has no known dose-limiting toxicities in doses of up to at least 12 grams daily in humans. The researchers tested high-doses of a dietary curcumin in two distinct mouse models of obesity and Type 2 diabetes: high-fat-diet-fed male mice and leptin-deficient obese female mice, with lean wild-type mice that were fed low-fat diets used as controls.

The inflammation associated with obesity was shown several years ago by researchers in the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center to be due in part to the presence of immune cells called macrophages in fat tissues throughout the body. These cells produce "cytokine" molecules that can cause inflammation in organs such as the heart, and islets of the pancreas, while also increasing insulin resistance in muscle and the liver. Researchers hypothesized that by suppressing the number and activity of these cells, with turmeric or a drug with similar actions, it may be possible to reduce some of the adverse consequences of obesity.

Curcumin administration was also associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, despite level or higher calorie consumption, suggesting that curcumin beneficially influences body composition.

"It's too early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin [through turmeric] intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit," Dr. Tortoriello said. "Although the daily intake of curcumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment."

For now, the conclusion that Dr. Tortoriello and his colleagues have reached is that turmeric -- and its active anti-oxidant ingredient, curcumin -- reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems associated with obesity and improves blood-sugar control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.

In addition to exploring novel methods of curcumin administration to increase its absorption, they are also interested in identifying novel anti-inflammatory processes invoked by curcumin and in adapting those processes in the development of more potent curcumin analogues.

Funding for the study comes in part from the National Institutes of Health's Child Health and Human Development branch and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center.

Sources:

Columbia University Medical Center, (2008, June 23). Common Cooking Spice Found In Curry Shows Promise In Combating Diabetes And Obesity (http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/) .

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Inflammation is largely caused by the foods we put in our bodies. Consuming highly processed canned, frozen and bagged foods are foreign to the natural flora of our bodies and so the body naturally fights against the products in these foods (as a part of the immune response), leading to high levels of inflammation. Effects of chronic inflammation can range from heart disease to dementia, to cancer and arthritis. Most autoimmune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease are linked to excessive inflammation in the body.

The good news is that you can control the level of inflammation in your body by simply changing the way you eat. Getting regular sleep, eating well, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake (or quitting altogether), stressing less and engaging in regular exercise will all help make a difference.

Here is a list of 12 amazing foods that help combat inflammation in the body:

(1) Papaya
Papaya contains the enzymes ‘papain’ and ‘chymopapain’ which help reduce inflammation  in the body (and also improve digestion). Papaya has powerful antioxidants like beta-carotene and vitamins C and E which combat free radicals in the body that trigger inflammation-related diseases.

(2) Avocado
Avocados are polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs). PFAs are mostly present in seaweeds and other ocean plants, and are extremely rare in land plants, so this makes the avocado very unusual in this respect. The PFAs and phytosterols in avocados provide our bodies with anti-inflammatory benefits which help fight a variety of diseases. Particularly, avocado’s phytosterols prevent pro-inflammatory prostaglandin E2 synthesis by the connective tissue (and thus reducing inflammation in the joints of individuals experiencing arthritis and gout.

(3) Cranberries
Cranberries contain important anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that protect the cardiovascular system and prevent hardening of the arteries. They also prevent inflammation-associated diseases of the urinary tract (urinary tract infections), stomach (ulcers), and mouth (gingivitis).

(4) Broccoli
Broccoli is an incredible anti-inflammatory food, thanks to it’s abundant sulforaphane compounds which help the body get rid of potentially carcinogenic compounds (a cause of a highly inflamed body) and relieve inflammation and oxidative stress. It is also very high in vitamin C which is another powerful anti-inflammatory agent which cuts the levels of inflammation markers by up to 45%!

(5) Red Cabbage
If we do not ingest anti-inflammatory foods, our body cannot regulate the inflammation in our body we acquire from stress and the environment, as well as highly processed foods, wheat, and animal products. Anthocyanins found in red cabbage have been researched numerous times and time and time again they have been found to be one of the best anti-inflammatory vegetables out there!

(6) Hemp seeds
Raw hemp seeds contain an ideal ratio of omega’s 3 and 6. Omega-6 fats contain GLA which works in the body as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing inflammation and helping people suffering from things like asthma, arthritis and other body pain associated from exercising or being bruised. This healthy fat also improves the health of our skin and inhibits cancer cell growth.

(7) Blueberries
Inflammation and damage by free radicals have been linked with pretty much every disease we witness today. Many studies have found that blueberries prevent oxidative stress and inflammation. Blueberries help increase natural killer cell activity which help eradicate free radicals and fight disease. As well, they promote the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the body which leaves us with lower levels of inflammation and thus reduced chance of falling ill.

(8) Chia seeds
Many arthritis sufferers have reported reduced inflammation associated pain after just a few weeks of taking chia seeds. They contain important omega-3 fatty acids which are converted to prostagladins which have pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Chia seeds are also a great source of antioxidants (they contain more than blueberries!), and antioxidants help keep the body healthy and reduce pain arising from inflammation in the body.

(9) Ginger
Ginger contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols which inhibit the production of nitric oxide (which naturally forms potent and very damaging free radicals called peroxynitrites). Ginger has also been found to suppress pro-inflammatory compounds like cytokines produced by synoviocytes, chrondrocytes and leukocytes, and thus making our immune system and joints stronger.

(10) Walnuts
Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, phytonutrients (tannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids), quinones and other anti-inflammatory nutrients. Consuming walnuts has been linked to decreased markers for blood vessel inflammation (reduced C-reactive protein) for those at risk for heart disease. Including walnuts as a part of your diet will ensure you gain these benefits.

(11) Turmeric
Turmeric, if you haven’t already heard, is one of the best anti-inflammatory foods out there! Thanks to the active ingredient, curcumin, this root can inhibit the activity and synthesis of COX-2 and 5-LOX, two important enzymes involved in the inflammatory response. One study found that osteoarthritis patients had significantly reduced pain and increased mobility when taking just 200 mg of curcumin per day (the control group with no curcumin had no significant improvements). Curcumin has also been found to block inflammatory pathways, and thus prevents proteins from triggering pain and swelling.

(12) Celery
A specific nutrient in celery, called “luteolin”, is particularly effective against inflammation and cancer. This compound is found in smaller amounts in peppers, parsley, thyme, basil and peppermint. It is a biofalvonoid which means that it has double the antioxidant properties of vitamin C! Luteolin essentially prevents the inflammatory pathway in the brain to get switched on, and thus helps reduce the amount of inflammatory responses triggered in the body.

18 Supplements That Could Help Your Body Heal Faster

If you find yourself injured or laid up with inflammation, follow this exact protocol for enhanced connective tissue healing, fast recovery from injury-produced inflammation, and a quick return to your training and competition after a strain, sprain or crash. This information is not provided by a physician for medical treatment purposes, but is rather a simple guide to natural supplements that can assist with healing.

1. Glucosamine, ~500mg. Best when combined with Chondroitin, ~400mg. Spread it through the day in three separate doses.

2. Chondroitin (see above)

3. Vitamin C, ~1000+mg per day. You could take this in an "immune system booster" like Airborne, from high fruit and vegetable intake (*ahem*, one apple only contains 8mg, however), or from a multi-vitamin that includes Vitamin C (AKA ascorbic acid).

4. Zinc, ~50mg. Often, zinc can also be found in an "immune system booster" type of effervescent powder.

5. Vitamin B3, ~250mg. Also know as Niacinamide. Tuna is one of nature's richest sources, but you'll only get about 15mg from one fillet. You're getting the idea - use a supplement form for convenience, rather than mowing down 17 tuna fillets.

6. Selenium, ~200mcg. Brazil nuts, fish, and crimini mushrooms are very high in selenium, at about 40-50mcg per serving. You might be able to get away with getting this one from the diet.

7. Chromium Picolinate, ~200mcg. Check the label of your multi-vitamin - sometimes it will be there.

8. Vitamin E, ~400IU. A powerful antioxidant also known as alpha-tocopherol. As is the case with most fat soluble vitamins, you'll want to be careful not to overdose. Sunflower seeds, incidentally, are one of the highest natural sources.

9. A Multi-Vitamin. This should go without saying.

10. Proteolytic Enzmes. Trypsin, Chymotrypsin, Papain and Bromelain are the top four, and the latter is found highly concentrated in pineapples.

11. Cetyl Myristoleate. Traditionally used for arthritis, it would be worth including in your protocol, if you can find it. 12-15 grams over 30 days is the recommended protocol for arthritic conditions. Recommend following manufacturer's label for sprains/strains.

12. Carnitine. More anti-oxidant support.

13. Evening primrose oil, ~500mcg. Excellent anti-inflammatory. Often packaged with fish oil or flax seed oil.

14. MSM (AKA methylsulfonylmethane). Essential for connective tissue repair, and can be applied topically in lotion form.

15. Pregnenolone, ~50mg. Be careful with this one, as it is a hormone precursor, but could help you recover faster. Check at your local health food store.

16. DHEA. For both males and females, this will help with a testosterone-like healing effect. Rye pollen extract is another good way to boost DHEA levels.

17. Omega 3 fatty acid. A potent anti-inflammatory that will assist in the assimilation of many other compounds on this list. I personally recommend flaxseed oil.

18. Co-Enzyme Q10, ~60-100mcg/day. Dirt cheap and easy to find.


complete list of anti-inflammatory supplements 

Tilapia not recommended for those with heart problems

If you haven't caught up on the news about tilapia, here's a recap: a study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that farm-raised tilapia, a very popular fish in the United States today, has very low levels of omega-3s and very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids (also found in seeds and nuts, and the oils extracted from them, such as cottonseed and soy oil). 

We get much more of these fats than we need – they're found in most snack foods, cookies, crackers, and sweets. The body constructs hormones from omega-6s that tend to increase inflammation (an important component of the immune response), blood clotting, and cell proliferation. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory.

The Wake Forest researchers said that the combination of fatty acids in tilapia could pose a danger for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases, all of which are linked to chronic inflammation. In fact, the investigators said that the fatty acid profile of tilapia is worse than that of 80-percent-lean hamburger, doughnuts and even bacon.

• A 3-ounce portion of tilapia contains 134 milligrams of  unfavorable omega-6 fat; the same amount of 80 percent lean hamburger contains 34 milligrams, and bacon 191 milligrams.

“Cardiologists are telling their patients to go home and eat fish, and if the patients are poor, they’re eating tilapia. And that could translate into a dangerous situation,” said the researchers from the The university study showed that farm-raised tilapia, one of the most highly consumed fish in America, has very low levels of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acid and, perhaps worse, very high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids, researchers claimed.

They said the combination could be a potentially dangerous food source for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases that are particularly vulnerable to an “exaggerated inflammatory response.” Inflammation is known to cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, lung and joint tissues, skin, and the digestive tract.

In an article which appeared in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the researchers claimed that tilapia has higher levels of potentially detrimental long-chain Omega-6 fatty acids than 80-percent-lean hamburger, doughnuts and even pork bacon.

Eating tilapia is worse than bacon? That was Dr. Floyd Chilton, a professor of physiology and pharmacology and the director of the Wake Forest Center for Botanical Lipids, told the American media.

“For individuals who are eating fish as a method to control inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, it is clear from these numbers that tilapia is not a good choice,” Dr. Chilton said, “All other nutritional content aside, the inflammatory potential of hamburger and pork bacon is lower than the average serving of farmed tilapia.”

Howver, let’s take a closer look at the comparison. Tilapia has 26 grams of protein while bacon has a measly 0.07 gram. Tilapia’s fat content is three grams compared to 100.76 grams for bacon. In addition, tilapia is an excellent source of phosphorus, niacin, selenium, vitamin B12, and a good source of potassium. Bacon, on the other hand, contains 1,000 milligrams of sodium, 166 milligrams of cholesterol, and enough possible carcinogenic nitrites to make pregnant women think twice.