Essential: Kale, The Super Anti-Inflammatory

Kale is a form of cabbage and comes in both green and purple varieties. It can be found in our ‘Essential’ list of ingredients under ‘leafy green vegetables’. It has a bold and earthy flavour and is cooked in the same way as spinach or greens. Kale is full of nutrients and minerals and there are many benefits linked to the consumption of kale including:

-          Healthy digestion (one cup contains nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fibre)

-          Antioxidants (shown to specifically fight against the formation of cancerous cells)

-          An array of vitamins including A, K and C (mainly linked to healthy bones and teeth)

-          Calcium (Kale contains more calcium per calorie than milk and is also better absorbed by the body than dairy)

-          Iron (per calorie, kale has more iron than beef)

 

And of course...Anti-Inflammatory:

One cup of kale provides about 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids that helps regulate the body's inflammatory process. A dose of vitamin K further aids to fight against excessive inflammatory-related problems, such as arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and asthma. Many believe that kale is so nutrient-dense is can actually reverse some of these conditions.

It is important to note that boiling decreases the level of nutrition; however, steaming, baking, microwaving, or stir frying do not result in significant loss.

For more information see http://www.healthdiaries.com/

Curcumin - The Natural Anti-Inflammatory

We use turmuric in lots of our recipes as turmuric is a long-established anti-inflammatory spice.  There is lots of research available about the benefits of turmeric but more recently the most active ingredient in turmurmic, namely curcumin, has been researched.  The most effective element of curcumin has been isolated as is sold under the name of BCM 95.  Studies show that BCM 95 stays in the blood stream much longer than ordinary turmeric and more is absorbed into the bloodstream. 

I have been taking Curcumin BCM95 for two months now and feel that it is doing some good so shall carry on taking it along with using turmeric wherever possible to cook with. It is more expensive than turmeric or turmeric supplements but I only take 1 tablet per day and there are lots of good deals available on the internet.

 Lots of information is available on www.BCM95.com.

Thanks to everyone for your interest,

Alison 

Why Fibre is Great for Arthritis

We often hear that we should be eating more fibre in our daily diet - but why is this particularly good news for arthritis sufferers?

A high-fibre diet may lower an indicator of inflammation in the blood.

Fibre is good for the heart, may prevent some cancers and now appears to lower C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation found in the blood. As many of you know, a high CRP level signals general inflammation and could indicate anything from an infection to rheumatoid arthritis to heart disease.

A study led by D King, in which people who ate a high-fibre diet (between 27 and 28 g per day) saw their CRP levels go down. One group got their fibre from foods; another group took a supplement. CRP levels dropped in both groups.

High fibre foods include:

Oats

Bulgar wheat

Rye (including crackers such as Ryvita)

Stoneground whole wheat (used in products such as wholeweat pasta/bread)

Buckwheat (including noodles)

Quinoa

Brown rice

Bran (oat, wheat, rice)

Beans and pulses

Nuts and seeds

Most fruit and vegetables but especially :

Sweet potatoes

Berries (frozen and fresh)

Tree fruits (apples, pears)

Leafy Greens (spinach, kale, cabbage)

Squashes (zucchini/courgette)

Some exotic fruits and vegetables (edamame, avocado, guava)

Many of these appear on our ‘essential’ ingredients list. What is interesting is that with the exception of fruit, all the other foods listed above have an extremely low GI (Glycemic Index). Foods with a low GI have been associated with less inflammation and lower CRP levels (see post hereon low GI sugars) so these foods are a double positive on the arthritis diet!

The general rule is the sweeter the fruit or vegetable the higher the GI (think peas, carrots, sweetcorn and most fruits- they are very sweet and therefore contain more [natural] sugars). 

As we state in our diet basics - it is important to get the majority of your fibre intake from vegetables, pulses, seeds and grains (as opposed to wheat - but more on this in another post coming up this week).

Essential Ingredient - Turmeric

Turmeric is a plant of the ginger family native to Asia. It has long been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both Chinese and Indian medicine. Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, peppery flavour and a mustardy smell. 

It was traditionally called "Indian saffron" because of its deep yellow colour and is often used in cooking as an alternative to saffron, which is more expensive than gold (measured per gram). Turmeric can be bought in all good supermarkets in dried powder form and this way it is a lot less messy than the fresh variety (yellow fingers = not a good look). 

We use it in curries, stir fries and any dishes that can handle a touch of yellow colour (salad dressing for example). We even used it in the risotto recipe (here). Be careful not to over-do it though as less is more from a flavour perspective. Try a ¼ tsp and add more if you need to. You can take turmeric as a supplement in tablet form, but this can be very expensive so we try to get it in to our food wherever possible. 

Essential Ingredient: Cherries

Cherries have been proven to have natural anti-inflammation power – attributed to antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins which also give cherries their bright red colour.

A growing body of research suggests cherries could reduce inflammation related to heart disease, arthritis and may even help maintain muscle strength for those suffering from fibromyalgia a common and chronic widespread pain disorder.

Because they have stones that can be very fiddly and messy to remove, it is more ideal to store frozen and dried cherries. They can be added to breakfast cereals and yoghurts, smoothies and all desserts. One great way to use both frozen and dried cherries is in a fruit compote.

Stewed fruit compote with soy yoghurt and honey

Ingredients:

100g frozen fruit (berries such as strawberries and raspberries are great - and cherries of course)

1 apple, cored and chopped, skin on

2 plums, stone removed and chopped

50g dried cherries

2 tsp sugar or honey

Method:

The fruit can be either stewed over a low heat in a pan for 15 minutes or in a microwave on a medium power setting. Just be sure for both methods to cover with a lid and stir every 1-2 minutes to stop from burning or sticking. It may look a little watery but once left to cool it thickens up and the fruit flavour intensifies. It is not overly sweet so you may want to add more honey once it is cool.

It is great for breakfast or lunch with whole wheat pancakes, low-fat/soy yoghurt or even spread on toast as a chunky jam.

- Emma

Using Flaxseed Oil in the Kitchen

Flaxseed oil has a mild flavour and can be used for frying or can be added to foods in the same way you would olive oil – drizzled over salads, in soups, salad dressings etc. It should be stored in the fridge as it can go off a lot quicker than other oils and has a shelf life of only a few weeks, however we found that it can last longer if it is stored in the fridge.

The smoke point is 107C so it gets hot quick! This is very different to olive oil which is around 200C and more similar to butter so when shallow frying, cook on a slightly lower flame than you would normally. I suggest you warm the pan on the heat and only add the oil when you are ready to start frying, otherwise you may smoke the house out!

Here is a great way it can be used in the creamiest non-dairy salad dressing:

 

Ingredients:

150g tofu (firm silken variety)

4 tbsp flaxseed oil

2½ tbsp cider vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

1½ tbsp water

Salt and pepper to taste (it will need quite a bit of seasoning as tofu doesn’t have much flavour)

Method

Just mix all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until emulsified and smooth. Simple!! It can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days but it is so simple to make that you could make a fresh batch as and when you need it.

You could of course leave out the tofu but it would be more of a vinaigrette, as the tofu is what makes it taste so creamy and similar to Ceasar dressing.

- Emma

Understanding the Importance of Balancing Omega-3 Against Omega-6

Omega-3 and Omega-6 are essential fatty acids, this means we cannot make them on our own and have to obtain them from our diet. Both are polyunsaturated fatty acids which leads us to assume they are a good addition to our diet in any amount, but this is not strictly true. Before we ate processed foods and had a more natural diet, we probably consumed Omega-3 and Omega-6 in roughly equal quantities. This natural balance has been interfered with by the increase in the consumption of red meat and by manufacturers adding refined oils to foods, therefore increasing our intake of Omega 6. It is this imbalance that can lead to inflammation, which in turn leads to various ailments such as arthritis. We need some Omega 6 in our bodies and if we try to consume this through natural products like nuts and seeds, which also contain Omega 3, we will be well on the way to helping our bodies back to a natural equalibrium.

So, to redress this imbalance we need to increase our Omega 3 intake and decrease our consumption of Omega 6. A good source of Omega-3 fatty acids is oily fish like tuna, salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel. One of the best concentrate of Omega-3 is contained in anchovies. As I already mentioned Omega 3 can be found in nuts and seeds, along with Omega-6 but it is the refined oils derived from them that can cause the most problems for arthritis sufferers.

It is important to include healthy oils into our diet to redress this imbalance. Flaxseed oil (also known as linseed oil) is the best form of oil to do this as the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 is high. Olive oil is the next best so if you try to eliminate other oils and red meat from your diet, and eat food high in Omega-3, you will start to rebalance your body and therefore reduce inflammation.

The following is taken from the University of Maryland Medical Centre's website:

'A healthy diet should consist of roughly 2 - 4 times fewer omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. The typical American diet, however, tends to contain 14 - 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. Many researchers believe this is a significant factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the United States.'

Read more: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/flaxseed-oil-000304.htm#ixzz1t9Au8nHZ

- Alison