When I first got my MS diagnosis, I was totally adrift. I didn't know a lot about the disease, what causes it or just what to do about it...If there was even anything I could do about it. So, I did what I always do when I am freaked-out by something; I research the holy hell out of it until it's not scary anymore.
By speaking to others who have this disease, reading up on countless websites, cookbooks and pamphlets and asking for help from the nurses at the MS Clinic, I noticed a ton of buzz about anti-inflammatory foods.
The first thing that my neurologist did when she saw that I was smack-dab in the middle of a horrific relapse was to put me on a 3-day course of IV Prednisone; a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. After this procedure helped me, I got to wondering if foods that are naturally anti-inflammatory would help my symptoms too.
I'm not going to list items that are uber-gross or anything; these are all things that I've been incorporating into my diet that are readily available. You won't have to visit a voodoo priestess to find them...
* Omega 3 Fatty Acids - Found in wild salmon, flax seed, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, avocados and small fish like sardines and herring. (Or you can take an Omega 3 supplement too - I take 2 per day).
* All berries but especially blueberries, cherries, apples, pears, grapefruit, papaya and plums.
* Onions, garlic, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, sweet potato, and shiitake mushrooms.
* Green tea, dark chocolate
* Turmeric, oregano, rosemary and ginger.
* Red wine. (Yes, for real)
So, see, not so hard. I use nearly all of the above all of the time and incorporate anti-inflammatory items into everything. For example, tonight I made scrambled eggs and added some turmeric. I also had organic oatmeal with dried blueberries, cranberries, flax seed, apples and chopped cashews mixed in. That is a mighty yummy breakfast-for-dinner anti-inflammatory powerhouse right there folks. And, I despise cooking so, it only took five minutes to throw together.
A simple rule to going anti-inflammatory is to stay away from all processed foods and eat as natural as possible. Yes, this means driving right by McDonald's even when you have PMS or are hungover...seriously, just look away.
Do you follow an anti-inflammatory diet? If so, send me your favourite items or recipes and I'll share them here...
2 comments:
brinkka2011 says: Wow, superb blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is magnificent, as well as the content!
Thank you very much Brinkka! I have been blogging since April 2011 and it is actually rather easy once you get the hang of it. I use Google Blogger and I find my inspiration from absolutely everywhere.
Let me know if there is a particular topic you'd like me to write about...Ali.
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