In this issue:
Meow,
More and
more studies are pointing to inflammation as a common thread among chronic
illnesses, such as heart disease, asthma, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis!
Even
mainstream media is talking about the connection between inflammation and
disease.
If you’re strolling by any magazine rack, check out the recent Newsweek
special edition covering health in the 21st century.
Or
click here to order.
The recent Newsweek article touted plenty of new anti-inflammatory medications
(sigh, I’d have to say “paws down” on some of these meds, which tend to address
symptoms versus root causes of inflammation).
The article also pointed out that
healthy lifestyle changes, including nutrition and exercise, play a huge role in
preventing inflammation (ahem, “paws up” on this section)!
Inflammation and Diet
In 460 BC, the famous Greek physician, Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy
medicine and medicine be your food”.
In addition to all the other benefits of
food, food provides the nutritional building blocks for both pro- and
anti-inflammatory substances.
You need pro-inflammatory substances to fight
infections. You also need a balance of anti-inflammatory substances to turn off
the inflammatory process – otherwise, you have inflammation raging like a
wildfire within your body, causing tissue injury and ultimately chronic
diseases.
Alas, the typical American diet is heavily weighted toward
pro-inflammatory substances, including such seemingly-innocent Omega-6 fatty
acid culprits as:
- Polyunsaturated vegetable oils
- Partially hydrogenated oils
- Margarine
- Trans-fatty acids
Anti-inflammatory substances are the antidote, in
the form of Omega-3 fatty acids (think: salmon, sardines, mackerel, walnuts,
flax seed oil, and, the latest rage, chia seeds!).
We’ll spend more time on the
whole process of inflammation in our next newsletter (you know, the technical
details because “inquiring minds want to know”). For now, we decided to go light
on content, remind you to eat healthy, and to give you a little support with
some anti-inflammatory recipes for your weekend celebrations.
July 4th --
Anti-Inflammatory Picnic Recipes
Celebrate independence from inflammation this
July 4th with your very own anti-inflammatory picnic. I know, catchy concept,
eh?
If you’re looking for some good general resources on reducing inflammation,
check out The Inflammation Syndrome, by Jack Challem, and Stop Inflammation Now!
by Dr. Richard Flemming.
I lifted some of their recipes (maybe you’ll buy their
books, so they’ll drop this kat a cool thank you note sometime!). ^..^
Cold
Poached Salmon (Serves 4)
- 1 quart water
- 1 cup vermouth
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 carrot,
sliced
- 1 stalk of celery, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 large fillet of
salmon, with skin on one side
- 1 lemon
Fill a large, low-profile pot with water,
vermouth, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil,
then simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, completely wrap the salmon in a strip of
cheesecloth. Fold the cheesecloth so you can unwrap it slightly to check the
fish.
Leave the ends of the cheesecloth long enough to drape over the sides of
the pan (yet still safely away from the flames).
Insert the salmon into the
simmering broth. Bring the broth to a boil again, lower heat, and simmer. Allow
for 8 minutes per pound for the salmon to cook.
Unwrap salmon and test with a
fork to see if fish is done.
When salmon is cooked, lift it out of the pot by
grabbing it with the two ends of cheesecloth.
Place salmon on platter and remove
cheesecloth. Cover and chill.
When ready to serve, add slices of lemon for
additional flavor. Serve with cucumber yogurt sauce.
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cucumber peeled and grated
- 8
ounces plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 3 cloves pressed garlic
In a
mixing bowl, combine ingredients, blend thoroughly, chill for an hour, and serve.
Cranberry Walnut
Coleslaw (Serves 6)
This recipe includes Omega-3 rich walnuts as well as
fiber-rich cabbage and cranberries for a colorful salad.
- 1 cup walnuts, coarsely
chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups red cabbage, finely sliced
- 2 cups green
cabbage, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- Dressing
- 1/3 cup cider
vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup sugar (you can remove or replace with a
tsp of stevia!)
- 1 tsp celery seed
Mix the dressing ingredients together.
Put the
coleslaw ingredients into a bowl and toss with the dressing.
Cover and let
refrigerate about 3 hours before serving. Stir and drain off all liquid before
serving.
Marinated Vegetables (Serves 4)
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon – juice only
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 5 cups coarsely chopped veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel
sprouts, zucchini, carrots and/or green beans)
Blend olive oil, lemon juice, and
salt to make a marinade. Toss with cut-up veggies. Marinate in refrigerator for
24 hours, stir and serve.
Stewed Peaches (Serves 5)
- 4 pounds fresh peaches Water
to cover
- 2 tsp vanilla Grated rind of
- 1 lemon Wash peaches and halve them
lengthwise, removing pits. Cut each half in three slices.
Place peaches in
saucepan, cover with water, and add vanilla and lemon rind. Bring to a boil,
lower heat, and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Serve room temperature or cool.
And there you have it, some healthy “anti-inflammatory” recipes for your July
4th weekend.
No worries if you serve these dishes on Saturday or Sunday and
stick with your old favorites when its time to watch fireworks on Monday! It’s
Independence Day, after all.
O-k. Enough for today.
Stay safe, don’t hold the old sparklers on the wrong end,
and pullease, keep your noisy fireworks away from tender feline (and perhaps
canine) ears!
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
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