Today’s topic? Dr. Andrew Weil ~ and his Anti-Inflammatory Diet.
Is he a cutie, patootie? Or what?
A man who values his health? Someone smart and seems to be full of joy? Where are men like him hiding?
I’m just sayin’…..
Anyway, I have been reading his books for years. The Huffington Post calls him: “a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit”.
So, I’m at the check out counter at Sprouts…. heads up…. there he is on a magazine. But it’s no ordinary magazine… it’s his magazine. $14.95? I really did not want to pay $14.95 for a magazine but……..A Guide to Eating Healthy, and eating healthy is what I’m all about. So I thought: “Well, it’s not a sensational magazine. And I’ll probably learn something new. Ok. You’ve got me”.
So I bought it. And here’s what I’ll do ~ As I go along and read it, a couple of pages at a time, I’ll do a blog and fill you in…….point out what he says and what I think about it.
You must know by now that I base my ability to analyze health on the Wellness Lectures I host with Dr. Debbie Novick twice a month and my extensive knowledge about nutrition and changing recipes to make them more flavorful and nutritious, right? (Did I mention I go into restaurants and do that, retraining their chef and sous chefs)?
Well, yeeeaaah. If I want more restaurants that I can eat at …… a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do….. (if ya know what I mean).
Now, if you look at past blogs you will see that thru the holidays, I put myself on an anti-inflammatory diet. Not really a “diet”, because for me, I had a shift in my thought process. I shifted into being sure that I feel better when I’m not eating any sugar or things that turn right to sugar like pasta, bread, rice, and processed high carb items. I cut out everything (you may call me Saint Marian) except Protein, Veggies and Fruit. Started turning to gluten free products without sugar or rice in them. Started seeking out millet and tapioca as ingredients…. and it was amazing to me that the product I had always been told to consume (Whole Wheat) was actually something that gave me internal inflamation. Surprise! Surprise! Just cutting bread out alone, made a big difference in how I feel. And now, I’ve just started adding a few things back in, one by one. And one of those is an occasional gluten free wrap. There’s a place in Encinitas called ‘Healthy Creations’…. and they have a low mercury tuna wrap that is simply delish!
COME ON CHEF MARIAN! WE’RE WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT DR. WEIL, NOT YOUR OWN STUPID FOOD!
Ok. Ok. I ‘feel’ ya.
So here’s my first comment about this magazine: He talks about the difference between Omega 3 and Omega 6 connected to inflammation. Did you know there’s any problem with something called OMEGA anything? I thought Omega = good! N’est pas?
Well, here’s what he has to say: “There’s a very strong relationship between inflammation and the types of fats we consume”.
So I’m thinkin’ “Yeah. If we using things like canola oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil which our bodies can’t process, I’m sure that irritates our insides”…. But that’s not what he’s talking about. He’s talking about the difference between Omega 3 and Omega 6, saying that Omega 3 (found in oily, coldwater fish, fresh ground flax, and walnuts) tends to curb inflammation, while Omega 6 (found in seeds, nuts and oils extracted from them) tends to drive inflammation.
Are you kidding? That’s why I need to curb my intake of nuts and seeds? Well, that makes sense. Now I’m almost willing to skip the roasted cashews! (not) Come on! A few cashews never hurt anyone….. or did they? And I’ve seen quotes on the web that say: Not only do cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts, approximately 65% of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus 90% of this unsaturated fatty acid content is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Studies show that oleic acid promotes good cardiovascular health.
So here’s my deal: I’m NOT giving them up! lol.
And what about almonds? Almonds are good for you, no? Well, I’ll have to do more research or maybe it will come up later in this magazine…. about almonds. In the meantime, I’m going with a handful of almonds being and ‘ok’ thing.
After all, livestrong quotes Medical news today and tells us “The addition of almonds to your daily diet can help lower levels of LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol; they can increase your daily intake of numerous important nutrients; and they can help you maintain or achieve a healthy weight. Almonds are becoming a sort of superfood, and it’s no surprise when you take a close look at their nutritional content”. So I’m good for the moment.
And skimming ahead, he talks about soy oil being bad, saying that’s an Omega 6 to steer clear of. So, I’m good with that as well, Weil. I do steer clear of everything processed…. and guess what folks? Soy is processed.
Dr. Weil talks about chronic inflammation. When we think of any chronic condition, don’t we think… WE NEED TO STOP THIS?
Well, just think of this. Every time you put sugar or bread into your face, you are creating inflammation in your system. And if you’re doing that all the time, you… my friend, are creating chronic inflammation.
Mindful eating. It’s hard to get there, but once you do, you will be amazed at how you won’t even consider eating junk ~ except for every so often, when things don’t work out, and you’ve just gotta eat. But that’s the exception. Not your daily ritual. It’s a really nice space. Trust me.
Happy eating,
Chef Marian
mm@chefmarian.com