I understand the need to not feel like you’re depriving yourself. Not only is it intimidating to think you have to cut out your favorite treats, but it’s just plain not fun. However, if you think about how much your quality of life will improve if you can lessen the inflammation in your body, it is totally worth it!
Not only can inflammation cause uncomfortable symptoms like joint pain and intestinal problems, but if it is allowed to go on unchecked, it can create chronic disease like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease or worse. Even low grade inflammation can have no obvious symptoms! (Source) I don’t want that for you. I want you to be able to enjoy your life and live it to the fullest.
Thankfully there are ways you can have your treats without the negative effects of inflammation-causing ingredients. All we have to do is get creative and do a little extra research.
Attention: Wine Lovers!!
Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide worldwide. Which is concerning since in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Yikes!
Most wines are sourced globally from small biodynamic wineries and Dry Farms Wine tests each wine to make sure they are all glyphosate free. Their wines are lower in sugar and alcohol as well! That means no hangover! Yeah! Read more about why they only use international vendors.
If you do choose to drink alcohol, they are your safest bet for doing so safely while minimizing inflammation!
I LOVE Chocolate!
I think it’s widely accepted at this point that added sugar is the cause of a lot of disease, especially in the United States. Many studies have found a link between sugar and chronic inflammatory diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. (Source)
It’s simply not worth the danger it causes! My hands tend to ache the morning after I consume too much sugar so for me, it’s just not worth it!
With no calories and and a low glycemic index, stevia is a much better choice than processed sugar.
I personally love Lily’s Stevia-Sweetened Chocolate and Phi Kind’s Truffles. Phi Kind even incorporates inflammation-fighting ingredients like coconut oil, inulin, turmeric and MCT oil into some of their products! Win-win. And they are DELICIOUS!
Gluten, a protein found in grains, has been found to increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and create chronic inflammation in the body—which, as we have seen, in turn can result in various diseases. (Source)
A relatively simple switch so you don’t have to give up your favorite baked goods entirely is to opt for gluten free flour. When you are choosing a gluten free product, make sure that the company does its due diligence in truly keeping their products gluten free.
I love using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour as an alternative. They have a dedicated gluten-free facility and test each batch to ensure no cross-contamination has occurred! Julian Bakery also has hundreds of yummy gluten free products to choose from.
An interesting observation in my own health is that I tend to have a reaction to products containing gluten that are made in the US. I do not, however, react to organic, non-GMO wheat flour imported from Italy. That says a lot about how denatured our food has become here in the United States.
For all the same reasons above, PLUS the added benefits of getting anti-inflammatory and micronutrient dense veggies in your diet!
Some of my favorite swaps are lettuce wraps for tortillas (butter lettuce holds up nicely), cauliflower rice instead of traditional rice, and zucchini noodles instead of wheat noodles.
Some supermarkets even offer pre-riced cauliflower and pre-spiralized zucchini. This takes even less work off your plate (pun intended), making this swap as easy as buying a box of traditional spaghetti noodles! No excuses here. 🙂
Hear me out before you roll your eyes! Not only is the protein casein found in most dairy known to be highly inflammatory (source), but it’s often full of hormones and antibiotics.
However I know that cheese is a much loved food item for a lot of people, so I’m offering up a solution: nut cheese! You can find dairy-free cheese at the grocery store, but be on the lookout for additives.
To be extra safe, make your own nut cheese at home! This recipe for sliceable cashew cheese looks delicious. If you give it a try, let me know how it turned out.
Another food swap you can use to reduce your exposure to inflammation causing compounds is yogurt. Like cheese, there are several recipes out there for creating your own coconut milk yogurt, as well as pre-made options online or in the store.
If you go for a store-bought coconut milk yogurt, get the unsweetened variety to avoid the added sugars that sweetened versions come laden with.
I hope these food swaps help you begin to make some healthy lifestyle changes! Drop me a line or let me know what you think of these food hacks! Enjoy!
7 comments. Leave new
Trina, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2017. Had a hysterectomy and 3 rounds of chemo. Can you share with me what you have done to keep yourself cancer free? I’m trying everything I read about, but I’d love information from a true survivor!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!❤️
There’s a lot of layers to that answer!It’s best if you call the office and find a few minutes to chat with me. Here’s the office number 831-373-6204 if you’d like to schedule.
Trina, thank you so very much for all this great information! I was diagnosed with RA a good many years ago but am in remission. I still have some symptoms as I am getting older. I had come to the conclusion it was in large part caused by stress. Recently,I,have been reading that the foods I hhabe been eating could be the cause of my symptoms but have never seen such great ideas for swaps for some of my favorite foods. I will definitely be trying them. Congratulations and God bless your good health.
You are very welcome! Food can be a really big trigger for RA and so can certain types of bacterial overgrowth. Many times I’ll see an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut which trigger RA too. QPCR stool testing can be extremely helpful when figuring out the RA triggers and what’s going on in the gut. Then you can do something about it. 🙂
Thank you for the reccomendations, sooo much info on what not to consume is a bit daunting, refreshing to have doable alt’s.
You’re welcome. Just take it one step at a time. Slow and steady wins the race. 🙂
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