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Get Your Anti inflammatory Food List PDF

Would you like to get an anti-inflammatory food list pdf to help you choose the best foods to boost your immune system and prevent chronic disease?

You may have heard about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet and its anti inflammatory benefits. In 2017, an article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology titled Trending Cardiovascular Nutrition Controversies.

This publication includes a great infographic, Evidence for Cardiovascular Health Impact of Foods Reviewed. I hope that you get to look at it because it contains a lot of great information. One of the things it mentions is that foods prepared in the traditional Southern way of eating may be linked to heart disease.

How can a Anti Inflammatory Diet Can Improve Your Health?

Plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy plant fats like olive oil and avocados are full of antioxidants and phytochemicals, which help prevent and heal the inflammation in our body. Fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, also help the body fight inflammation.

Reducing chronic inflammation in your body can promote heart health and prevent other chronic diseases!

Ultra-processed foods, such as added sugars, too much-saturated fat, and processed meats, increase inflammation. Sign up for my free e-mail class to learn more about chronic inflammation!

Here is a blog post on my website that talks more about inflammation:

I have been thinking for quite some time about a blog post sharing how traditional Southern foods can be prepared in a heart-healthy way while still tasting delicious. A menu plan that I think is one of the best anti-inflammatory ideas I have seen. That is why I named this post the Mediterranean Diet Appalachian Style!

My Inspiration for a Southern Mediterranean Diet Appalachian Style

I have lived in Southern Appalachia for almost 12 years now, and when I moved here, I was so happy to learn about the incredible local food scene in Asheville. Many foods grown and raised here provide many of the same health benefits as those found in the Mediterranean Region.

I named this way of eating the Mediterranean Diet Appalachian Style the best of both worlds: eating seasonally and locally and being one of the best anti-inflammatory eating styles around! Let’s talk a little bit about the eating pattern for a anti inflammatory diet in Appalachian/Southern diet!

Foods On the Mediterranean Diet Appalachian Style?

1. Healthy Fats: 

Our region has native nuts full of healthy fats, like pecans and black walnuts, and a few lesser-known ones, like hickory and chestnut. Feel free to add extra virgin olive oil and avocado to the mix, too!

 2. Beans:

 Heirloom beans like black-eyed peas, greasy beans, and field peas are available in our region and provide a slightly different twist than the beans traditionally eaten in the Mediterranean region.

3. Fruits and Vegetables:

Plants have historically been a staple of the Southern Diet, and many traditional meals are plant-based.

4. Whole Grains:

Cornbread is a traditional bread in the Asheville region. Rice is also commonly served with meals (choose brown rice), and Carolina Ground, a local grain mill, supports wheat growth in the area. These are Southern Staples that can be Mediterranean Diet grains.

5. Fresh Water or Farm-Raised Trout:

Farm-raised trout can be almost equal in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids to wild salmon. Grass-fed meats and other plant foods, such as greens and hemp seeds grown locally, are also great sources.

6. Grass Fed Meat and Chicken:

For the Mediterranean diet meat options, try grass-fed protein is higher in omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed.

7. Herbs and Spices:

Herbs and spices make food more flavorful, and many have great anti-inflammatory value for our health!

Because of the anti-inflammatory effects of this diet, the Mediterranean Diet for high blood pressure is successful, as is the Mediterranean diet for cholesterol lowering.

8. High-calcium foods:

Whether the typical Mediterranean diet dairy, plant-based milk made from traditional ingredients, or other high-calcium foods, this group is essential to healthy blood pressure, bones, and teeth.

3 Recipes Using Local Southern Foods That Help Fight Inflammation

Black Eyed Pea Bowls

The first recipe is called Black Eyed Pea Bowls. It was inspired by a dish served at Tupelo Honey Cafe, a well-known farm-to-table restaurant that started in Asheville and now is regional in our area. I use fresh okra in the summer; when it is out of season, I use frozen okra in recipes. However, I also want to share a variation today of substituting sweet potatoes with okra during the winter months.

I have a few clients who have asked me:

Can you eat sweet potatoes on the Mediterranean diet?

My answer, yes you can and it is a staple for people eating the Mediterranean Diet Appalachian Style!

Check out the blog post below for the Black-Eyed Pea Bowl Recipe! You can use sweet potatoes or okra in your recipe—you can even use them both!

Spring Strawberry Asparagus Salad

Spring means asparagus and strawberries, and I hope this recipe will soon become your new favorite salad! A little sweet, a little tart, and a little savory, this salad is full of flavor. I used aged Parmesan cheese to make my cheese curls to garnish the salad, but you can also use local cheese. Here is a list of cheeses in our region, WNC Cheese Trail.

Makes 4-5 servings.

One bunch of fresh asparagus

2 cups fresh strawberries

1/4-1/3 cup red onion rings

1-2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Approximately 1 ounce large Parmesan curls, see below (but you could use hard, aged local cheese)

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 of a freshly squeezed lemon

Two teaspoon honey

Two teaspoon chia

Salt and pepper to taste

Carefully wash the the asparagus and gently trim the stems on the end. Heat a medium saucepan with the bottle and begin boiling. While the water is heating, add water and ice to a large bowl. 

Place the asparagus in the saucepan for a few minutes until the spears become bright green. Take out with tongs and then plunge into the bowl. Remove it and let it dry on a clean kitchen towel. Place gently on a medium platter.

Wash and stem the strawberries. Slice in half and lay carefully on top of the asparagus. Sprinkle with walnuts. Carefully shave large slices of Parmesan cheese with a cheese cutter or vegetable. Prepare salad dressing by adding olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon, honey, salt, and pepper to taste. Shake well and drizzle over salad. Gently sprinkle with chia seeds.

Spring Strawberry Asparagus Salad Recipe in one of the best anti-inflammatory diets
This salad highlights two of my favorite things from the garden!
Pecan Encrusted Trout Recipe for one of the best anti-inflammatory diets
One of my favorite dishes is much lighter, but you won’t notice the difference! Get your anti-inflammatory diet food list pdf.
Pecan Encrusted Trout Over Greens

Makes four fillets.

A few years ago, I fell in love with pecan-encrusted trout! This recipe is a lightened version of the other, but it still has all the great flavors! It is also very quick to make! My picture does not show the fish over greens, but it is a delicious variation!

Four trout fillets (approximately 4-5 ounces)

One tablespoon melted Smart Balance or butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (can use gluten-free)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

One teaspoon of garlic powder

One egg

1/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a glass pie plate, beat the egg, add milk, and melt butter or margarine. Mix breadcrumbs with chopped pecans, salt, pepper, and garlic powder on a separate plate.

Dip the skinned side of the fish in the egg wash and gently press into the crumb mixture.  Place fish on a lightly greased cookie sheet pecan side up. Repeat this process for each filet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet with a spatula.

Check out the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Programs Food Guide for a great resource on local food in Western North Carolina. The Local Food Guide is a wonderful resource for helping you find local farms, tailgate markets, and farm-to-table restaurants.

I also did an interview with one of our local newspapers on diet, and Asheville-area providers recommend ways to reduce inflammation and boost immunity | Mountain Xpress .

Get Your Anti-Inflammatory Food List PDF

Here is an anti-inflammatory food list pdf that you can use to eat more foods that benefit your health. It also includes a sample Mediterranean diet that may help lower blood pressure and a one-day anti-inflammatory meal plan pdf.

The Appalachian Pyramid

I had the opportunity to partner with Metro Wine Asheville to present the Mediterranean Diet Appalachian Style with Andy Hale of Asheville School of Wine. We paired some Appalachian-inspired small plates with wine, and I shared more about how to try this way of eating. My friend and artist, Rachel Kanter, helped me realize my vision of the Appalachian Pyramid just in time for this class. Thank you so much, Rachel!

The Appalachian Pyramid is one of the best anti-inflammatory diets for my clients who want to eat local food and also want great ideas for anti-inflammatory meals. I will assemble more delicious recipes and menu plans using inspiration from the new Appalachian Pyramid! It could also be referred to as the Med South Diet because many of the same foods eaten in Appalachia are eaten in the South.

One of the Best Anti-inflammatory diets, theAppalachian Food Pyramid
A new anti-inflammatory food list to follow healthy seasonal eating and embrace food grown where we live!

Mediterranean Plant-based Diet

I hope you enjoy these recipes and that they will inspire you to eat healthier whether you live in Southern Appalachia or elsewhere! My new anti-inflammatory diet plan takes the best of the Mediterranean Principles and food locally, regionally, here in the south to make the best anti-inflammatory diet!

I have embraced many delicious traditions here in Western North Carolina and have been fortunate to make them heart-healthy without losing the flavor.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Asheville, I love helping others feel their best and become healthier. If you are new to my blog, welcome, and if you have come by again, thank you.

I hope that you feel inspired to make something delicious! I just added some free seasonal food posters .

And don’t forget to download your list of anti-inflammatory foods pdf!

You can find out more about healthy eating and the immune system here!

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