To try to ward off heart disease, cancer, and dementia, the registered dietitian Amy Buckley regularly fills her plate with fish, veggies, and beans. That’s because fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants can help reduce chronic inflammation.
Unlike acute inflammation, the body’s natural response to infection or injury, which manifests as redness, swelling, and itchiness, chronic inflammation is associated with an increased risk of chronic health problems.
What we eat can promote or reduce bodily levels of inflammation through multiple pathways, Buckley, who works at The Gut Health Clinic in London, told Business Insider.
The saturated fats in fried foods can activate immune cells that trigger inflammation, she said. While low gut microbiome diversity, which can be the result of a low-fiber diet, has been linked to higher markers of inflammation.
“There is no single ‘anti-inflammatory diet,'” Buckley, who is completing a Ph.D. at King’s College London, investigating the role of diet and the gut microbiome in irritable bowel disease, an inflammatory condition, said.
But people who follow the Mediterranean Diet, which contains lots of fresh produce, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, have been found to have less inflammation and better heart health.
Buckley eats this way herself, but isn’t restrictive. “I have chocolate in the evenings. I have ice cream on a sunny day,” she said.
Here are Buckley’s five go-to anti-inflammatory dinners, which support gut health.
A big mixed salad, with halloumi cheese and bread on the side
On a warm evening, Buckley will often throw together a “massive” salad with little gem lettuce, olives, peppers, and pickled cabbage if she has it. She likes to add beans to her salads for extra fiber and protein.
“Just put beans into things when you can,” she said.
As well as a good source of fiber, which feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, beans contain polyphenols, plant-based compounds that help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
To bulk the salad out, Buckley might add some grilled halloumi cheese, which contains some protein, and pair it with sourdough or whole grain bread.
Roast chicken with sweet potatoes
When Buckley wants a more substantial dinner, she roasts a chicken and some sweet potatoes and pairs them with a big mixed salad.
Sweet potatoes are a resistant starch, meaning they break down into helpful molecules in the gut. They also contain fiber and antioxidants.
Tofu stir-fry
Buckley is a big fan of a tofu stir-fry with brown rice. She starts by marinading the tofu in soy sauce and a spicy sauce, then fries it with sugar snap peas, bok choy, and tender stem broccoli. When she’s feeling fancy, she makes a sauce to drizzle on top using tahini, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
In a pestle and mortar, she then grinds up some peanuts and sesame seeds to sprinkle over the dish for extra flavor and fiber.
Wholegrain pasta with tomato sauce
For a super simple dinner, Buckley throws together pasta with “a really nice tomato sauce with vegetables.” She uses wholewheat pasta, because it’s more nutrient-dense than its white counterpart, and usually adds some chickpeas to boost the fiber content.
Then she tops it off with a sprinkling of cheese.
Grilled fish with salad and starch
For another simple dinner, Buckley likes to grill a piece of fish. She’s a fan of seabass, but oily fish, such as salmon, trout, and sardines, are particularly rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, she said.
Before grilling, Buckley seasons the fish with lots of extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs, which she keeps in the freezer, and pairs it with a salad and rice or potatoes.
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