Food is not the only cause of chronic inflammation in your body, and it isn't the only cure, but it certain plays an important role. Research shows that even a standard-sized fast-food breakfast quickly floods the bloodstream with inflammatory compounds and keep levels high for the next 3 hours. If you have a fast-food meal for lunch as well, you start the cycle all over again.
Equally dangerous is the fact that most modern adults no longer eat a healthy combination of two important flats - omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. We need both for healthy brain function. But while two important omega-3s (eicosa-pentaenoic acid - EPA - and docosahexaenoic acid - DHA) reduce inflammation and prevent chronic health problems such as heart disease and arthritis, omega-6s tend to increase inflammation. Yet while early people ate these two fats in more or less balanced proportions - a ration of 1:1 or 2:1 omega-6 to omega-3 - today we eat 15 to 30 times more omega-6s.
Why? In part because we eat lots of processed foods, often dripping with corn, sunflower and soya bean oil, all top sources of omega-6s. We eat grain-fed beef and poultry instead of free-range meats (grass-fed animals have more omega-3s in their fat stores). Just as dangerous is skimping on good fats - the omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as salmon and also in nuts, leafy green vegetables and olive oil - as omega-3 deficiency can also promote inflammation.
The solution? Rebalance your fats by eating more fish, more nuts and more good-for-you oils. This could help to ease arthritis pain, relieve asthma, lessen symptoms of eczema and psoriasis and even cut your risk of depression.
In the long term, good fats may cut your risk of dangerous heart arrhythmias (out-of-sync heartbeats that can lead to a heart attack), high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, diabetes and even Alzheimer's disease.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SUPERFOODS: FISH, NUTS AND SEEDS, AND OILS
Fats equal bad. Carbohydrates equal food. Not too many years ago, those were the basic rules of healthy eating. How simplistic they were! In the previous section, we showed that the story isn't nearly that simple for carbs. Now it's whole grains equal food, refined grains equal bad.
Our understanding of fats has changed similarly. In the past 20 years, we have learned that certain fats are indeed among the most unhealthy foods you can eat, but other fats are among the most healthy. Don't worry, though - it's still pretty easy to separate the good fats from the bad. Here's the basic breakdown.
How good are good fats? Well, good enough that you should go out of your way to have plenty in your daily diet. We've already had one big reason: healthy fats reduce inflammation in your body, greatly reducing your risk of many major diseases. Another reason is that they help to shore up levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol, which may become more important than keeping 'bad' LDL low after about age 60.
Get started today by putting good-fat superfoods on your plate. And don't forget fruit and veg. They
BAD FATS: fats from pork, beef and other land animals and 'trans fats' artificially created in factories.
contain a natural form of salicylic acid, the same inflammation-cooling compound found in aspirin.
Here are the good-fat superfoods.
However, scientists think that any risk applies only to larger, predatory fish that accumulate especially high mercury levels - such as shark, swordfish and marlin and, to a lesser extent, tuna. Because of potential risks to the developing nervous system, the UK Food Standards Agency advises that pregant women, women intending to become pregnant and children under 16 should avoid shark,
GOOD FATS: fats from plants, such as those in nuts, olives and beans, and fats from most fish.
marlin and swordfish, and adults should eat no more than one portion of any of these fish once a week. Pregnant women should also limit the amount of tuna they eat to two fresh tuna steaks or four medium-sized cans a week. In addition, because toxins are especially concentrated in fatty tissue, it's not good idea to overdose on oily fish. Generally, men, boys and women past child-bearing age can eat up to four portions of oily fish a week, but girls and younger women are advised to limit consumption to two portions weekly.
Other than these precautions, most people can eat most types of fish quite safely and the benefits generally far outweigh the dangers. The best plan is to eat a wide variety of fish so you're not exposed to one potential source of toxins over and over again.
TO EAT MORE FISH
FULL-LIFE EATING GOAL: at least two servings a week
Have no-mess baked fish for dinner on Friday- and then have a double-good-fat fish sandwich for lunch on Wednesday Just place a fish fillet on a large sheet of foil and top with your choice of flavoursome additions (how about sun-dried tomatoes and chopped garlic with salmon, or slices of fresh lemon over flounder?) plus a splash of water, wine or fruit juice. Bake at 180 degrees C until cooked through, usually about 20 minutes.
On Wednesdays, mix canned salmon with a bit of low-fat mayonnaise and grated carrots and apples. Enjoy on high-fibre bread with a leafy green side salad.
Stocking up? Look beyond the fish counter It's a misconception that frozen and canned fish isn't as healthy as fresh, wild fish. In fact, because it's frozen soon after being caught, frozen fish is often 'fresher' than fresh, which may have spent several days in transit and sitting in the shop. Just let the fillets thaw in the fridge during the day, then grill with lemon or poach lightly.
And don't overlook canned fish. Oily fish are very suitable for canning and retain much of their nutrients - just avoid fish canned in brine (because of the high salt content) and make sure that fish in oil is drained well before serving. There's even affordable wild salmon hiding in the canned foods aisle. Canned red or pink salmon is usually wild, not farmed - full of omega-3s and low in contaminants.
Love prawns? Don't wait for company Prawn cocktail and peel-and-eat prawns are fun and easy ways to work more low-fat protein into your week. And don't be swayed by the high-cholesterol prawn scare. Prawns quickly cholesterol count - about 200mg in 12 large ones, about the same as in one large egg - could make you pass up this low-calorie delicacy. But for most of us, prawns should get the green light. In fact, the 'bad' cholesterol in foods but from saturated fat - and prawns have exceedingly low levels of this. What's more, research shows that although prawns raise 'bad' LDL cholesterol by 7 percent, they also boost 'good' HDL cholesterol even higher and decrease heart threatening blood fats called triglycerides by 13 percent. The bottom line is that they are a heart-friendly food.
Equally dangerous is the fact that most modern adults no longer eat a healthy combination of two important flats - omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. We need both for healthy brain function. But while two important omega-3s (eicosa-pentaenoic acid - EPA - and docosahexaenoic acid - DHA) reduce inflammation and prevent chronic health problems such as heart disease and arthritis, omega-6s tend to increase inflammation. Yet while early people ate these two fats in more or less balanced proportions - a ration of 1:1 or 2:1 omega-6 to omega-3 - today we eat 15 to 30 times more omega-6s.
Why? In part because we eat lots of processed foods, often dripping with corn, sunflower and soya bean oil, all top sources of omega-6s. We eat grain-fed beef and poultry instead of free-range meats (grass-fed animals have more omega-3s in their fat stores). Just as dangerous is skimping on good fats - the omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as salmon and also in nuts, leafy green vegetables and olive oil - as omega-3 deficiency can also promote inflammation.
The solution? Rebalance your fats by eating more fish, more nuts and more good-for-you oils. This could help to ease arthritis pain, relieve asthma, lessen symptoms of eczema and psoriasis and even cut your risk of depression.
In the long term, good fats may cut your risk of dangerous heart arrhythmias (out-of-sync heartbeats that can lead to a heart attack), high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, diabetes and even Alzheimer's disease.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SUPERFOODS: FISH, NUTS AND SEEDS, AND OILS
Fats equal bad. Carbohydrates equal food. Not too many years ago, those were the basic rules of healthy eating. How simplistic they were! In the previous section, we showed that the story isn't nearly that simple for carbs. Now it's whole grains equal food, refined grains equal bad.
Our understanding of fats has changed similarly. In the past 20 years, we have learned that certain fats are indeed among the most unhealthy foods you can eat, but other fats are among the most healthy. Don't worry, though - it's still pretty easy to separate the good fats from the bad. Here's the basic breakdown.
How good are good fats? Well, good enough that you should go out of your way to have plenty in your daily diet. We've already had one big reason: healthy fats reduce inflammation in your body, greatly reducing your risk of many major diseases. Another reason is that they help to shore up levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol, which may become more important than keeping 'bad' LDL low after about age 60.
Get started today by putting good-fat superfoods on your plate. And don't forget fruit and veg. They
BAD FATS: fats from pork, beef and other land animals and 'trans fats' artificially created in factories.
contain a natural form of salicylic acid, the same inflammation-cooling compound found in aspirin.
Here are the good-fat superfoods.
- No other food comes close to delivering the high-quality, high-concentration omega-3s you'll find in salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and other oily, cold-water fish. They're the richest sources of the two most powerful omega-3s, EPA and DHA. Fish is so powerful that even just three servings a month could cut your risk of stroke by 40 percent; two meals a week could slash your heart attack odds by 59 percent. Yet most of us manage just 115g of fish a month.
However, scientists think that any risk applies only to larger, predatory fish that accumulate especially high mercury levels - such as shark, swordfish and marlin and, to a lesser extent, tuna. Because of potential risks to the developing nervous system, the UK Food Standards Agency advises that pregant women, women intending to become pregnant and children under 16 should avoid shark,
GOOD FATS: fats from plants, such as those in nuts, olives and beans, and fats from most fish.
marlin and swordfish, and adults should eat no more than one portion of any of these fish once a week. Pregnant women should also limit the amount of tuna they eat to two fresh tuna steaks or four medium-sized cans a week. In addition, because toxins are especially concentrated in fatty tissue, it's not good idea to overdose on oily fish. Generally, men, boys and women past child-bearing age can eat up to four portions of oily fish a week, but girls and younger women are advised to limit consumption to two portions weekly.
Other than these precautions, most people can eat most types of fish quite safely and the benefits generally far outweigh the dangers. The best plan is to eat a wide variety of fish so you're not exposed to one potential source of toxins over and over again.
- Crunchy, tasty nuts and seeds are rich sources of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and even, in a few cases, of plant-based omega-3s that may play a special role in preventing our cancer and heart disease. With nuts, a little is good, but more isn't better. All that fat makes them high in calories. For a 100 calorie snack, all you need are 8 walnut halves, 16 to 20 almonds, 10 to 12 cashews, 10 pecans, 7 or 8 macadamia nuts, 15 hazelnuts or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
- More over sunflower, soya bean and corn oil. The good fats found in olive, grapeseed, walnut and pumpkin oil have proven health benefits and can help you to establish a healthier, more natural balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
TO EAT MORE FISH
FULL-LIFE EATING GOAL: at least two servings a week
Have no-mess baked fish for dinner on Friday- and then have a double-good-fat fish sandwich for lunch on Wednesday Just place a fish fillet on a large sheet of foil and top with your choice of flavoursome additions (how about sun-dried tomatoes and chopped garlic with salmon, or slices of fresh lemon over flounder?) plus a splash of water, wine or fruit juice. Bake at 180 degrees C until cooked through, usually about 20 minutes.
On Wednesdays, mix canned salmon with a bit of low-fat mayonnaise and grated carrots and apples. Enjoy on high-fibre bread with a leafy green side salad.
Stocking up? Look beyond the fish counter It's a misconception that frozen and canned fish isn't as healthy as fresh, wild fish. In fact, because it's frozen soon after being caught, frozen fish is often 'fresher' than fresh, which may have spent several days in transit and sitting in the shop. Just let the fillets thaw in the fridge during the day, then grill with lemon or poach lightly.
And don't overlook canned fish. Oily fish are very suitable for canning and retain much of their nutrients - just avoid fish canned in brine (because of the high salt content) and make sure that fish in oil is drained well before serving. There's even affordable wild salmon hiding in the canned foods aisle. Canned red or pink salmon is usually wild, not farmed - full of omega-3s and low in contaminants.
Love prawns? Don't wait for company Prawn cocktail and peel-and-eat prawns are fun and easy ways to work more low-fat protein into your week. And don't be swayed by the high-cholesterol prawn scare. Prawns quickly cholesterol count - about 200mg in 12 large ones, about the same as in one large egg - could make you pass up this low-calorie delicacy. But for most of us, prawns should get the green light. In fact, the 'bad' cholesterol in foods but from saturated fat - and prawns have exceedingly low levels of this. What's more, research shows that although prawns raise 'bad' LDL cholesterol by 7 percent, they also boost 'good' HDL cholesterol even higher and decrease heart threatening blood fats called triglycerides by 13 percent. The bottom line is that they are a heart-friendly food.
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