Revitalize Your Well-being With Nourishing Anti-Inflammatory Recipes to Conquer Stress, Accelerate Healing, and Bolster Immunity

Inflammation can wreak havoc on your health. It’s the body’s natural reaction to a stressor, which can be an injury, illness, infection or even a tough workout. Acute inflammation is a good thing, as long as it resolves the effects of stress on the body in the short term. But when it is chronic, occurring at high levels over a period of time due to a lack of sleep, poor diet, repeated infections, or other health conditions, it can lead to digestive problems, reduce the body’s ability to heal and lower immunity, leading to inflammatory diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.

Exercise, getting enough rest and reducing emotional stress are ways to reduce inflammation in your body. As far as eating right, Grace O, founder of FoodTrients, believes that there are many foods that help reduce or avoid chronic inflammation and regularly features them on the FoodTrients website. Fortunately, they are easy to work into your diet and quite delicious.

“I keep coming back to the Mediterranean diet, which is high in lean proteins like fish, as well as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low saturated fats such as olive oil that help with reducing inflammation in the body,” Grace says. “And if you look at some of the ‘blue zones’ including Icaria, Greece, and Sardinia, Italy, the long, healthy lives of those residents are attributed to their Mediterranean diet and a lifestyle of integrated physical activity and social connections.”

Following are two of Grace’s recipes that are high in anti-inflammatory ingredients and are excellent additions to any dietary regimen. To see the complete list of anti-inflammatory recipes click here.

Recipes and photos may be reprinted with the following credit:

Recipe(s) reprinted with permission of www.FoodTrients.com, Photo(s) Getty Images

Quinoa Chili with Sweet Potatoes

Serves 5

This is a hearty vegetarian ‘chili’ loaded with flavor and nutrition. It contains 39 percent of the RDA for fiber, 24 percent for protein, 215 percent of vitamin A, which protects vision, boosts the immune system and is beneficial to reproduction, growth, and development. Vitamin A also helps keep the heart, lungs, and other organs working properly.

Ingredients

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

2 (12 oz.) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ -inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 poblano peppers, diced

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1 qt. unsalted vegetable broth

1 (10 oz.) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles

2 cups of water, divided

1 cup uncooked white or multicolored quinoa

1 ½ cans (about 23 oz.) of no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed

½ teaspoon salt

Sliced jalapeño peppers, plain Greek yogurt, and cilantro for serving

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and lightly charred, 6-to-7 minutes.
2. Add onion and poblanos; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, green chiles, and 1 cup of water. Cover, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.
4. Stir in quinoa, beans, and salt. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes, adding the remaining 1 cup of water during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Garnish with jalapeño slices, Greek yogurt, and cilantro.

Savory Oatmeal with Baby Spinach and Poached Egg

Serves 4

Whole grains are a key part of a Mediterranean diet, plus they are hearty and satisfying. This recipe provides the protein and vitamins from the egg. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, iron, folate, and potassium. Spinach also adds some protein to your diet. The oatmeal provides antioxidants, improves insulin response, lowers blood sugar, improves cholesterol levels, promotes healthy bacteria in the digestive tract while it’s also a good source of vitamins and minerals including magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, folate, and vitamins B-1 and B-5. Cooking the oats in the skillet with the onions gives it a risotto-like texture.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups water

4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1 cup), divided

1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 cups washed baby spinach (about 2 oz.)

4 large eggs, poached*

2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3-to-4 minutes. Stir in oats; cook 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring often, until oats are tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Stir ¾ cup cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper into oats mixture. Spoon ½ cup of oats mixture into each of 4 serving bowls; top each with ½ cup spinach and 1 poached egg. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper to taste, and top evenly with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Sprinkle evenly with chives.

*For perfect poached eggs:

• Use the freshest eggs possible. Crack each egg into its own ramekin; pour the egg into a fine mesh strainer to remove the watery part of the white to avoid the ‘whispies’.
• Fill a large pot with about 3 inches of water; bring to a boil; add 1 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar.
• Turn down the heat to barely a simmer; spin the water to create a vortex; place the egg into the center of the vortex; leave in for about 3 minutes.
• Once the white is opaque, gently scoop out the egg with a skimmer and place it on a paper towel. Repeat with all the eggs.
• Just before serving, place all the eggs into a bowl of hot water to heat.

About FoodTrients

FoodTrients® is a philosophy and a resource dedicated to the foods and rejuvenating nutrients that help us fight the diseases of aging and promote longevity. All of the recipes combine modern scientific research and medicinal herbs and ingredients from cultures around the world. They’re loaded with flavor and superfoods, which promote wellness, increase energy and vitality, improve skin, and help people look and feel younger.

About Grace O

Over a span of 30 years, Grace O has built an impressive record of business achievement, community building, philanthropy, and community service in California. Guided by her spirit of entrepreneurship and building on a model of generosity learned from her family, Grace has spent a lifetime helping people heal through food and medicine. Grace launched FoodTrients.com in 2010 where she shares age-defying superfoods from around the world and creates delicious recipes with them. Grace is the author of three award-winning cookbooks—The Age GRACEfully Cookbook: The Power of FOODTRIENTS to Promote Health and Well-being for a Joyful and Sustainable Life; The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World, and the multi-award-winning Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World.

For more information and recipes visit www.FoodTrients.com.