Anti-Inflammatory Foods | Gotta Eat, Can't Cook

Archive for the ‘Anti-Inflammatory Foods’ Category

April 22nd, 2022

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Breakfast, Cycling Food, Running Food

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Easy Improvisation on Pineapple, Yogurt, Jam & Dried Fruit

Before getting to the very easy, fully flavorful improvisation, I want to finish the story from the last post about how to speed up pineapple ripening that I’ll lay out in this equation.

My unripe pineapple in a paper bag for 2 days = ripe pineapple

All right! With that freshly ripened pineapple good to go, I could then put together and shoot Pineapple, Berries, Nut Butter, Yogurt, Jam & Dried Fruit, which looks as shown below and is a quick and easy twist on the base Pineapple, Yogurt, Jam & Dried Fruit recipe.

Here’s all you need to make Pineapple, Berries, Nut Butter, Yogurt, Jam & Dried Fruit. And just as I mention in the picture book recipe, all the ingredients you see below work great together, but they’re only suggestions. Imagination is always your only limit to alternative or added ingredients you can use to make this richly flavorful dish all your own.

Click this link or any picture on this page for complete picture book directions.

January 14th, 2022

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blog, Breakfast, Food & Health, Nutrition

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High Fiber Flaxseed, Chia Seed & Nutritional Yeast Boost

This mix of flaxseeds,chia seeds and nutritional yeast is an excellent fiber and vitamin B boost to any meal

Last post talked about fiber and why we need it in our diet. This post shows how to make a practical mix of high fiber flaxseeds and chia seeds with the added optional benefit of nutritional yeast.

As I mention in the “Tips” section of the picture book directions you can get here, the mix of ground flax and chia seeds with nutritional yeast you see here is no “magic bullet”, but it sure helped improve both my gut health and vitamin B12 levels. My gut was in bad shape years ago due to poor stress management and a long history of prescribed antibiotic use, mostly for frequent middle ear infections. My vitamin B12 level was low due to not eating much animal protein.

I’ve since learned – and continue to learn – a lot about what goes on in our gut, how to manage stress much better and have changed my eating habits. More about both gut health and stress management soon. Regarding food, once I got “clued in” to the very new science of gut health 10-15 years ago, I’ve been eating a varied, well-balanced high-fiber whole food diet that is mostly plant based but is also strong in fish, poultry and meat. And I still use the mix of seeds and nutritional yeast you see here everyday as a fiber and vitamin B complex boost. Here’s how I had it this morning for breakfast with fresh fruit and yogurt.

Here’s how I’ve used it recently with both sweeter or more savory meals – all fully flavorful.

Sweet and savory meals topped with a mix of flaxseeds, chia seeds and nutritional yeast

Click this link or any picture on this page for picture book directions that show how to make this flaxseed, chia seed and nutritional yeast boost.

August 23rd, 2021

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Cycling Food, Dessert, Fitness Food

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Fully Flavorful Banana Ice Cream Picture Book Directions

This easy-to-make, fully flavorful banana ice cream is made with only the 3 ingredients shown below: bananas, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon – no cream or sugar at all. Best of all, with those 3 simple ingredients as a base, you can use your imagination to take flavor as far as you want to go. I’ll show you some examples over the next couple posts.

The only kicker: you’ll need a sturdy food processor, as shown below, to make this recipe. If you don’t have one, either click this link for mash and freeze banana ice cream, which doesn’t require a food processor, or borrow a food processor from a friend or relative and make enough banana ice cream to share with them.

Click this link or any picture on this page for easy-to-follow 3 ingredient banana ice cream picture book directions.

May 12th, 2019

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Cycling Food, Dessert, Fitness Food, How To & Tips, Nuts

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Easy Chopped Nuts Picture Directions

Last post mentioned that I’d next show how to make a mix of chopped nuts and ground flaxseed that I use with much more than the Bell Pepper with Cilantro Pesto-Hummus and Cheese I showed how to make. As a first step, though, I thought I’d show here how to chop nuts as quickly and easily as possible.

Nuts are a fantastic source of plant-based protein and healthy fats. I put them in cereal, with fruit and yogurt, in salads, with pasta or grains, and much more. The only thing to watch for with nuts is that they are packed with calories. Moderation is key.

And, that’s why I find it best to use chopped nuts exactly as needed instead of having a bag of those same nuts at my side to feed from, which I certainly have done – and paid for dearly.

There are two ways I chop nuts: with a food processor (preferred) or with a coffee grinder (fine for small amount but takes a bit of care).

Here’s how to chop nuts with a food processor. Use the S-shaped processor blade as shown in the top picture below and add as many nuts as needed to the food processor.

Close the processor top and turn on the processor for about 10 seconds until the nuts look about as shown in the bottom left picture.

To chop nuts in a coffee grinder, which works fine for small amounts, add nuts to the coffee grinder,…

…close the top, keep the top held firmly in place, and shake the grinder while keeping the grinder on for 5 or so seconds.

Make sure to unplug the grinder from the outlet, and then scoop out the chopped nuts as well as possible – without making yourself, well, nuts. Grinding your next batch of coffee with do a great job cleaning the grinder.

Store the chopped nuts in the refrigerator, where they will keep fresh for at least a few weeks – as long as the nuts you used were fresh when you chopped them.

April 23rd, 2019

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Beans, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, Vegetables

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Quick Bell Pepper, Cilantro Pesto-Hummus, and Cheese – All in Pictures

Last post showed how to make fresh Cilantro Pesto-Hummus, a combination of cilantro pesto and hummus. Great stuff to lay on bread, toss with pasta or grains, mix with cooked vegetables, top on salads, and much more. Imagination is your only limit. Here’s a link to that recipe.

What you see above is a quick fresh meal I put together last night: bell pepper, “pummus”, and cheese. I started with 1/3 fresh orange bell pepper that I sliced into thick strips just so the pepper would spread out mostly flat on a plate. I then laid on a good spread of pummus and topped that with some leftover cooked grains (pearl barley, stone cut oats, and quinoa). For sure, what made this dish so quick for me to put together was having most of the ingredients already pre-made. Please use what you see below as a guide. That’s exactly what I do with just about every recipe I come across.

Next, I spread out a good layer of shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese and put the plate in the microwave oven for 1 minute at 100% power – just long enough to start melting the cheese.

After that quick warm in the microwave, I topped the pepper, cilantro pesto-hummus, and cheese with a good pour of fresh ginger cilantro kefir salad dressing, which you can either see how to make by clicking either this link or the picture below or just use your own favorite salad dressing.

I finished by adding a good blast of chopped hot peppers (jalapeños shown here), chopped fresh cilantro,…

…chopped sun-dried tomatoes, a good shot of kefir, and a mix of chopped nuts and ground flaxseed (I make a jar of nuts and flax every week – very easy & versatile – I’ll show how to do that next time I make it.)

Now make it yours & enjoy!

April 8th, 2019

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Beans, Blog, Snacks, Special Recipes

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Cilantro Pesto-Hummus Picture Book Recipe

I’m a big fan of rich basil-flavored pesto and cilantro infused hummus. The “pummus” (pesto + hummus) recipe you see here combines those flavors by substituting fresh cilantro for fresh basil and then really pumping up the herb flavor of bean-based hummus.

Here’s what you need to make pummus, which goes great with vegetables, on pasta, with rice, on bread – your imagination is your only limit.

Click any picture on this page for an easy-to-follow picture book recipe.

March 31st, 2019

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Breakfast, Cycling Food, Grains, How To & Tips

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Microwave Cooked Quinoa Picture Book Directions

Quinoa (spelled as is but sounds like “Keen-Wah”) is killer excellent for nutrition, flavor, and versatility. Have it as is, add it to yogurt, use it instead of pasta or rice. Here’s how I’m having it now: combined with steel cut oats, bulgar wheat to make a multi-grain pancake covered with a fresh fruit topping, almond butter, a good shot of kefir, a squirt of honey – and a bucket of coffee (did I mention coffee?) – before rippin’ out for a gorgeous early spring Sunday road ride.

Last post showed how to cook quinoa on the stove.This post shows how to cook quinoa in the microwave oven – all as easy as it can be.

Here’s what you’ll need to cook quinoa in the microwave oven:

Click this link or any picture on this page for an easy to follow step-by-step picture book recipe.

February 18th, 2019

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Breakfast, Cycling Food, Dessert, Fitness Food

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Warm Fruit Topping to Fuel a Winter Training Ride

Pre-cold weather ride “goose fat” (homemade oil combo) on face & warm fruit topping for breakfast

Yes, it’s February, but any day cycling the road sure beats a day on the living room trainer, especially when there are sights like those below before the snow blew in last night.

Bottom line: Weather’s a state of mind. Just be prepared.

For me that means, step one, “goose fat” (homemade mix of avocado oil, coconut butter, shea butter, and a shot of honey) on the face and something warm to fuel me up for a good hop in the saddle.

Click this link or the picture above or below for a complete, easy to follow step-by-step picture book recipe that shows how to make a fruit topping that goes great on warm cereal, French toast, pancakes – your imagination is your only limit! As always, a quick nod and smile to Bicycles Battling Cancer and Springfield Police, Fire, and new this year, military vets, Ride to Remember.

November 12th, 2018

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Cycling Food, Nutrition, Salads & Salad Dressings

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Anti-Inflammatory Fresh Ginger Cilantro Kefir Salad Dressing Picture Book Recipe

If you’re an athlete or physically active at all, you know how inflammation exhibited in joint or muscle pain inhibits how you move your body. Inflammation is also a key contributor to diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and much more.

The very easy to make, fully-flavorful fresh low fat salad dressing you see here goes great on any salad as shown below – or anything savory – and contains kefir (a good bacteria, yogurt-like fermented milk drink), fresh garlic, fresh ginger, fresh cilantro, ground turmeric, mustard, apple cider vinegar, ground black pepper, and honey – all of which are rich with anti-inflammatory benefits.

A Friend’s Genuine Cancer Note and Fresh Ginger Mint Tea – Super Easy Hot or Cold

The tea you see above: great stuff I drink just about everyday and look forward to after rides preparing for a now annual Bicycles Battling Cancer, Ride to Remember, and other rides that add charitable purpose to my daily joy of cycling – and now, running.

Regarding cancer charity efforts, I’m not a big Facebook guy, but last year about this time a Westborough friend I’ve known since our kids were in elementary school laid down a post that, as soon as I read the first few words, made me want to read what you see below, all of which she wrote beautifully.

“After chemotherapy treatment, it’s true that it takes years to feel alive… with the side effects of the chemotherapy and radiation, you will never be back to 100% because of the weakened immune system.
Sure, in the most difficult moments of life you realize who your real friends are or the people who really appreciate you.

Unfortunately, like most friendships, FB friends will leave you in the middle of a story. They’ll publish an “enjoyed” for the story, but unfortunately they don’t really read your message when they see it’s long.

More than half may have stopped reading. Some may have gone to the next post on your news feed.

I have decided to publish this message in support of the families of friends and relatives who have fought this terrible disease until the end…

Now, I focus on those who take the time to read this message until the end… a little test, if you like, just to see who reads, and who shares it without reading.

If you’ve already read everything, choose “like” so I can thank you on your profile.

Cancer is a very invasive and destructive enemy of our bodies. After the end of the treatment, the body remains devastated. Recovery from the damage caused by the treatment of the disease is a very long process.

Please, in honor of a family member or a friend who died of cancer, or still fighting cancer, copy and paste this as a post on your FB.

How many times have we heard others say: “if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me, I’ll be there to help you”. so i bet most people who saw this post (maybe even Reading until the end) will publish, to show your support to the family / friend who can wrestle.

Copy and paste – do not share this message.

I’d like to know who I can count on to take a minute of your day and really read this. When you finish this, you write “done” in the comments. Done for a friend.”

That was the post: clear and written with true courage and strength. I can’t tell you I know what it’s like or how she feels. All I can do is offer help to enable you to empower yourself to take charge of your life by enjoying life-promoting foods – there are tons of them that taste amazingly good – and promoting moving your body. Diet and exercise are the two primary contributors to improved quality of life and disease prevention.

Here’s a recipe for ginger mint tea that I drink daily – sure, I vary the flavor by adding other anti-inflammatory ingredients, just as you can.

Ride, run, and, most importantly, live on!