Anti-Inflammatory Foods
It is no mystery that chronic and long -term inflammation is related to poor health. Inflammation has a role in variety of ailments, including osteoporosis. Chronic inflammation may even reduce the activity of bone building cells, osteoblasts, and increase the activity of bone remodeling cells, osteoclasts.
Inflammation may be caused by a high body-mass index (BMI), too much or too little exercise, sleep deprivation, inflammatory foods, age related changes, smoking tobacco, alcohol, physical injury, pollution, heavy metals, and certain medications.
Another risk factor is stress. Long term stress is mediated by the hormone cortisol. Over long periods of time, cortisol increases
inflammation and lowers bone mineral density. It is critical to take steps to reduce inflammation. The Inflammation Workshop covers these techniques in detail. OsteofitnessTM promotes healthy levels of exercise and ways to reduce stress. The Anatomy of Stress and Breathing workshops cover stress reduction in detail. The Improve Your Sleep workshop can help you combat insomnia and sleep deprivation. Taking steps to exercise, have good sleep hygiene, and lessen stress can reduce inflammation. Another great way to reduce inflammation is through diet. Certain foods increase inflammation. Other foods have properties that reduce inflammation. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet can help make a real difference in your health. A list of anti-inflammatory foods and beverages has been provided in this newsletter. Also, the foods to avoid have been listed below.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
•Fatty fish
•Salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna, striped bass, and anchovies
•Nuts and seeds cooked in canola oil
•Mediterranean diet
•Whole grains
•Olive oil
•Dark chocolate
•Plant-based foods
•Dark chocolate
•Dark leafy greens
•Celery
•Berries
•Blueberries
•Blackberries
•Strawberries
•Cherries
•Grapes
•Almonds
•Cacao
•Broccoli
•Broccoli sprouts
•Oranges
•Kale
•Spinach
•Collard greens
•Walnuts
•Olive oil
•Cauliflower
•Bok Choy
•Apples
•Pears
•Legumes
•Nuts
•Seeds
•Pomegranate
•Red peppers
•Tomatoes
•Watermelon
•Beets
•Spirulina
•Salad greens
•Damson plums
•Brown rice
•Quinoa
•Spelt
•Oats
•Beans
•Chia Seeds
•Black beans
•Black garlic
•Carrots
•Mangoes
•Squash
•Sweet potatoes
•Olive
•Avocado
Anti-Inflammatory Beverages
- Coffee
- Green tea
- Black tea
- Earl grey tea
- Herbal tea with anti-inflammatory herbs
- Golden milk latte
- Bone broth
- Pomegranate juice
- Chlorella water
- Celery juice
- Dark leafy green smoothie
- Berry smoothie
- Vinegar
Foods to Avoid
• Alcohol
• Sugar
• White potatoes
• Refined carbohydrates
• High fatty foods
• Processed foods
• Deli meat
Probiotic Foods
Probiotics have many health benefits including maintaining a healthy gut bacterium and reducing inflammation. Some beneficial probiotic foods include the following:
•Pickled fruits and vegetables
•Yogurt
•Kefir
•Kombucha
•Sauerkraut
•Miso
Scientists have also found benefits for prebiotic foods. Prebiotics aide the action of prebiotics and have been found have modest benefits for gut health. Some prebiotic foods are as follows:
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Asparagus
• Bananas
• Chicory
Make the time to incorporate those foods into your diet and reap the rewards of reducing inflammation and improving overall health.
All About Kefir
Kefir is a fermented food and probiotic food that is made from kefir grains. Kefir grains consist of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and acetic acid bacteria. Traditional kefir is made from cow or goat’s milk. The bacteria in the mixture eats and breaks down the lactose and other sugars present in the milk.
Dairy kefir contains only small amounts of lactose, as the bacteria breaks this down into lactic acid during the fermentation process. Dairy kefir can come in both low-fat and full-fat versions.
Non-dairy kefir can also be made from nut, soy, rice, coconut, and seed milk. It can also be made from water or juice. Non-dairy kefir is lower in fat and cholesterol than dairy kefir, does not contain lactose, and generally contains less calories. Juice kefir, however, may be higher in sugar than the forms.
Non-dairy kefir is made from kefir crystals, which contain the cultured bacteria and yeasts, and sugar. The bacteria feeds on the sugar during the fermentation process rather than lactose.
Research has shown that kefir has numerous health benefits. Kefir, along with other fermented foods, help maintain a healthy gut biome. As mentioned in the previous section, it is an anti-inflammatory food. It also has been found to have anti-microbial, anti-cancer, antioxidant, wound healing, cholesterol lowering, and insulin-modulating effects. Kefir has benefits for lactose -intolerance, helping these individuals digest and tolerate lactose. Finally, as a source of both calcium and vitamin K, it has benefits for bone health.
Despite the benefits, kefir also has some risks associated with it. In those with a milk allergy (different than lactose-intolerance) it can trigger an allergic reaction. In non-dairy kefir, those who are allergic to any of the ingredients will also have a reaction. Juice kefir can cause blood sugar levels to spike and may be dangerous for those with diabetes. Milk and other types of kefir may actually benefit diabetes, however. Individuals with repressed immune systems, autoimmune disorders, or who have recently had surgery may be at risk for infection from the yeast and bacteria present
in the kefir. In full-fat milk kefir, there is a high concentration of saturated fats and calories, which may impact weight-loss and have a negative impact on some conditions. During the fermentation process, alcohol can be spontaneously produced. Though the quantity is low, those who are sensitive to alcohol can be affected. Kefir is also known to cause gastrointestinal discomfort including bloating, nausea, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramps.
The benefits and risks of kefir depend on the type of kefir and the individual’s health and dietary choices. For example, if you are diabetic and vegan, soymilk kefir made from kefir crystals is superior to juice kefir, as this may carry risks. However, juice kefir may be a great choice someone with a GI condition that is triggered by dairy. To figure out which type of kefir is best for you consider your health conditions and dietary requirements. If you have any concerns about adding kefir to your doctor, please talk to your doctor or nutritionist. Kefir is a fermented food that has many benefits for bone health, and general health overall. In the next section, there are a couple recipes for making your own kefir.
OsteofitnessTM member, Eileen Ryan wrote a poem about the class. Bone building can be inspiring and motivating!
Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin D, Beverley says we need a lot of these.
Leafy greens, almonds and sesame seeds help to satisfy some of our needs.
Get off your phones and enter the exercise zone,
Let’s start strengthening those porous bones.
Do the Donkey kick and the doggie lift
And give your hips a wonderful gift. Open the garden gate, do the laundry pulls
And soon you’ll be as strong as a bull.
Raise your weights as high as you can
And never fear another bone scan Do the row, the beach ball, and the chicken wing
You can do the strong bone thing.
Put on your ankle cuff and do the Christina.
Let’s put an end to Osteopenia.
Step to the left, step to the right, backwards, forwards, side to side
Bring those bones along for the ride.
If you want your bones to be as strong as stones,
There’s no need to work alone,
I’ll be your witness
If you’ll just join us in OsteofitnessTM.
Beverley Ikier
LMT NCBTMB CPT
Member of Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation
Member of International Osteoporosis Foundation