What can I or cannot eat?

Now before I am "Debbie-Downer" and tell you what you cannot eat, let me tell you what you can eat.  Plus, it's all about balance and moderation.  Here are the list of foods that help fight inflammation or cancer.  (This is a basic list of foods to eat or not to eat but I'll go into more detail on future postings.)

Fats and oils - Oils high in omega 3 fatty acids such as oil oil or walnut oil.  Avocados and nuts are also good sources of fats.

Fruit and Vegetables - Think COLOR!  Choose bright colored vegetables or fruits.  Onions, garlics, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower are just a few vegetables.

Grains - Allowed grains include: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, basmati, or brown rice, or rye

Protein sources - Lean fish such as salmon are excellent for omega 3 fatty acids.   Eat a variety of any legumes that you are able to tolerate. Soak for 48-72 hours and cook slowly: split peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, fermented soy (tempeh or miso), mung beans, garbanzo beans, aduki and azuki beans.

Foods to avoid
Vegetable or canola oil - high in Omega 6 which can aid in fat production.  Avoid all margarine or butter.

Refined flours - aka white flour!  Anything white - white rice...white flour....white bread....white pastries.....donuts.....crossaints.....basically the good ole bread that we all love.  Cereals are a HUGE culprit for refined flours and sugars and should be avoided.

SUGARS!!!!  This is my weakness but excess refined sugars can cause a spike in insulin in your body leading to inflammation.  Excessive sugar intake causes tooth decay and has been linked to increased risks of obesity, inflammation and chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Trans fat - found in MANY processed foods or cereals.  Even some "diet foods" have trans fat hidden in them.  The most feared ingredient should be PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL.

Red meat / processed meat / sausage - Researchers at the University of California found that red meat contains a molecule that humans don’t naturally produce called Neu5Gc. After ingesting this compound, the body develops anti-Neu5Gc antibodies – an immune response that may trigger chronic inflammatory response. And low-grade simmering inflammation that won’t go away has been linked to cancer and heart disease.