Wellness
Not all fats are healthy, however,
and it is important to limit or avoid
the saturated variety, e.g. animal
fats such as bacon, beef and cheese.
‘Light’ foods (i.e. low fat or fatfree) and hydrogenated oils or
trans fats, such as those found in
margarine, commercially prepared
baked goods and other snack foods,
have little or no nutritional value
and can create a number of health
issues, including cholesterol imbalances, neurotransmitter disruption
in the brain, and weight gain.
Substitute coconut oil
for butter or margarine.
Add a teaspoon of good quality
fish oil (e.g Nordic Naturals), or
a tablespoon of good quality flax
seed oil or coconut oil to a smoothie.
Have a handful of raw
nuts or seeds daily.
COOL THE FLAMES WITH
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS
Inflammation is a hot health topic
linked to many chronic illnesses
prevalent in our population. Shortterm inflammation isn’t a bad thing
in itself but rather a normal response
that stimulates recovery in areas
that have been irritated or injured.
When the process continues for
extended periods of time, however,
inflammation creates damage and
causes illness. A sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress and toxicity all
contribute, but poor dietary choices
have a truly major impact on the
degree of inflammation in the body.
The good news is that some foods
are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect and eating more of
these in place of less healthy choices
can have a tremendous influence on
neutralizing inflammation in the body.
Check out my chart to see how
your food choices measure up.
Anti-inflammatory foods keep
us feeling agile and sharp.
FEATURES
ANTI-inflammatory foods:
GLUTEN FREE GRAINS (BROWN RICE,
QUINOA, MILLET, BUCKWHEAT)
SPROUTED GRAIN BREAD
FRESH VEGETABLES & FRUIT
RAW SEEDS & NUTS
LEGUMES & SPROUTS
FREE RANGE EGGS
ORGANIC LEAN PROTEIN
(CHICKEN, TURKEY, WILD FISH)
HEALTHY FATS (COCONUT OIL,
OLIVE OIL, FLAX SEED OIL, FISH OIL)
WATER & HERBAL TEA
PRO-inflammatory foods:
GRAINS CONTAINING GLUTEN
(WHEAT, SEMOLINA, BARLEY, OATS,
RYE, COUSCOUS, KAMUT)
DAIRY (MILK, YOGURT, CHEESE)
HYDROGENATED OIL & TRANS FATS
RED MEAT (BEEF AND PORK)
ALCOHOL, COFFEE, FRUIT JUICE, POP
REFINED SUGAR & PROCESSED FOOD
COMMERCIAL EGGS, CORN & SOY
PEANUTS, TOMATO & POTATO
CITRUS FRUIT (NOT INCLUDING
LEMONS & LIMES)
CREATING OUR IDEAL SELF
Deepak Chopra said, “If we are creating ourselves all the time, then it’s
never too late to begin creating the
bodies we want instead of the ones
we mistakenly assume we are stuck
with.” It is the little things we do that
can significantly change our health.
Every moment is an opportunity to
create youthful vitality at any age.
DR LAURA IMOLA
LAURA HAS BEEN A LICENSED NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR IN NIAGARA
FALLS SINCE 2003 AND HAS A PRIVATE PRACTICE AT WIN HEALTH &
REHAB CENTRE. COMBINING HER PASSION FOR NATUROPATHIC
MEDICINE, HEALTH EDUCATION AND WRITING, LAURA ENJOYS
SHARING HER EXPERTISE THROUGH CONTRIBUTIONS TO WO
MAGAZINE AND ON HER HEALTH BLOG EVERY WIN-NING MOMENT.
GET HER DAILY HEALTH TWEETS ON TWITTER @DRLAURAIMOLA.
fall 2013 | wo magazine | 63