WO Magazine Fall 2013 | Page 65

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