Covid-19. Bottom line: lower inflammation, from within!

Okay, like everyone and their mother I’m going to jump on the COVID-19 bus and let you know the best staples to have in your kitchen, specifically to lower inflammation:

• Fermented foods: It’s no secret that a healthy gut is key to coming out on top of the current health crisis. 80% of our immune system is in our gut, which means that nourishing it is key!

  • Here are a few suggestions:

    • Fermented dairy.

      If you’re going to eat dairy, when choosing cheese, instead of the old reliable Tillamook, try some harder aged cheeses. They contain less lactose, which can be irritating to the gut lining, AND aged cheeses contain more beneficial bacteria to maintain good gut flora! When choosing a yogurt, be sure that it has active cultures, and isn’t just coagulated milk. Whole milk yogurt is the best choice because it hasn’t been processed with chemicals as the “lactose free” or “2%” milks have. Besides dairy yogurt, there are some okay plant based alternatives but keep an eye out for the added sugars! CoYo is my favorite plant based choice which is made from coconut milk.

    • All things pickled.

      Sauerkraut, pickles, beets, shredded carrots, the list goes on! These fermented veggies contain a host of beneficial bacteria that give your immune system an awesome boost via vitamin K2.

    • Apple cider vinegar/Kombucha.

      Now, not all kombucha is created equal. You want to look for the kombucha with a lower sugar content and preferably those with the scoby or the weird looking goo bag at the bottom- same with vinegar!

• Spices: If you don’t have a spice cabinet that’s overflowing- LET ME HELP YOU! If you don’t know how to incorporate them into your food, you are missing out on a ton of beneficial polyphenols that are needed in the diet.

  • Here are a few suggestions:

    • Ginger/Turmeric root.

      Fresh, these are two of the most potent antioxidants you can find to lower inflammation! Incorporate them by shredding into hot water, or even blending up into a smoothie. Gingerols and curcuminoids are compounds found in this medicine to literally combat free radicals in the body.

    • Rosemary, oregano, thyme, and lavender.

      These are known as “expectorants” or in other words, herbs that decrease phlegm and increase lung health. Fresh, you can incorporate these into teas, or bone broths. I like to hit them with the back of my knife to release the oils before topping with boiling water.

    • Fennel.

      A great one for chewing for digestion before or after meals, and helps to keep bad mouth bacteria at bay! We know the mouth is directly correlated to disease, so keeping it as healthy as possible will help you in the long run.

• Vitamin C: Without a doubt, this is one of the best lines of defense right now. Incorporate it in food, or consider a supplement of 500mg/day.

  • Here are a few suggestions:

    • Broccoli

    • Kiwi

    • Mango

    • Strawberries

    • Kale

  Here’s to immunity!

Stay Minted,

Megan G.