Breakfast
- Low-sodium oatmeal sprinkled with omega-3-rich flax seeds
- A tall glass of purified water with a squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange and an orange slice. “Adding citrus,” Young says, “makes water more pleasurable to drink.” Plus the vitamin C in citrus enhances the absorption of other nutrients. “For example, if you have an egg along with orange juice, the vitamin C in the juice will help you absorb the iron in the egg a lot better,” according to Young.
Lunch
- Avocado toast with a tomato slice on Ezekiel sprouted bread. “This bread is healthier because it’s made from sprouted grains, not processed flour that could increase your blood sugar levels,” Young explains.
- Low-fat Greek yogurt or kefir, a type of yogurt with probiotic bacterial strains that aid in digestion and reduce inflammation. “Kefir is tart and tangy, high in protein, and contains lots of vitamin D,” Young notes.“Some have a high amount of sugar, some low, so check the label. It’s also helpful to find one with a multitude of [healthy bacteria] cultures.”
Dinner
- Tofu or tempeh, cut into cubes and sautéed in olive oil with fresh garlic, ginger, tamari, turmeric, and a bit of the Middle Eastern spice mix za’atar
- Roasted or baked turkey or chicken, or fish. “At home we do mostly roasting or baking,” says Young. “When you roast or bake as opposed to frying, the likelihood of denaturing the oil is less, and you also don’t use as much oil. The vitamins also tend to concentrate in the food when you roast or bake, versus in a fry pan where they’re released and end up in the oil that goes down your drain.”
- Roasted vegetables like sweet potato, cauliflower, green beans, and carrots
Snacks
- Dark chocolate. “I like low-sugar chocolate nibs, which are like tiny dots of chocolate,” Young adds. “Chocolate has anti-inflammatory qualities.”
- Low-calorie iced yogurt or fudge bars
- Watermelon. “It’s heathy and it’s satiating,” says Young.
Drinks
- High-quality green tea. “Not all green teas are created equal,” Young shares. “Some have higher caffeine, some less. Our son likes Japanese green tea; ceremonial-grade matcha is another one we like.”
- Red wine. “A small amount can be impactful in terms of reducing pain and inflammation,” says Young. “Red wine contains flavonoids, which are healthy antioxidants.”
To round your diet out, Young suggests steering clear of eating a lot of red meat and cheese and foods that are high in cholesterol, sugar and saturated fats,
“You also want to avoid refined grains that can cause inflammation — for example, white rice, sweetened cereals, buns, white bread, pancakes,” he says.