128 How to Get the Health Benefits of Home Cooked (Even if You Have No Time)

The Case:  Liz has hashimoto’s and is experiencing joint pain, brain fog and generally doesn’t feel well.  She knew she didn’t want to take antidepressants or pain medication so she started down the path of supplements. Her results weren’t what she was hoping for and she knew she needed a more customized approach. 

 

There are so many things that go into a proper supplement regime because everybody is different so I was happy that Liz came to me so we could trace the root cause of her issues instead of treating her symptoms. 

The Investigation

When I met with Liz I looked at what supplements she was taking and took a detailed health history. I’m a big fan of supplements but often, they are a part of the solution not the whole solution. When I saw that Liz didn’t do a lot of cooking, I knew that there was a clear path we could explore.

Adding Anti-Inflammatory Foods with Ease

All too often we think about what foods we should be avoiding but sometimes, it’s the foods we add into our diet that make all the difference. Dr. Carolyn Williams is a renowned dietician, culinary nutritionist, and James Beard Award-winning journalist. I know that she would be the perfect person to consult with on Liz’s case - especially when you consider she wrote the book on introducing anti-inflammatory foods to your diet with ease. It’s called “MEALS THAT HEAL ONE POT: 100+ Recipes for Your Stovetop, Sheet Pan, Instant Pot, and Air Fryer – Reduce Inflammation for Whole-Body Health | [The Experiment, September 22, 2022]”. I love this because so often, the reason we struggle to eat the foods we know we should be eating is because we are all so, so busy. 

Signs of Chronic Inflammation

When we think of inflammation, we often think of the obvious signs like visible swelling, aching, and pain. But inflammation doesn’t always show up this way. These symptoms are usually associated with acute inflammation where the immune system is responding. Chronic inflammation is usually triggered by lifestyle issues or habits that irritate the body. Things like diet, sleep and stress can all play a role in keeping the body in perpetual inflammation but of these causes, Carolyn says diet is a key component. 

There are red flags that are like your body warning you that inflammation is up but they can be subtle. The red flags could be things like:

Bloating after eating certain foods Inability to lose weight Headaches Slightly elevated blood pressure GI issues Skin irritations

These may seem insignificant but they are the early warning signs that inflammation may be becoming a chronic issue. The individual needs to note and act on these because many doctors won’t pick up on them being an issue. And, inflammation can develop slowly so someone might not connect the dots on certain lifestyle or diet choices being the catalyst for chronic inflammation. 

Getting Started on the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

People may be surprised to hear Carolyn tell people not to start by eliminating things from their diet. This is such a common approach but Carolyn thinks it’s more important to add healthy foods in first before you start to take foods away. 

She starts by adding foods that will address the inflammation. Carolyn top 3 inflammation reducing foods are:

Berries. All kinds of berries are good and they can be frozen or fresh. Try to get 2-3 cups per week. Leafy greens. Include a cup of leafy greens (the darker the better) every day. Cruciferous vegetables. Add in 4-5 servings of veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and kale per week.

By starting with adding anti-inflammatory foods, you’ll naturally decrease other foods which is a better approach than restricting foods.

Cooking with Anti-Inflammatory Foods

There are many ways to incorporate these three foods into your diet and Carolyn gave many great suggestions in this episode. Some of the key takeaways were to roast your cruciferous veggies (chopped equal sizes, wash and dry well, add a light coating of avocado oil and bake at 425° for 8-12 minutes). She also suggested baking other veggies like kale until crispy. To get more leafy greens into your diet, add baby spinach to smoothies, soups, sauces, or serve your roasted veggies on a bed of fresh greens. 

Also, salads don’t have to be just a side dish at dinner or for lunch. You can also create a breakfast salad with a poached egg on it. Lunch time can also be a great time for a salad if you keep proteins on hand as well as greens, it can be a healthy option to pull together quickly.

Keep Salads Healthy with Dressing

Topping a healthy salad with commercial dressing might reduce the nutritional value of your meal. Be conscientious about what your salad dressings are made of and avoid dressings with lesser oils (like canola or soy). Carolyn says there are many healthy options available these days if you take the time to read the label. Another option is to make your own dressing - it doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether it’s homemade or store bought you want to look for a healthier oil like extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, vinegar, lemon juice and a very small amount of natural sweetener like sugar, honey, or maple syrup. 

Carolyn believes that fat is an important part of every diet so even those who are watching their fat intake, she believes, they should still use a little bit of dressing to feel satiated and get some healthy fat.

Keep it Simple, Keep it Tasty

Carolyn’ book was based on the idea that we want to eat healthy, well balanced meals but we don’t always have time or the energy to cook elaborate dishes. Her book is all one pot wonders that you can add carbs to if you want. She even had her kids taste-test the recipes so that they are all kid approved. 

And, the one pot might be a sheet pan or a skillet so each dish is a bit different. And as a bonus, the clean up is as quick as the cooking. 

Conclusion

When dealing with chronic health issues, what we eat is so important. What I love about Carolyn’ cookbook is that she understands that eating healthy also has to fit into our busy lifestyles. I knew that part of what kept Liz from eating well was that she didn’t have time to cook. 

We took the same approach to shifting her eating as Carolyn suggested. We started adding organic berries smoothies that included protein powder and greens. 

We made sure she had easy salad ingredients, like roasted chicken, on hand so that preparing a quick meal was that much easier. 

I helped her think of her meals in 3 food groups and creating healthy, well-balanced meals became her new normal instead of take out and processed foods.

Happy Ending

Liz almost didn’t believe the difference she felt just 2 weeks after swapping the processed dinners and take out for clean, home-cooked meals. She was also shocked at how little time it actually took her to make those fresh meals.

Eliminating Health Mysteries

For Liz we were able to find that missing piece of the health puzzle and help her regain her health. Could this be the missing clue for you or someone in your life? 

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Resources mentioned

Thanks to my guest Dr. Carolyn Williams. You can connect with her through her website or on Instagram. You can check out her new book here: