by Karen Pullen

What is inflammation? There’s a defensive war going on in your body, conducted by intelligence officers (ordinary cells), signalers (interferons and cytokines), generals (endothelial cells), and armed soldiers (white blood cells). Their mission: to detect, envelop, destroy, and purge your body of bad germs, viruses, parasites, oxidizing molecules, and cancerous cells. That war, necessary for existence, leaves behind redness, swelling, heat, pain, loss of function, and…inflammation.

Inflammation can be acute and short-term, depending on the insult to the body, e.g., a sprain, poison ivy, acne, pneumonia, burns. Short-term, the army is deployed, does its job, and the body is healed.

But chronic long-term inflammation has a dark side, playing a role in health concerns like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, psoriasis, asthma, skin aging, inflammatory arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Unhealthy Diet 

Just like a sprain, an unhealthy meal spikes inflammation, crippling artery function and thickening blood. A glut of sugar and fat in the blood generates free radicals, which trigger a biochemical cascade that induces inflammation. One lousy breakfast can double your C-reactive protein levels (a key marker for acute and chronic inflammation) even before lunchtime.

Repeat three times a day, and the results are chronic health concerns. 

A plant-based diet reduces inflammation in two ways. First, plant-based foods do not have inflammatory triggers such as animal fat, toxins, and bacteria. Second, plant-based foods are loaded with phytonutrients that have anti-inflammatory properties.

The most anti-inflammatory nutrients are various antioxidants, including:

• Flavones, such as the pigments found in the red-purple vegetables including eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes;
• Isoflavones, such as those found in soy;
• Beta- carotene, found in orange vegetables like carrots, winter squash, and pumpkins;
• Flavanols, compounds found in onions, kale, and broccoli, and fruits ke apples and berries;
• Omega-3 fatty acids, found in flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds; and
• Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, and papaya.
• Certain spices like turmeric and ginger are very high in anti-inflammatory properties, as are green and black teas. 

Karen Pullen is a mystery writer and the former owner of a vegetarian B&B. She is an instructor of Food for Life courses in healthy eating, certified in plant-based nutrition and plant-based cooking. Learn more at her website, www.everydayplant-based.com.

This anti-inflammatory chili recipe is one of my family’s favorites. There’s just a bit of chopping, then everything goes into the crockpot for 8 hours. Then the apple, lime, and cilantro add a POP of flavor and crunch.

Black Bean-Sweet Potato Chili

8 servings

Ingredients

1 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or one 15-oz can, rinsed

4 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes (3 large)

2 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable broth

2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large-ish onion)

1 cup chopped green bell pepper (half a pepper)

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper (half a pepper)

 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 t ablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 t easpoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

5 cloves garlic, minced

For topping: 

1 cup chopped apple

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Combine tomatoes, beans, sweet potatoes, broth, onion, bell peppers, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 7-8 hours. At this point, the chili can be frozen.

Ladle the chili evenly into 8 bowls; top with apple, lime juice and chopped cilantro.

This anti-inflammatory chili recipe is one of my family’s favorites. There’s just a bit of chopping, then everything goes into the crockpot for 8 hours. Then the apple, lime, and cilantro add a POP of flavor and crunch.