20 Ways to Fight Inflammation with Toast

I am a little like Ron Swanson. I love breakfast food. I love all the breakfast food you can get in a diner, except sausage gravy and grits. I love sitting down to a plate with two eggs on it, four slices of bacon, a pile of fried potatoes, and buttered sourdough toast. The anti-inflammatory diet has taken half the eggs and everything else on that plate away from me.

Except for cheat days, my breakfasts menu rotates between four meals: smoothies, oatmeal, tofu scrambles, and avocado toast. Avocado toast is my favourite of those meals. I mash up half an avocado with some organic extra virgin olive oil, a squirt of lemon juice, and a clove of garlic. I shmear the mashed avocado on two slices of toasted whole grain probiotic bread and eat it with a basted egg.

If I am out of avocado, sometimes I have peanut butter and banana on my toast instead. Though, I still wish I could be like Elvis and add bacon. All of that is about to change!

In recent weeks, I found a bread that I love for toast. Now, I want more ways to eat it. I’ve found 20 ways to mix up my meals on toast munching mornings while sticking to my diet and fighting inflammation. If you try any of these ideas, leave a comment and tell me what you think.

1. Pesto Avocado Tomato toast

One slice of toast schmeared with pesto, topped with sliced avocado, topped with a slice of tomato, and garnished with sprouts. - Dr. Weil. 

2. Avocado Pomegranate Toast

Sliced Avocado + Crumbled Feta + Pomegranates + Olive Oil on whole grain toast. - Buzzfeed.

3. Banana Almond Butter and Chia Seeds 

Sliced Banana + Almond Butter + Chia Seeds on whole grain toast. - Buzzfeed.

4. Toasty Ants on a Log Toast

Thinly Sliced Celery + Raisins + Peanut Butter. - Buzzfeed.

5. Berries Edamame and Cheese Toast

Goat Cheese + Sliced Strawberries + Shelled Edamame + Balsamic Vinegar + Sea Salt on whole grain toast. - Buzzfeed. 

6. Crunchy Hummus Toast

Hummus + Chopped Walnuts + Pomegranates on whole grain toast. - Buzzfeed.

7. Feta Almond Date Toast

Chopped Mejdool Dates + Sliced Feta + Sliced Almonds on whole grain toast. - Buzzfeed.

8. Plum Butter Toast

Sliced Plums + Sunflower Seed Butter + Flaxseed on whole grain toast. - Buzzfeed.

9. Italian Egg Toast

Marinara Sauce + Poached Egg + Parmesan + Basil on whole grain toast. - Buzzfeed.

This recipe reminds me of shackshouka, but on toast with Italian spices.

Shacksouka. 

10. My Neighbour’s Garden Avocado Toast

It's the time of year when everyone has tomatoes and basil in their backyard. Smashed avocado, schmeared on toast, topped with chopped cherry tomatoes and basil. - The Kitchn.

11. Don’t-Kiss-Me-After-Breakfast Toast

Smashed avocado, schmeared on toast, topped with crumbled feta and chopped green onion. - The Kitchn.

12. The Importance of Being Cucumber Toast

Smashed avocado, schmeared on toast, topped with thinly sliced cucumber and dill. - Little Broken.

13. Sweet Little Monkey Avocado Toast

Smashed avocado, schmeared on toast, topped with thinly sliced banana, sprinkled with sunflower seeds, and drizzled in honey. - Little Broken

No avocado? No problem! Shmear the banana instead like I did: 

14. Two Layer Dip Avocado Toast

Smashed avocado, schmeared on toast, topped with hummus, topped with thinly sliced cucumber and dill. Basically, The Importance of Being Cucumber Toast with more protein! - Kitchen Treaty.

15. Almost Like Pancakes Toast

Mashed banana schmeared on whole grain toast, topped with blueberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. - Healthfully Ever After.

16. Curried Banana Toast

Mashed banana schmeared on whole grain toast, sprinted with curry powder, crystallized ginger, raisins, lime zest and juice. - Healthfully Ever After.

17. Garlic Shiitake Mushroom Breakfast Toast

The name says it all. The recipe is here, I would just use olive oil, no butter, and whole grain toast.

18. Greek Chick Peas on Toast

Chick peas, tomatoes, spices, and olives. The Recipe is here and again I would use my favourite bread.

19. Masala French Toast

This sounds like it would taste like curried eggs and bread. I would use my favourite bread and olive or canola oil instead of butter. The recipe is here. 

20. Cinnamon Ginger Chilli Peaches on Toast

Exactly what is sounds like the recipe is here.

Armed with these recipes, I might be eating a toast based diet until October. Please share comments, or other anti-inflammatory friendly recommendations below.

To find out more about my journey in exploring food as medicine, like my Facebook page.

Nightshades and Arthritis

I've been enjoying a bowl full of my friend's garden fresh tomatoes over the past few days, which lead me to thinking about nightshades. Many sources will tell you not to eat nightshades as part of an anti-inflammatory diet, but what are nightshades and should I avoid them?

Tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, and peppers (including cayenne and paprika, but not black pepper) are all part of the Solanaceae family, commonly referred to as nightshades. With the exception of those I just mentioned, most nightshades are poisonous, like belladonna, or the deadly nightshade made famous in MacBeth. Most people have no problem digesting edible nightshades. I rather enjoy cayenne, paprika, and tomatoes, but a case has been made that nightshades can cause problems for people with autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis.

The evidence for health risks associated with rheumatoid arthritis in humans is largely based on personal reports. Although, loads of evidence exists that edible nightshades cause joint and bone problems in cows and horses because of the way that their bodies process the potent form of vitamin D3 specific to nightshades. In cows and horses, nightshades prevent the metabolization of calcium, leaving calcium deposits in the soft tissue, instead of in the bones that need it. This leads to painful arthritis and inflammation in cows and horses.

Humans aren't cows and horses. Our bodies don't process vitamin D3 the same way, but the alkaloids and lectins in nightshades do cause some people to complain of discomfort.

The term 'alkaloid' refers to any nitrogenous organic compound that has a pronounced physiological reaction in humans, including everything from morphine to strychnine. A lectin is a protein that binds certain sugars. Lectins are also thought to play a role in immune function and body fat regulation.

"Because we don’t digest lectins, we often produce antibodies to them. Almost everyone has antibodies to some dietary lectins in their body. This means our responses vary. Certain foods can even become intolerable to someone after an immune system change or the gut is injured from another source. The presence of particular lectins can stimulate an immune system response. There are some lectins that no one should consume. 

Ever wonder why you don’t see sprouted red kidney beans?" - Source.

Alkaloids developed in plants as a defence mechanism against bugs. Humans use them as medicines, addictive drugs, and as insect repellants.

'While the plant is alive, these compounds work as its home-grown “bug spray,” defending it from pests and molds that would otherwise kill it. In other words, they’re designed to be toxic. In the poisonous members of the nightshade family, these chemicals are so concentrated that they have deadly effects on humans, but in the edible nightshades, they’re present in much smaller amounts, and mostly in the leaves and stems (which we don’t eat anyway).' - Source.

Being so much larger than a caterpillar, and because we don't eat kidney bean sprouts or tomato leaves, most people experience no reaction to alkaloids. I imagine it is like eating a non-organic carrot, or anything at most restaurants. The trace amounts in the foods we eat are fairly insignificant to healthy people. But what about me? What about people with autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis?

"Healthy guts can deal with these chemicals just fine, but people whose digestive system is already compromised by an autoimmune disease have trouble with them. For example, some kinds of alkaloids increase the power of the immune response – exactly what you don’t want when you’re dealing with an autoimmune disorder." - Source.

This can be especially problematic for people dealing with autoimmune disorders that directly effect their digestive system because the cells lining the intestinal tract are often the first victims of alkaloids. Lectins cause the same reaction for some people, but again... the evidence is based solely on personal reports. And this evidence is not as strong as what we've learned from animals, but it's harder to keep us in such a controlled setting as... say... lab mice.

The Arthritis Foundation maintains:

"They also contain solanine, a chemical that has been branded the culprit in arthritis pain. There’s no scientific evidence to suggest that nightshades trigger arthritis flares. In fact, some experts believe these vegetables contain a potent nutrient mix that helps inhibit arthritis pain." - Source.

Certain nightshades have great health benefits. Cayenne pepper, for example (also one of my favourites), is also high in capsaicin, which works as an anti inflammatory in healthy bodies. Tomatoes are considered highly antioxidant, and are believed to help fight cancer (which runs in my family).

Nightshades are like gluten, only people who have a genuine sensitivity to them need to avoid them. For people, like me, with rheumatoid arthritis, it may be worthwhile to eliminate nightshades from your diet for 30 days to see if you notice any improvement. I'd say it can't hurt, but I really love cayenne and still have a bowl of tomatoes in my kitchen.

Rather than wasting my food for something that has yet to be proven, the alkaloid content in the nightshades I east can be reduced by preparing them properly. Peel your potatoes and don't eat them when they are sprouting, or unripe. Cook everything thoroughly. Cooking your food is a good idea most of the time anyway, as cooked foods are generally easier to digest than raw foods.

To find out more about my journey in exploring food as medicine, like my Facebook page.

Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

I love tofu!

It's been a while since I've written, so I thought I would come back writing about something I love.

My Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wrap recipe is one of the simplest least expensive meals that I make and we usually gobble them up so quickly that I don't get a photo.

Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wraps
10oz frozen shiitake mushrooms
1 14oz package extra firm tofu
1 small white onion
1 head of your favourite lettuce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbspn canola oil
Sriracha (to taste) 

1. Cut tofu so that the cubes are roughly the same size as mushroom slices. Finely chop onion.
2. Pre-heat oil in large frying pan (or wok) over medium heat and divide twelve crisp lettuce leaves across four plates.
3. Add tofu to hot oil and sauté. Add the onion when the tofu begins to get crispy at edges. Add the mushrooms when the onion begins to turn clear.
4. Cook mushrooms for about three minutes, then add two tablespoons of soy sauce. Cook for 3-5 more minutes.
5. Pour remaining soy sauce into a medium bowl. Add vinegar and Sriracha to bowl and mix to make dipping sauce.
6. Spoon tofu mushroom mixture into lettuce leaves and serve!

Everything, but the soy sauce, is included on the anti-inflammatory diet. Luckily, Wellness Mama has a simple recipe for a soy sauce alternative. This meal is vegetarian, unless you use Wellness Mama's soy sauce alternative, but then it won't work with the anti-inflammatory diet. I've been cheating and using regular soy sauce, but will try Wellness Mama's and report back to you soon!

To find out more about my journey in exploring food as medicine, like my Facebook page.