Today on the podcast:
Registered Dietitian Carolyn Williams, PhD is a leading culinary nutrition expert.
She was the winner of the 2017 James Beard Journalism Award and has developed a knack for breaking down complex science into quick, reader-friendly tips.
She’s the author of two cookbooks, Meals That Heal: 100+ Everyday Anti-Inflammatory Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less and Her new book, MEALS THAT HEAL ONE POT: 100+ Recipes for Your Stovetop, Sheet Pan, Instant Pot, and Air Fryer – Reduce Inflammation for Whole-Body Health.
She also co-hosts the happy eating podcast and is a sought-after speaker on anti-inflammatory eating and managing chronic inflammation through lifestyle.
Episode Outline
- 06:21 Why Carolyn developed an interest in antiinflammatory diets
- 09:36 What exactly is low-grade chronic inflammation
- 12:02 What foods to include and what foods to avoid for an antiinflammatory diet
- 17:49 What to know about over/undercooking antiinflammatory foods
- 18:51 The main lifestyle irritants for inflammations
- 20:36 The symptoms to watch out for (yellow and red flags)
- 24:29 How inflammations affects fat loss
- 27:34 Stress management tools that can help
- 31:00 Food intolerances and the link with chronic inflammation
- 34:02 Why aren’t more doctors and other medical professionals talking about low-grade chronic inflammation?
- 39:36 Carolyn’s top supplement recommendations
Three Key Points
- Inflammation is actually designed to keep the body healthy. Low-grade chronic inflammation, which is a relatively modern phenomenon, is triggered by lifestyle irritants such as a bad diet and lack of sleep. Everything in your body becomes negatively affected, from brain health to thyroid health to hormone health to weight management. It’s a fire that grows and grows until it becomes systemic inflammation, unless you take the steps to reverse it.
- If you’re experiencing inflammation, rather than focusing on what to cut out, consider instead what you can add in your diet. These are antiinflammatory foods, of which there are three categories: leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables.
- The Western medical system is largely trained to treat the symptom and not the cause, and it definitely does not focus on holistic health. There are a lot of benefits to traditional Western medicine, but nutrition does not tend to be its strong suit. If you’re experiencing an antiinflammatory response in your body, know that you can take control of it. It requires a lifestyle shift, and having a resource like Carolyn and other holistic health experts helps tremendously when you’re going on that journey.
Powerful Quotes by Carolyn
- It’s a gradual progression to seeing more and more symptoms from inflammation; inflammation is behind all of that, and if we try to listen more closely to our body, which is hard, we can stop that progression.
- Everybody has stress. The key is to learn coping mechanisms so that, when you experience it, you’re better able to adapt to and handle it.
- We need to follow the antiinflammatory diet. This is the solution to maintaining health and preventing disease.
Guest Info
Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD