The literature on the role of inflammation in health has grown exponentially over the past several decades and paralleling this growth has been an equally intense focus on the role of diet in reducing inflammation (Hebert, et al., 2019).
The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) was developed in 2004, to provide a scientific means for assessing the role of the diet in relation to how certain foods may promote inflammatory changes in tissues, thereby contributing to chronic diseases.
This index now guides many scientific decisions and policies around which foods or types of eating patterns lead to a reduction in chronic diseases.
Increasing our consumption of cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, broccoli, bok choi, brussel sprouts, kale, and cauliflower, has been recommended as a key component of a healthy diet to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as various cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Cruciferous vegetables are also known to be important in keeping the gut microbiome healthy, which in turn keeps us healthy.
Cabbage, due to its specific properties, has been used in natural medicine mainly for rheumatic pain, vein and lymphatic vessel inflammation, bruises, sprains, mastitis or gastrointestinal problems. Celery also has beneficial anti-inflammatory nutrients that are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women.
So, with the anti-inflammatory benefits of both of these crunchy foods, don’t you think it’s time that you mixed them together and added them to your very own MyMT™ Kitchen?
The MyMT™ KITCHEN: Cabbage, Celery Salad – two ways
Makes enough for four people
Ingredients
- 2 celery stalks
- ½ cabbage
- 2 spring onion stalks
- ½ cup parsley
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup coriander
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Salmon (enough to feed your group)
- Dressing Option One: 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp sesame oil + 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Dressing Option Two: 3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp mustard + 1 lemon juiced + 1 tsp honey
Method
- Cut the cabbage, celery, avocado and spring onion into very thin slices. Transfer to a large bowl and add the parsley, coriander, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
- Heat a frying pan onto medium-high with a small dash of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, sear the salmon for approximately 4 minutes on each side.
- While the salmon is cooking, make the dressing that you prefer and then add it to the salad.
Bon Appetit!
References:
Hébert JR, Shivappa N, Wirth MD, Hussey JR, Hurley TG. Perspective: The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)-Lessons Learned, Improvements Made, and Future Directions. Adv Nutr. 2019 Mar 1;10(2):185-195.
Jiang Y, Wu SH, Shu XO, Xiang YB, Ji BT, Milne GL, Cai Q, Zhang X, Gao YT, Zheng W, Yang G. Cruciferous vegetable intake is inversely correlated with circulating levels of proinflammatory markers in women. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014 May;114(5):700-8.e2.
