Food can be a powerful healer.
Funny, since it can also make you sick.
Vegas and I decided to try out an anti-inflammatory diet for a couple of weeks to see if it would relieve some muscle problems we’ve been having. She get cramps and achey feet and I have a ankle/Achilles that refuses to heal. My fingers have also been hurting too. 32 is too young for arthritis… right?
I consulted Lindsay, who is a nutrition genius, and she suggested some guidelines and advised that we give it 14 days. In that time, we eliminated common allergens and focused on healthy fats and clean meats.
Our Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- No grains
- No dairy
- Minimally processed food (we did eat a few things with very basic ingredient lists)
- No refined oils
- No soy (except tempeh, which I had twice)
- No alcohol (other than red wine)
We also made sure to eat more healthy fats, and took turmeric and spirulia supplements. The turmeric definitely helps with inflammation, and I noticed an improvement in digestion with the spirulina.
Vegas lasted 11 days, I lasted 14… with the exception of one cheat on day 6. Over the course of two weeks we ate all sorts of good stuff, and I had a blast getting creative in the kitchen. We didn’t ever feel deprived or hungry.
Here’s what some of our meals looked like:
Broiled Grapefruit and Socca
Pumpkin Chocolate Quinoa Chia Pudding
(This recipe, but with chocolate)
Spicy Pumpkin Chicken Salad
(Recipe here)
Italian Sweet Potato Pie
(Based on this Mexican version)
Quinoa spaghetti & spaghetti squash with meatballs and homemade tomato sauce
Results
- Vegas and I both had more energy
- My hands quit hurting
- I felt less bloated
- I lost 9 pounds and Vegas lost 8
We were hoping for a miracle cure for our biggest problems – her feet and my Achilles. It didn’t seem to make a difference in those areas, but at least we know that it’s time to see a doctor. *grumble grumble*
The weight loss was not intentional, but certainly a welcome benefit! I attribute that to abstaining from San Diego’s tasty craft beers and not eating dessert 5-6 times a week. It was a great to reset those habits, for sure.
[Tweet “Anti-Inflammatory Diet Experiment – final results and what we learned in 14 days. #fitfluential”]
I intend to stick with this style of eating as much as possible. If I want a beer or dessert, I’m not going to deprive myself but I’ll make more of an effort to keep those as weekly events rather than daily. The improvement in energy level was huge for both of us, and, if I’m honest, I’d love to lose another few pounds… I gained some happy marriage weight. No regrets – we had a blast – it’s just not comfortable at this point.
So that’s our experiment. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in working out joint pain, bloating, or just some bad habits. Eliminating at least the processed foods can benefit us all!
Moving right along… I’m hosting Jenn’s WIAW baby this week! Check out all the eats and join the party below!
Breakfast:
I had the usual morning cocktail and morning sludge.
Yesterday marked one year since I flew out to Vegas for a softball tournament and re-united with Vegas… and then married her less than 3 months later (hey, when you know, you know…). I got a little mushy with breakfast.
https://instagram.com/p/8yKaqRmjQj/
Lunch:
It is SO HOT here. All I wanted was a big salad. This was topped with orange bell pepper, cauliflower, asparagus, heirloom tomatoes, and a quick hummus + apple cider vinegar dressing. I bulked that up with the end of a bread loaf, avocado, and smoked salmon from Whole Foods. (Vegas had the same thing but in sandwich form and with turkey).
Snack:
I enjoyed my post-workout Grapefruit Sherbet… and patiently waited for out anniversary dinner.
Dinner:
Time for a celebration! Cowboy Star in San Diego is known for it’s steaks, and Vegas is a huge steak fan. Perfect for an anniversary surprise dinner!
Can’t go wring with bacon and brussels as an app. Stag’s Leap Cab is also a solid choice.
10 oz Wagyu for me. Cleaned my plate.
[Tweet “Check out the rotating #WIAW party here this week! #fitfluential #sweatpink”]
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One of the awesome WIAW co-hosts, Meghan, is bringing back her Monday “Week in Review” link up next week – check it out and join in here.
Have you ever tried an anti-inflammatory diet or supplement?
Has it cooled off yet where you live? I’m melting.
I love looking at fancy dinners and wishing I could make food look that tasty!
So cool about the anti-inflammatory diet. My husband deals with a lot of back pain, so I’d love see if he would do this with me. Maybe a post-holiday adventure?
The anniversary dinner looks amazing!! I would have cleaned my plate too! (Not like I don’t always do that anyway ;))
Very interesting about your results! Foot problems are the worst. Honestly mine didn’t stop bugging me until I got a good pair of orthotics at the Good Feet store in Phx. They were expensive but worth saving my feet.
I think it’s more muscular for her – she has the tightest shins/calves I’ve ever seen! Sports massages and needling are nest I think…
I think trying an anti-inflammatory diet would be a great experiment for us too. John has crazy allergy problems and I have lots of aches and pains in my ankles and knees. Plus, losing a few pounds would be nice as well…
I still want to try you pumpkin quinoa! Thanks for hosting!!
Let me know what you think if you try it! It’s worth a shot for the energy alone!
Seriously can’t go wrong with bacon and Brussels! Breakfast idea for me today – yum!
You make anti-inflammatory look goooood. This is similar to my “back to basics” diet, which happens when I’m in a flare. Just hope you never see that on my blog!
9 pounds? Damn, I need to get on that diet. Also, happy anniversary! That steak dinner is right up my alley. Steak + red wine = perfect dinner!
Funny… I had steak and red wine again tonight. LOL!
i’m so glad vegas has you and vice versa! You take care of each other. Glad you felt better, but bummed about the foot.
I was hoping it’d be the fix… but it was still a great reset and reminder that I always feel better eating cleaner! Thanks, brother!
i find it so interesting how food can either cure you or harm you! glad you saw some good results on your anti-inflammatory diet!
Hi Laura! FINALLY, I’m back to blogging. I’ve been following along with your on Instagram and Facebook. Love all of your posts! This is my first WIAW since I’ve been back. Is there a schedule to the rotation of who hosts? I was reading Facebook while waiting for Jenn to post the link and there you were! Happy Anniversary to you and Vegas. I’m so very happy for you Both! Hugs!
So glad to have you back and thank you!!! No real schedule… we kind of make it up as we go. Jenn’s been crazy busy.
Melting?? Let’s swap places or feel free to come over to mine. It’s gotten seriously cold and certain areas of the country already got a first taste of snow today [luckily not where I live].
Happy (belated) anniversary!
Oh man… I don’t know what’s worse!
You guys are so lucky to have each other <3 I like the anti-inflammatory eats- I bought a ton of turmeric for inflammation but I keep forgetting to add it!
That’s why I started buying the pills – I just take it in the AM with my vitamins.
It’s so cold here….it’s horrible 🙁
When ever I see anit-inflammatory the first thing I think is TURMERIC!!!!!
Hey there! Visiting for the first time to join your WIAW link up. 🙂 It seems like the anti-inflammatory diet results are pretty good, there’s nothing wrong with less bloating and more energy!
Welcome the party! 🙂
Hi Laura! Oh I am so interested by this diet. I’ve never eliminated anything and am secretly dying to try a Whole30, I just don’t have the courage to give up my wine, dessert or favorite packaged goods! Thanks for the story about yours. Nice job on completing it and regaining some energy!
While I don’t think I could do a detox diet, it certainly looks like you ate well! Looooving that socca you made and the broiled grapefruit sounds good too! Also, I love the ‘love filled’ breakfast you made for Vegas….too cute!!!
That was the nice thing about it – it’s not meant to deprive you. We have plenty of good stuff to eat!
I always say if I can just stop drinking beer, I would lose weight! and I am glad your anti inflammatory diet included red wine. I can get with that!
I feel like I should just give up even trying not to drink beer while living in SD!
Happy anniversary!! Looks like you got to enjoy some yummy brussels and steak! I can’t believe you lasted that long on the anti-inflammatory diet. I would mostly likely ‘accidentally’ slip up after a couple of days.
Thank you! We did have our cheat… but it honestly wasn’t too hard to stick too. Especially with the red wine. 😉
I do try to eat as many anti inflammatory foods as possible, but sometimes the sugar just calls to me! I love that you were still able to drink wine 🙂
I’ve heard that this kind of diet does wonder for the skin! If I could just do away with the sweets, I’d be golden!
Did your exercise routine stay the same?
I hear you on the sweets!
Exercise was the same – I had tons of energy!
I wonder if Vegas might be deficient in magnesium. Many women are and I take it daily for muscle cramping and leg spasms in the night. The tops of my feet cramp and get sore too without it.
No… I think it’s a neuro thing. She’s tried all the usual suspects like magnesium and potassium. 🙁
I’m cutting WAY back on the grains and dairy to see what’s up with my stomach stuff. I already eat GF, so that means no rice or oats. Luckily baking is OK because I’m getting into coconut and quinoa flours, the only tricky bit is I use lots of Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose GF flour and it has sorghum flour in it (the rest is tapioca, bean and potato…). Cutting back on dairy means cutting back on dessert since for me it’s usually ice cream so we’ll see what happens.
Do you do GF oats? I love using that for oat flour! Coconut flour is amazing, right?
I used GF oats in SO MANY of my recipes, but I have to cut wayyy down on both oats and rice for this elimination :/
Congratulations on your year together!
I found that eliminating sugar (which I did for other reasons) helped my finger joints quite a lot… and I do have arthritis. Good luck with the more serious issues!
Your food looks amazing. I have heard a lot of great things about turmeric. I have never tried an anti-inflammatory diet but I am willing to try it. Thanks so much for sharing the information
bakingrunner.blogspot.com
Thanks! We’ve been doing turmeric for a while now and have really noticed a difference!
Holy guacamole, you lost 9 pounds in 14 days? Your body is super responsive! Also … hi :). It’s been too long!
Hey!!!! It has been too long. I love seeing you and Laura pop up on FB. 🙂
Happy happy anniversary!! I know the happy marriage weight gain.. except mine came after we moved to California. Maybe it’s all the good food out here 😉 Good luck with the foot and achilles!
California is like the promised land of food and drinks. Can you blame us? 😉 Hope the move is going well. Sorry I missed you in SD!
Though I don’t have any problems w cramping, I think everyone can benefit incorporating more anti inflammatory foods Into our diets. It all looks so tasty.
very interesting. i have been wanting to try something similar for skin but i love chocolate and wine too much 🙁 #ihavenoselfcontrol
I think even in your 30’s, the more you’ve put your body through, the more aches and pains you have. all through college and up to … my 30’s, I threw myself off ski jumps, played tennis 2x a day, coached Special Olympics weightlifting… and all that caught up with me. 😉
I indeed have followed an anti inflammatory diet, and most days, I still do! one of my friends is a fantastic naturopath, and years ago she introduced me to it, I saw some improvements too.
I officially turned on THE HEAT the other day. I know, sorry – I have heard how insane it is down there! we have a perfect 80 tomorrow… again, sorry.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Vegas tells me that all the time as we’re hobbling around after the gym. I think we lack an off button… HA!
Please bring some cooler air down with you when you come. Less than 2 months!!!!!
just linking up now, but i’ve been waiting for this post! cant wait til exams are over so i can read!!
Awesome job to both of you ladies! Have you noticed ill effects from any particular food after reintroduction? I WISH it would cool down over here- Mumbai seems to only be getting hotter by the minute gah!
We both noticed that higher gluten foods and beers do bloat us, but I don’t think there was anything with dairy which makes me happy. I also noticed that I do like having a little more fat from nuts in my diet. I think that helped with my joints.
Wagyu beef, brussels and bacon – now that sounds like heaven to me!
David and I are really interested in supplementing with both turmeric and spirinula – what is your dosage like? And would you recommend?
I definitely noticed a difference with the turmeric. We’ve been taking it for a few months now. I’m doing 2 500mg capsules in the morning and 2 at night. I just do the spirulina in the morning… can’t remember the amount, but it’s the recommended dosage on the Whole Foods brand bottle. Not sure that is really doing anything though.
You lost 9lbs in 14 days? Damn! I need to get on this diet to reverse some of my Italy weight gain. Happy anniversary!!
It’s amazing what happens when you don’t stuff your face with pizza and beer… why is moderation so HARD? LOL!
What a neat diet to try, I think I need to do something like this to reboot my health! xo C
Now I want to do a no plastic diet after reading your post!!
That’s really interesting! I think it would be very difficult to do as a vegetarian though. Grains and soy are my main sources of meals.
Food really is the best medicine. Sex and beer help too.
Sex is always the answer.
I’m melting too lady! It’s cloudy here right now so it feels good… but I saw us hitting 90 again in the next few days. Bleh. As soon as it cools down let’s go for a hike damn it!
WOW on the weight loss. Awesome job sticking with the anti-inflammatory diet for 2 weeks!
Right?! We are doing Tough Mudder next weekend. I was scared it would be cold, but now I’m worried it will be too hot!
Your anti-inflammatory diet sounds like Whole30, which helped me get rid of aches and pains in my Achilles and hands too. I found out that grains and dairy bring back the pain. Are you going to work with Lindsay to slowly add things back in to see exactly what foods caused the inflammation?
We just added stuff in slowly. I started with dairy which (thankfully) was fine! I think the super-high gluten stuff bloats me but nothing terrible.
All your meal choices look healthy and delicious as usual! I haven’t tried an anti inflammatory diet before, but I gotta imagine I could benefit from one!! I might need to try it out soon 🙂
Thanks!
definitely get your foot checked out! get those muscles healed soon because foot/ankle injuries are the worst 🙁
I know… I just told Vegas I am going to have to go this week. Oy.
I’m always so interested to read about others’ experiments to alleviate inflammation, bloating, pain, etc. After participating in what felt like hundreds of elimination food diets I found that the only thing I can really be sure that causes my abdominal pain/bloating when it acts up is stress. As for eliminating stress…well that’s even harder than dessert (only by a little though ha!) I think many people don’t want to believe that stress can really be the cause behind these issues…I didn’t..I wanted something concrete that I could fix. But for me it’s been stress and I just have to work on managing it and reminding myself that it’s not in my head so I can accept it and wait for it to pass without making myself crazy or guilty.
That’s a really good point though – whatever your dealing with emotionally can take a big toll on your body. Stress tears up Vegas’ tummy.