Inflammatory food

Food is an important aspect of our life. The way we consume food and also what we consume is very important as it could be the primary reason for the health and well-being of an individual. But sometimes, even eating healthy food may cause problems to the people who may have certain health issues. One of my cousins had this same issue and he was facing a lot of issues trying to deal with it.

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So while enjoying our Saturday noon coffee, my cousin did not look as happy as he often is. He looked like he was fed up with something. I asked him what is going on in his life. To this, he said that he has been recently diagnosed with a medical condition called ‘Ulcerative Colitis’. He said that because of this issue, he is having inflammation in the bowel and the intestines.

Painful

This inflammation was causing him a lot of pains. He told me that because of this, he will be unable to eat any spicy food for the rest of his life. To be specific, literally anything that has some strong taste can negatively impact his bowl. What makes him even sadder is the fact that he is a foodie; he enjoys trying a new cuisines, and is a big fan of spicy food. His face showed a lot of distress.

His doctor said that this was an immune disease, because of which there is no cure. So the only thing that he can do is eat food items that won’t trigger inflammation in his body. Since then, he has only been eating tasteless boiled food.

Light at the tunnel?

From experience, I knew that there are certain food items that are capable of reducing body inflammation, which can be very helpful for his specific case. He looked pretty helpless, and I decided to share some tips on what he can eat.

First I recommended some gluten-free items that he can use to make delicious food items. I told him that he can have fresh meat along with poultry. He can also have fresh fish and scallops as these are gluten-free and he can surely make some really tasty food items with them. As mentioned earlier, he liked spicy food. So I told him that he can have ketchup, mustard, pasta sauce, and barbeque sauce as these are gluten-free and can improve the taste of his food items. Adding these sauces, some veggies, and fresh meat, he can cook something really delicious that won’t hurt him at all.

Good bye, dairy

Next, I told him about a lactose-free diet. For this, I suggested that he can have almond milk, non-dairy creamers, and also soymilks. I told him that he can have gravies made with water, broths, and also some vegetable or meat soups that do not have any milk in them.

He kept listening attentively with a slight smile on the face. He said he was very eager to go home and brainstorm some recipes that follows my suggestions.

During the following week, he called me and I could notice a sense of joy in his voice, from the first word. He explained that after knowing about that medical condition, he believed that enjoying food was no longer a feeling he would experience, but my simple suggestions on Saturday were very crucial in bringing real taste back into his life. He tried multiple recipes with sauces and vegetables, and was very happy he could enjoy some taste without experiencing pains in the bowl afterwards.

I felt really happy hearing this. There’s no greater joy than helping someone. Especially, when that someone is close to us.