I'm Inflamed, So I'm Flirting...

I've been sitting with my laptop on my lap for about 35 minutes trying to figure out where to even begin with this post. Where the heck do I start after saying, "I'm inflamed"?

Well, long story short- I've been in the "contemplative stage" for a few years now (a social work term describing when someone is sort of thinking of changing something, weighing the pros/cons, contemplating a change...) as it relates to certain diet I heard about when I first began getting some stomach problems. I saw a gastro-enterologist (a stomach doctor) who diagnosed me with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and I definitely don't want to discredit anyone that truly feels they have this syndrome/disorder, but for me, my symptoms were just so indecisive & ambivalent, it really made me curious if there was more to the story. I've gone nearly two years now without even a whisper of the type of cramps or pains I used to get when I had "IBS", and I couldn't be more thankful- I mean, for a person that LOVES food, loves to eat and loves to cook, it was really hard at times to feel limited by my own inflamed stomach.

Now for the last 6 months I've been dealing with a very common overuse injury in my knee(s) that most women face at some point in their lives because of our hip-to-knee angles, called chondromalacia. I had a scope/surgery and have a great deal of scar tissue that is making my recovery anything but typical.

So you might be asking, "Nichole...why the heck are you getting into all this? This is a cooking blog! Quite frankly, I don't give a rats pa-tootie about your stomach or your knee!" I mean, we all have problems, no one gets away in life without something going on at some point, unfortunately. But, I tell you all this because in fact, it has been scientifically proven that foods and diets rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids reduce INFLAMMATION- inflammation that can be found within the intestinal tract, within the cardiovascular system, within joints and muscles (making it more difficult to heal at times), and inflammation has even been found to be connected to cancer, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's...the list goes on.

I've decided to flirt with the idea of an "Anti-Inflammatory" diet, or at least incorporating more "anti-inflammatory" foods into my life, in hopes that I will feel stronger, healthier and perhaps- just perhaps I will assist my body in the healing process for a better knee!

I've been researching and will continue to research the role our diet plays with inflammation, the right foods to choose, how to prepare foods correctly to reduce inflammation, and will be posting the recipes I learn about and giving you honest feedback about their taste, prep time and bodily impact. And as always, I'll be keeping the recipes simple and realistic!

I hope you find this somewhat exciting- I do! I think it's a great opportunity for us all to take care of ourselves, even better than we hopefully already do! Or if you have been contemplating a change for a while now, let this be your guide to making a few small edits to your weekly meals!

Check back soon for updates under the label appropriately named, "I'm Inflamed..."