COOK MORE CAREFULLY

DID YOU KNOW light and heat both affect olive oil’s flavor and aroma, so only buy olive oil in dark glass bottles or opaque tins, and always store your olive oil in a cool, dark space.

GATHERING THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS at the grocery store is only the first step in establishing an anti-inflammatory diet–how you prepare those ingredients is just as important as what you eat.

According to the researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, cooking meats and eggs at high temperatures can produce inflammatory response in the body. Grilling, searing, broiling, and even roasting some foods produces compounds called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. Your body regularly produces AGEs as well, but researchers say high levels of them in your system can exacerbate inflammation. You don’t have to stop using these high-heat methods altogether, just consider limiting your use of them.

Steaming, simmering, braising, and poaching are alternative methods that can produce equally delicious results. And resist the temptation to use the sous vide cooking method–plastic bags can leach plastic, endocrine disruptors, and other unwanted contaminants into your food.

Another ingredient essential to consider is cooking oils. In the grocery store, there is usually a plethora of options to pick from, and which oil to use when cooking may seem like an afterthought for many consumers, but it matters! For an anti-inflammatory diet, it’s best to choose oils high in monounsaturated or omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, like olive oil, avocado oil, and flaxseed oil. Olive oil in particular has a slew of anti-inflammatory benefits for consumers, and is linked to a lowered risk of heart disease.

Oils like corn, soybean, sunflower, and safflower, by contrast, are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, making them unwise choices: too much omega-6 fat in our bodies results in unhealthy, and sometimes chronic, inflammation. Omega-6 rich oils are often associated with highly-processed foods, possibly because they’re often cheaper to produce. Omega-3 fats can counteract their effects, but in a typical Western diet, we aren’t getting enough omega-3s to make a difference.

But wait, there’s more: You also need to consider each oil’s smoke point. When an oil is heated past its smoke point, it starts to burn, and can become rancid. This changes the fatty acid profile in oil, and creates free radicals that can harm healthy cells, leading to–you guessed it–inflammation. Avocado oil is a good bet for cooking, as its smoke point is 400̊ F, while flaxseed oil with a smoke point of only 225̊ F, is best reserved for salads and other cold dishes.

Another way to limit your body’s exposure to destructive AGEs is to simply include more fruits and vegetables in your meals. Whether cooked or raw, fruits and veggies have naturally low levels of AGEs to begin with, many contain powerful antioxidants that can actually reverse some negative effects of AGEs you acquire through other foods. Just another reason to eat more fruits and veggies.