Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/1029449
18 Hudson Valley Parent n October 2018 Should you avoid night- shades? The New England Patriots' quarterback, Tom Brady, has received quite a bit of attention lately because of his unique diet. According to an article on Boston.com, Brady eats a plant-based diet. In addition, Brady avoids nightshade vegetables. Brady believes he will suffer from less joint pains, arthritis and inflammatory conditions by eliminating nightshade vegetables. Nicole DeCaprio is a busy 37-year-old, mother of three from Dutchess County. DeCaprio says she began experiencing problems with gas, bloating, bouts of constipation and diarrhea and lethargy about five years ago. She saw various doctors and tried various treatments that did not really work. DeCaprio says she always had issues with peppers and eggplants but about a year ago began having issues with tomatoes as well. She thought she ate well, but when her doctor advised her to eliminate certain foods in her diet, DeCaprio realized just how much processed foods, meat, high-fructose corn syrup and other added sugars she was consuming on a daily basis. DeCaprio discovered that she was lactose, sucrose, and fructose intolerant, By PADMA GARVEY N ightshade vegetables include tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant and peppers. All of these vegetables originated in the New World and were introduced to the Old World by the Spanish around the 15th and 16th centuries. Imagine there was once an Italy without the tomato, an Ireland without the potato, and an India without the hot pepper. and sensitive to nightshades. DeCaprio says that she eliminated all dairy, added natural sugars, certain fruits and meat. She began cooking more at home and experimented with new vegetables and cuisines. She feels much better today. She stays away from nightshades and instead eats the vegetables she can tolerate especially kale, Swiss chard, and collards. In a world filled with conflicting information about what to eat, this apparent issue with nightshade vegetables and inflammation has caused more confusion. Change your diet, control your infl ammation Inflammation is a physiologic state that is one part of our immensely complex immune systems. Humans need both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory reactions to function appropriately. Inflammation, after all, is what fights invading pathogens and destroys early cancer cells. But inflammation also causes atherosclerosis and autoimmune problems. The typical Western diet, high in refined and processed foods, has too many inflammatory triggers and not Your diet could be causing you pain Are nightshade vegetables the source of your in ammation? Ditch the nightshades with this easy recipe! Pasta with Beans And Greens This recipe is so easy that it is my go to recipe even when we are on vacation. One box of whole grain pasta Five cloves crushed garlic One box baby arugula, spinach, or kale One teaspoon olive oil One can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained Salt and pepper to taste Red chili flakes (optional) Nutritional yeast (optional) Boil one box of whole grain pasta. In a separate skillet, add one teaspoon of olive oil and heat to high. Add garlic, greens, salt and pepper, beans, and two ladles of pasta water. Mix, cover and let cook until greens nicely wilted. Add chili flakes and nutritional yeast to taste, toss with pasta.