|  | Diet Nutrition | Healthy Diets

Perricone & Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, M.D. is a dermatologist who received his M.D. from Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. He presents himself as a radical in the dermatologist community. He claims that if you follow a healthy diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, your skin and health will improve. It is not impossible, Perricone claims, to remain ageless if you lead a healthy lifestyle. In his book, "The Perricone Prescription," he points out the kinds of foods that are most beneficial for your well-being and looks.

  1. The Anti-inflammatory Diet

    • Perricone dwells on the research showing that inflammation in the body increases risk of certain deceases and makes weight loss difficult. Avoiding inflammatory foods such as sugars, common cooking oils, deep fried foods, milk and dairy, red and processed meat, alcohol, refined grains and artificial food additives found in packaged foods instantly improves your health, he claims. Eating foods rich in antioxidants, mono-saturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids contributes to long-lasting health and wrinkle-free appearance. The anti-inflammatory diet suggests eating fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, and a variety of herbs and spices like curry and ginger.

    Healthy Recipes

    • Incorporating super foods like salmon, avocado, nuts, garlic, chili peppers or apples into your diet is crucial for good health maintenance. The aforementioned foods contain phytonutrients that help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and asthma. An ideal breakfast could consist of an oatmeal with grated apples, cinnamon and raisins, yogurt and green or white tea. A lunch could include foods such as tuna salad sandwich on a whole wheat bun and berry smoothie. A great dinner would be spaghetti with turkey meatballs, spinach and peppers and cranberry crumb cake for desert. Chocolate lovers can indulge in a little bit of dark chocolate or nuts in between the meals.

    Perricone Weight Loss Diet

    • The Perricone diet advocates that eating anti-inflammatory foods has the ability to accelerate fat loss by increasing metabolism and building and sustaining muscle mass. The diet should be complemented by supplements and daily 20 to 30 minute-long workouts. According to Perricone, eating anti-inflammatory foods is not only going to result in losing excess fat, but will also reduce wrinkles, reverse aging, lessen inflammation in the body and boost energy.

    Criticism of the Perricone Prescription

    • Perricone's claims are mostly founded on quality evidence that is supported by science. However, according to Harriett Hall, M.D. and Stephen Barrett, M.D., The Perricone Prescription contains many questionable, unverifiable and erroneous statements. For example, Perricone claims that inflammation is the cause of many diseases, but it is sometimes difficult to determine if inflammation is the cause or a result of a disease. It is also unclear if nutrients that fight inflammation such as vitamins C and E, do anything to reverse the many diseases supposedly caused by inflammation.

Healthy Diets - Related Articles