Spicy Mango Rice Bowl with Tofu (or chicken)

May 6, 2011 By Leanne Vogel December 3, 2015

I’ve been enjoying these rice bowls in my lunch all week, but haven’t had the chance to share the recipe with you. I blame homemade yogurt, preparing for my race, and berries n’ cream parfaits. Do you forgive me? My eats this week have been marvelous. No complaints are coming from this stomach, that’s for sure. My knee on the other hand, now that’s a different story. Come Thursday morning, my right knee was so tight, I could barely get up the stairs. Before a race? ‘Common now?! I retraced my steps: what had made it get this bad? I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. Then, a conversation with my ART Specialist came to me. He said, “It’s amazing, how many people don’t understand the impact their diet can have on their performance” :| Then, Monday nights dinner rushed into my head…

8 strips of beef bacon, 3 eggs + ketchup.

And Tuesday nights dinner…

6 strips of beef bacon, 2 eggs + salad.

And Wednesday…

Kale chips, 4 strips of beef bacon, quinoa, and a pile of roasted potatoes.

I swear I eat more than just bacon, I’ve just been dying for animal protein lately. Anyways, it wasn’t long until I connected the dots. How could I have seriously had 18 strips of beef bacon in the last 3 days?

Beef and inflammation

If you follow me on Facebook, you were part of this conversation yesterday morning. Beef is a pro-inflammatory food due to it’s high arachidonic acid content which is part of the PGE2 series [aka prostaglandin 2 which is a form of essential fatty acid]. You know how there are omega-3 and 6’s? Arachidonic acid; contained in beef, is an omega-6, but actually increases inflammation, as opposed to it’s other omega-6 counterpart, gamma-linolenic acid – found in hemp and walnuts to name a few. Since I wasn’t eating any beef and then increased it to a superman portions in just 3 days, my body showed huge signs of inflammation! Problem solved, culprit caught!? I feel like a modern day Inspector Clueso [minus the mustache, of course] So, out with the beef and in with the bean salad, hemp protein + another batch of tofu rice bowls, just until Sunday. View Nutritional Information (once on page scroll down) The foil wall is genius [thanks for the awesome idea, Ashley] I could have may have eaten a bunch of veggies right out of frying pan.

Inflammation Q+A

Is all protein inflammatory? All animal proteins will have the same affect, but I find beef and pork are a bit worse than chicken/eggs/dairy. Fish is somewhat exempt from the rule because of it’s high content of omega 3’s. Of course the best source of fish [for omega-3 intake] is Salmon! So does that mean that someone who has rhumatoid arthritis or lupus should limit their intake of beef? Generally speaking, yes. People with any type of inflammatory condition shouldn’t only reduce their intake of beef, but also limit their intake of inflammatory foods. What other foods are inflammatory? In addition to all animal proteins, refined grains, sugar, potatoes, tomatoes, and other nightshade foods, will also promote inflammation. As will overcooked foods because they create advanced glycation end products [AGES], something our bodies treat as an invader. As a simple explanation, these “AGES” are produced when a protein molecule binds with a glucose molecule, resulting in damage to the protein. Do you have a question for me about inflammation? Ask away! If not, do you enjoy sauces on your rice bowls? What’s your favorite sauce recipe?

This entry was tagged: cilantro, luscious bowl, mango, Quinoa, rice, rice bowl, stir fry