Learn how this incredible compound supports longevity, fights free radicals, and reduces inflammation, and what you can eat to make sure polyphenols are present in your diet.
There are many ways to support health and longevity, with diet playing a significant role and looking at food as medicine. This concept highlights the role of good nutrition in not only nourishing our bodies but preventing and managing various health conditions. We know that certain foods contain almost magical properties that help fight harmful free radicals and contaminants, and help reduce inflammation in the body. Polyphenols are one of the magical compounds found in many plant-based foods that fight free radicals and reduce inflammation, and therefore, in many Thistle meals! We’ll share more about what polyphenols are and how they support a healthy body, where to find them in Thistle meals, and how to incorporate more polyphenol-rich ingredients into your everyday diet.
Healthy inflammation versus chronic inflammation
Before we discuss the amazing attributes of polyphenol compounds, we first want to talk about inflammation, and why it exists in the body. Inflammation is a normal, and healthy reaction when not chronically present. During injury, certain chemicals are released which cause swelling and inflammation. If the injury was caused by bacteria, the swelling helps isolate the bacteria from spreading to other tissues. The chemicals released during inflammation also begin a process called phagocytosis, which means that old or damaged cells die to be replaced by new and healthy cells. The processes discussed are normal and healthy, and help keep us alive!
Inflammation can also exist in a chronic state, and can stem from certain medical conditions, exposure to certain chemicals the body cannot break down, and even from the food we choose to eat. Chronic inflammation can damage healthy cells and tissues, and can result in tissue scarring and damage to healthy cell’s DNA. The good news is that small changes to your diet can help! Diets high in trans fats and added sugar produce a higher amount of pro-inflammatory markers, especially in individuals with comorbid conditions like diabetes or overweight/obesity. Monitoring your intake of foods high in trans fats and added sugars (think: processed, packaged foods) and adding in more plant-forward, whole foods is one way to reduce inflammation in the body.
Following a whole foods, plant based diet means that your intake of vitamins, minerals, and healthful polyphenolic compounds will automatically increase! While an official guideline on the recommended intake of polyphenols does not exist, it is safe to assume that consuming mostly plants, like those featured in Thistle meals, is an excellent way to boost your intake and support lowered body inflammation. Polyphenol supplements also exist, though their efficacy is still unknown. For now, research supports taking in polyphenols from food as an effective way of normalizing inflammation in the body.
Polyphenols 101
There are different types of polyphenols in foods, which can be categorized under four umbrellas - phenolic acids, flavonoids, polyphenolic amides and other polyphenols. Phenolic acids can be found in fruits, vegetables, spices, legumes, nuts and seeds. Flavonoids are found in specific fruits and veggies (cabbage, apples and onions for example) and also in dark chocolate. Polyphenolic amides are found in hot peppers and in oats, and other polyphenols can be found in ingredients like red wine, berries, and flax/sesame seeds. The importance of a varied diet is illustrated here, as different foods provide different healthful elements!
Thistle meals are a fantastic way to include more, and more varied polyphenols in your diet. We take a plant-forward, whole food approach to nutrition, which automatically boosts the nutrient content of the meals we serve. Take our Banana, Walnut & Chocolate Baked Oatmeal, for example – thanks to the fruits (banana and seasonal fruit), flax seed, cacao nibs, oats and spices, this meal contains polyphenols from each of the four groups discussed above! Our Southwestern Black Bean Salad offered on our weekly menu, which contains an assortment of vegetables, seeds and legumes, offers phenolic acids and flavonoids. Our new Lemon Blueberry Cake With Vanilla Cashew Cream, which contains oat flour, flax and berries is also replete with their respective nutrients. Generally, all Thistle lunches and dinners contain a mix of vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains, and are therefore sure to contribute unique polyphenols.
While Thistle makes it effortless to include more polyphenol-rich ingredients into your diet, you may find it less intuitive outside pre-prepared meals. There are small tweaks you can make to the meals you already eat, and we’re here to share them with you! Below, you’ll see a sample day of eating, including standard meals you may consume now and notes on how to “healthify” them.
How to level up you polyphenol intake throughout the day
Breakfast
A typical breakfast may look like cereal with almond milk and a banana. Turn up the nutrition with small tweaks and instead, have oatmeal (polyphenolic amides) topped with a banana (phenolic acids), ground flax seed (other polyphenols), peanut butter (phenolic acids) and cacao nibs (flavonoids.)
Lunch
Turn a wheat pasta spaghetti with white sauce and garlic bread to a healthful, gluten free version: Gluten free Banza chickpea pasta (phenolic acid) with Thistle’s vegan “cheese” sauce, and topped with garlic roasted broccoli and cauliflower florets (more phenolic acid!).
Snack
Swap a granola bar with Thistle 24 Carrot Gold Muffin to get more phenolic acids.
Dinner
Take a traditional pizza and a Caesar salad and turn it into a nutrient-rich alternative dinner meal:
Cauliflower-crusted pizza (phenolic acids) with a side of vegetable-rich cabbage slaw (flavonoids, phenolic acids.)
Dessert
Satisfy your sweet tooth by swapping a sugar cookie with Thistle’s Peanut Butter Mousse Cup, rich in flavonoids, polyphenolic amides, and phenolic acids.
There are a multitude of ways to enjoy polyphenol-rich ingredients, making healthy eating a cinch! The food we eat matters, and impacts many health markers, including inflammatory markers. While the inflammatory process is essential for our health, we want to keep it isolated to specific times, and consuming primarily plant ingredients, like those found in Thistle meals, is a great way to support this. Here’s to a happy and healthy you!
Learn how this incredible compound supports longevity, fights free radicals, and reduces inflammation, and what you can eat to make sure polyphenols are present in your diet.
There are many ways to support health and longevity, with diet playing a significant role and looking at food as medicine. This concept highlights the role of good nutrition in not only nourishing our bodies but preventing and managing various health conditions. We know that certain foods contain almost magical properties that help fight harmful free radicals and contaminants, and help reduce inflammation in the body. Polyphenols are one of the magical compounds found in many plant-based foods that fight free radicals and reduce inflammation, and therefore, in many Thistle meals! We’ll share more about what polyphenols are and how they support a healthy body, where to find them in Thistle meals, and how to incorporate more polyphenol-rich ingredients into your everyday diet.
Healthy inflammation versus chronic inflammation
Before we discuss the amazing attributes of polyphenol compounds, we first want to talk about inflammation, and why it exists in the body. Inflammation is a normal, and healthy reaction when not chronically present. During injury, certain chemicals are released which cause swelling and inflammation. If the injury was caused by bacteria, the swelling helps isolate the bacteria from spreading to other tissues. The chemicals released during inflammation also begin a process called phagocytosis, which means that old or damaged cells die to be replaced by new and healthy cells. The processes discussed are normal and healthy, and help keep us alive!
Inflammation can also exist in a chronic state, and can stem from certain medical conditions, exposure to certain chemicals the body cannot break down, and even from the food we choose to eat. Chronic inflammation can damage healthy cells and tissues, and can result in tissue scarring and damage to healthy cell’s DNA. The good news is that small changes to your diet can help! Diets high in trans fats and added sugar produce a higher amount of pro-inflammatory markers, especially in individuals with comorbid conditions like diabetes or overweight/obesity. Monitoring your intake of foods high in trans fats and added sugars (think: processed, packaged foods) and adding in more plant-forward, whole foods is one way to reduce inflammation in the body.
Following a whole foods, plant based diet means that your intake of vitamins, minerals, and healthful polyphenolic compounds will automatically increase! While an official guideline on the recommended intake of polyphenols does not exist, it is safe to assume that consuming mostly plants, like those featured in Thistle meals, is an excellent way to boost your intake and support lowered body inflammation. Polyphenol supplements also exist, though their efficacy is still unknown. For now, research supports taking in polyphenols from food as an effective way of normalizing inflammation in the body.
Polyphenols 101
There are different types of polyphenols in foods, which can be categorized under four umbrellas - phenolic acids, flavonoids, polyphenolic amides and other polyphenols. Phenolic acids can be found in fruits, vegetables, spices, legumes, nuts and seeds. Flavonoids are found in specific fruits and veggies (cabbage, apples and onions for example) and also in dark chocolate. Polyphenolic amides are found in hot peppers and in oats, and other polyphenols can be found in ingredients like red wine, berries, and flax/sesame seeds. The importance of a varied diet is illustrated here, as different foods provide different healthful elements!
Thistle meals are a fantastic way to include more, and more varied polyphenols in your diet. We take a plant-forward, whole food approach to nutrition, which automatically boosts the nutrient content of the meals we serve. Take our Banana, Walnut & Chocolate Baked Oatmeal, for example – thanks to the fruits (banana and seasonal fruit), flax seed, cacao nibs, oats and spices, this meal contains polyphenols from each of the four groups discussed above! Our Southwestern Black Bean Salad offered on our weekly menu, which contains an assortment of vegetables, seeds and legumes, offers phenolic acids and flavonoids. Our new Lemon Blueberry Cake With Vanilla Cashew Cream, which contains oat flour, flax and berries is also replete with their respective nutrients. Generally, all Thistle lunches and dinners contain a mix of vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains, and are therefore sure to contribute unique polyphenols.
While Thistle makes it effortless to include more polyphenol-rich ingredients into your diet, you may find it less intuitive outside pre-prepared meals. There are small tweaks you can make to the meals you already eat, and we’re here to share them with you! Below, you’ll see a sample day of eating, including standard meals you may consume now and notes on how to “healthify” them.
How to level up you polyphenol intake throughout the day
Breakfast
A typical breakfast may look like cereal with almond milk and a banana. Turn up the nutrition with small tweaks and instead, have oatmeal (polyphenolic amides) topped with a banana (phenolic acids), ground flax seed (other polyphenols), peanut butter (phenolic acids) and cacao nibs (flavonoids.)
Lunch
Turn a wheat pasta spaghetti with white sauce and garlic bread to a healthful, gluten free version: Gluten free Banza chickpea pasta (phenolic acid) with Thistle’s vegan “cheese” sauce, and topped with garlic roasted broccoli and cauliflower florets (more phenolic acid!).
Snack
Swap a granola bar with Thistle 24 Carrot Gold Muffin to get more phenolic acids.
Dinner
Take a traditional pizza and a Caesar salad and turn it into a nutrient-rich alternative dinner meal:
Cauliflower-crusted pizza (phenolic acids) with a side of vegetable-rich cabbage slaw (flavonoids, phenolic acids.)
Dessert
Satisfy your sweet tooth by swapping a sugar cookie with Thistle’s Peanut Butter Mousse Cup, rich in flavonoids, polyphenolic amides, and phenolic acids.
There are a multitude of ways to enjoy polyphenol-rich ingredients, making healthy eating a cinch! The food we eat matters, and impacts many health markers, including inflammatory markers. While the inflammatory process is essential for our health, we want to keep it isolated to specific times, and consuming primarily plant ingredients, like those found in Thistle meals, is a great way to support this. Here’s to a happy and healthy you!
