Flare Free Isn't What You Think

Laura Rodriguez
Oct 29, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Nov 4

Prefer to listen? Check out this Episode of The Autoimmune Edible Rx Podcast!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5g2RKaHRygpMEUORnZKrWy?si=MMsZV4peQaONjyDgT8Mv3Q&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A1id5VPD8vQFIsJvzMjYtGY

What do you think of when you hear me say I make gluten/dairy/sugar/corn/soy free anti-inflammatory food?

You probably think...well what the heck do you eat?!

Today I'm here to debunk what you may think it looks like to eat Flare Free!

I got the idea for this podcast episode from a recent conversation I had with a fellow autoimmune warrior.

She started to tell me that she was worried some of her lupus symptoms may be creeping back into her life and is considering changing her diet to prevent that.

So of course, we started talking about food and the first thing she said was, "I like broccoli and Brussels sprouts and ----"

And I had to cut her off right there because while broccoli and Brussels sprouts are amazing (and you'll find both of those in my recipes), you don't have to ONLY eat what is traditionally deemed "healthy" to lessen the symptoms of your autoimmune condition.

Let me explain.

The basic tenet of eating Flare Free is to increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods and decrease your intake of inflammatory foods. Read my blog post on what Flare Free means to learn more about those specifics.

What I want to go into detail about today is the types of meals you can eat.

Take what's on the November Meal Plan for example:

For the month of November we made:

Pot Roast

Honey Pecan Crusted Chicken

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Brown Butter Fish with Squash Grits

Mashed Potato Stuffed Meatloaf

Just to name a few.

AND the November Meal Plan includes a bonus Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe Packet that includes recipes for:

Stuffing

Sweet Potatoes

Cranberry Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Cornbread

And more.

Let me tell you some of my member's favorites from the October Meal Plan just to really drive the point home here:

Beef + Barley Soup

Sausage + Peppers Sheet Tray Meal

Blackened Fish Tacos

Chicken Piccata

And my personal favorite - the Bacon Burger Salad with Cucumber Ranch Dressing

I mean...does any of that sound "healthy" to you?

Probably not. It sounds like the food you grew up knowing and loving. The food you crave. And there's a reason I serve this type of food.

Because in order for you to want to use food as medicine long enough to notice a difference, you have to eat food that you actually crave. Food that you know. Food that you love.

So that's why I include these kinds of recipes into my meal plans. Because I want you to find joy in eating and cooking.

I don't want you to think food, your body, or your immune system is going to betray you for a lifetime.

Whatever you're going through right now that's driving you to want to learn how to use food as medicine doesn't have to be forever.

I've reversed debilitating joint pain, migraines, eczema, leaky gut, adrenal fatigue, insulin resistance and gut dysbiosis, and mold toxicity so I'm speaking from experience when I say - I know how it feels to suffer. To feel like nothing you try works. Like this is your fate.

But I'm here to tell you today - that if you can order groceries on Instacart, and you can follow a recipe...

You can eat Flare Free.

So yes. "Flare Free" isn't all about broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

I could easily write meal plans that are comprised of dishes like this "Roasted Salmon with Broccoli and Brown Rice". Like...wow! How easy would my life be?!