There are tons of buzzwords that float around in the health and wellness world. One that stands out to me the most – at least lately – is inflammation. You probably see this word associated with food a lot but what is it, really?
In layman’s terms, inflammation is when a certain area of your body swells and potentially becomes reddened and hot as a reaction to something. This might sound like something that happens to skin on the outside of your body, and that happens as well, but it can also happen internally from eating certain foods.
Enter: anti-inflammatory diets. A lot of anti-inflammation cookbooks might be marketed to those trying to lose weight or cut out dairy, but no matter what your health goals are, we could all benefit from a little less inflammation in our lives. If you ever wake up feeling/looking puffy or bloated, read on.
Common foods that can cause inflammation:
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil (fried foods)
- Refined flour
- Artificial additives
- Saturated fats
- Grain-fed meats
- Processed meats
There are of course more foods that cause inflammation, but these are some of the most common. Basically you want to watch out for foods that contain too much saturated fat, which triggers inflammation in fat tissue and sugars that spike insulin levels, which then creates a pro-inflammatory response from your body. Refined products that have been stripped of their nutritional value are also culprits behind bloating and inflammation.
On the flip side, if you’re looking to jump on this anti-inflammatory diet trend, you’ll want to fill your grocery cart with the following:
- Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, almonds, walnuts
- Kale
- Spinach
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Blueberries
- Oranges
The key here is loading up on fibrous foods that your body digests slowly. This way you get all the available nutrients. This study done by Harvard explains more in detail about the benefits of these foods, but also simply states that eating less processed and more whole foods is what does the trick. The study also says that the best diet to follow for an anti-inflammatory lifestyle is the Mediterranean Diet because of its high use of fatty fish, healthy oils, nuts, veggies and fruit.
Have you ever had issues with inflammation? Share how you keep it at bay plz!
10 comments
Absolutely love it! 🙂
http://www.evdaily.blogspot.com
Interesting! I so want to try this or at least cut out the foods that cause the inflammation!
Briana
https://beyoutifulbrunette.com/
This is my lifestyle I also take bio curcumin by life extension I feel the difference in my body when I take it .If you are nursing or trying to get pregnant I wouldn’t recommend it
My diet is anti-inflammatory because I love so much all these ingredients!
xx
http://www.mybeautrip.com
Love everything on the anti inflammatory list but I definitely need to cut sugar out!
Well, I have acid reflux so my body isn’t happy with many foods (that I like eating)! 2 years ago I visited a gastroenterologist/nutritionist. The eating plan he proposed is anti inflammatory indeed. There is no processed food and refined sugar and minimal carbs. Also yes, it’s based on the Mediterranean diet as I am Greek after all. So I can attest that whenever I am on this plan (I slip only on weekends) my stomach and bowel feel fine!
I drink a tea made of fresh tumeric and ginger roots. About one inch pieces of each one peeled and boiled for 5 to 8 minutes. I do this every night. Three months ago I was able to walk until about 10 am( I’m up at 7 am) due to my rheumatism, and now I can walk until about 8 pm before my feet start hurting enough to interfere. Buy them at Indian grocery stores. Around Cleveland Ohio they run about $2 a pound at these stores.
I’ve never felt better than when I’m on an Atkins diet. I mix in healthy fats instead of Atkins eat any fat you want. I also add some low carb fruit like strawberries, blueberries and such. Frankly, as old as I am, I feel great in the joints, no headaches, no inflammation, no gastro reflux and my skin is great. You can stay on Atkins for life with a few small tweaks to exclude non organic and grain-fed meats. I can’t imagine eating another way, being grossly overweight and shortening my life. Thanks for the diet tips!
I’ve been feelinng so bloated lately and I’m realizing I need to simplify my foods because I know my body is all sorts of inflammed! Sigh… Of to the grocery store!
http://www.liveloveblu.com
I’ve been able to control my rheumatoid arthritis by cutting out processed sugar, nightshades, gluten and dairy. I also take some supplements including tumeric, bosweillia, vitamin d, calcium citrate, magnesium, fish oil, probiotic, and chinese herbs. Acupuncture has also helped my RA and other issues 9including hot flashes–amazing!)