I field so many questions about what eating an anti-inflammatory diet means. After all, the wrong kind of inflammation causes all kinds of havoc in your body. So what better time than the start of the new year to specifically address this topic. Many folks, and I’m guessing that means you, are wanting to begin their year with the healthiest nutritional plan possible. So let’s dig in!
I’ll share with you the top 10 foods to eat on an anti-inflammatory nutritional plan.
But first a bit of explanation.
Inflammation steals resources from your body because your body has to fight any chronic inflammation not just in your gut, but systemically. That’s what eating inflammatory foods does. It spreads chronic inflammation throughout your entire body. And if your body is using resources to reduce inflammation, then it can’t put those resources towards your health and healing processes.
The analogy is that inflammation is like a little fire in your body. It’s hot. It’s red. It’s painful. And it shouldn’t stay lit forever. It needs to get put out. And healing foods are like the firefighters.
Inflammatory foods are like gasoline. You can’t put out the fire if you’re also pouring gasoline on it.
So, here’s a list in reverse order of the top 10 anti-inflammatory healing foods for focusing on putting out those fires and going forward in health!
10. Bone broth. It’s a superfood with collagen, which is a material for repairing tissues like your discs and building new tissues.
9. Avocado. It’s loaded with anti-inflammatory fats, potassium, and it should be everyone’s favorite fruit.
8. Olive oil. Use it to replace unhealthy cooking oils in your diet like canola oil or vegetable oils that have free radicals and spread inflammation throughout your body. Olive oil is anti-inflammatory and is also decent for cooking at higher temperatures.
7. Citrus fruits and bell peppers. They’re super high in vitamin C. That helps with collagen formation, which you’re getting when you eat bone broth.
6. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, pumpkin seeds and pistachios. I’m also going to throw spinach in here. These foods are high in magnesium, which is great for muscle relaxation and hydration of your discs.
5. Beans and lentils. These are high in B vitamins, which are essential for nerve health. They are also high in fiber, which keep your gut happy and lower your cholesterol, which is great for your cardiovascular health.
4. This one almost made my top three because it should be the backbone of your healing diet. Leafy greens. I already mentioned spinach, but kale or any other leafy green is fine. You should be eating leafy greens every single day.
They are highly anti-inflammatory. And in general, you should be replacing yellow and brown foods with green foods.
Green foods are high in magnesium, vitamin K, and many other essential nutrients that are going to help you heal and reduce inflammation in your body. Just eat more salad.
3. Berries. Yes to blueberries, raspberries, and cherries. These are loaded with antioxidants that protect your cells. They neutralize free radicals, those bad things that cause oxidative stress that you get from unhealthy cooking oils. Berries defend your immune system and provide you with all the resources you need to protect and build your body back to abundant health.
2. Ginger and turmeric. Two of my favorites. Such versatile spices! These foods are on another level for fighting inflammation in your body. They’re extraordinary sources of antioxidants.
You can take them in pill form or you can add them to your food because they are foods themselves. Turmeric is a spice that is very common in Thai and Indian dishes like curry.
And ginger pairs particularly well with our number one food on this list.
The number one food for a healing anti-inflammatory diet is, drum roll please, fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
They are an omega-3 powerhouse. They’re rich in EPA and DHA, which are some of the strongest anti-inflammatory compounds that you can get from food. They directly reduce cytokines, which drive chronic inflammation.
They provide high quality protein that supports rebuilding the muscles that support your spine and prevent muscle wasting in people with chronic pain that may move less.
The omega-3s found in fatty fish improve circulation and hydration of your discs and joints to prevent stiffness and improve your mobility.
Studies support that omega-3s reduce pain, stiffness, and the need for pain medications.
And fish can easily be worked into your diet. And if you’re not a fish eater, you can eat plant-based omega-3s, which are not absorbed quite as efficiently, but are still extraordinarily powerful.
And you can find them in foods like chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts.
Now for the top five foods to avoid because remember you can’t put the fire out if you’re still pouring gasoline on it.
5. Too much caffeine. This depletes magnesium in the body which is bad for muscle relaxation and nerve health.
4. Processed meats. They contain tons of inflammatory compounds. This group includes foods like deli meats, bacon, and sausage.
3. Refined carbs like white bread and pasta. They spike blood sugar and inflammation in your body.
2. Excess alcohol. I really wanted this to be number one because it is so bad for many aspects of health. It prevents healing and it actually dehydrates you, especially your spine and discs.
But number one is such an epidemic that nothing can surpass it.
Number one is sugar.
Added sugars are so widespread now that it’s more than just soda and pastries. It’s in things like cereal and granola and pretty much anything you buy in the grocery store that’s packaged.
Buying a package item? Think added sugar!
It is so addictive and it’s the number one driver of chronic inflammation in our society.
Just by removing this one thing out of your diet, you can make a such a positive change in your overall health and well-being.
And if you combine that with the top 10 healing foods, you’ll give your body the best environment for abundant health!
shelli
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