How To Combat Inflammation

One of the most common questions that I get is, “how can I combat inflammation through diet?”

So let’s start off by talking about the role inflammation plays in our bodies and why too much of it is a bad thing. Inflammation is one of the functions of our immune system so it is an immune response. When we are sick or injured blood rushes to the affected area causing inflammation in order to fight the infection, encourage healing, and repair tissues. So not all inflammation is bad and it does serve a purpose. It is when you have chronic low grade inflammation over a long period of time that it can start affecting your health. There are a lot of foods that cause inflammation so if your diet is full of these certain foods you can experience this uncomfortable low level chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can also be the result of an underlying issue or disease like GI problems, food sensitivities, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more. It can also contribute to the worsening of these conditions and cause sore muscles, joints, and skin irritations.

What Foods Cause Inflammation? Which Inflammatory Foods Are Okay To Eat And Which Inflammatory Foods Should Be Avoided All Together?

Some inflammatory foods that are good to eat when you are sick, injured, or recovering from one of these would be organic dairy and meat products. All animal fats/ foods are considered inflammatory, but this does not mean that they don’t still provide our bodies with nutrients and encourage healthy bodily processes. They help encourage the inflammatory process and therefore are great to eat when your body is healing from injury or illness. It is important that after the healing process you return to eating less animal fats and more plant foods. This is because the plant foods will help reverse the inflammation once it is no longer needed and bring your body back to a more balanced healthy state. The western diet is often referred to as the “meat sweet” diet. This is referring to the fact that the western diet is often extremely high in animal products and sugar while very low in other food groups. Processed sugar is also a large contributor to inflammation.

Foods that promote inflammation that should always be avoided are:

• Processed Meats (deli meat, hot dogs, sausage, bacon)

• Fried Foods (especially fried meats)

• Processed Sugar (soda, high fructose corn syrup, candy)

There are also foods that are classified as anti-inflammatory. These foods help fight inflammation by fighting free radicals as well as reducing oxidative stress and the accumulation of bad bacteria. Fun fact, a lot of inflammation stems from the gut. When we don’t have enough good gut bacteria or too much of the bad bacteria. These foods can help fight inflammation and balance your microbiome.

Foods & nutrients that fight inflammation are:

• Ginger

• Garlic 

• Turmeric 

• Lemon 

• Olive Oil 

• Dark Leafy Greens (kale, chard, spinach, arugula, collards)

• Antioxidants (berries, mangos, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, mint, oregano, thyme, sage, clove)

• Omega 3s (fish, flax seed, hemp hearts, chia seeds, avocado)

• Vitamin C (citrus fruits, peppers, tomatoes, cruciferous veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, brussels)

• Raw Honey 

• Beets 

• Green Tea

• Rooibos Tea 

• Ashwagandha Tea

• Tart Cherries

I hope y’all find this helpful and can use it as a guide to feeling like the best version of you!