Fighting Inflammation With Food
Inflammation is a natural process that helps your body defend itself from harm as well as heal and repair itself. For example when we get stung by a bee, the swelling and pain is the result of blood rushing to the site of the wound with immune fighting cells to protect us from further damage and to heal the sore spot. This is called acute inflammation.
Sometimes however inflammation can become chronic and is driven by a number of factors that burden our bodies. This is a scary form of inflammation because it's often silent and occurs inside the body without any noticeable symptoms and therefore can be left unchecked.
Overtime this can build up into something incredibly harmful and is inked to a number of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, obesity, cancer and accelerated aging.
Certain lifestyle factors can promote inflammation, especially when they occur on a regular basis like poor eating habits. What we choose to eat can either promote this inflammatory process or offset it.
Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet not only helps protect against certain diseases, but it also slows the aging process and reduces weight gain by stabilising blood sugar levels and increasing metabolism.
Foods That Promote Inflammation:
Sugar; lollies, soft drinks, fruit juice
Refined Carbohydrates; White bread, pasta, crackers, chips
Desserts; Cookies, candy, cake, ice cream
Trans-fats, industrial seed oils and high omega-6 fats: soybean, rapeseed, peanut, sesame, rice bran and canola oil.
Processed Meats; Sausages, salami, hot dogs
Alcohol; Excessive alcohol consumption.
Food Additives; Artificial colours, sweeteners and flavours
Foods That Reduce Inflammation:
Colourful Vegetables: Dark leafy greens, brussels sprouts, broccoli, beetroot, garlic,
Whole Fruits: Berries, apples, grapes, cherries
Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, olives
High Fibre Foods: Beans, lentils, chickpeas
Omega-3 Rich Foods: Wild salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, tuna, flaxseeds, chia seeds
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
Chocolate: Dark chocolate
Spices: Turmeric, cinnamon, ginger
Beverages: Green tea, bone broth, red wine,