I recently did a lecture on the topic of inflammation, and thought I’d share a few of the highlights here.
Although there are a number of nutrition books based on the anti-inflammatory idea, there is a lot that we don’t yet know for certain. That being said, the following are things that we DO know:
- Guidelines reporting specifics are premature (individual foods, dose, frequency).
- For many diseases of aging (i.e. cancer, heart disease), inappropriate inflammation is the common root.
- Growing evidence links eating patterns with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers.
Inflammation Facts
- Body’s defense mechanism.
- Body’s healthy response to injury and infection.
- Increased blood flow sends immune cells and nutrients to injured area.
Chronic Inflammation
- Constant, out of control production of immune cells.
- Leads to irreversible tissue damage.
- Triggers chronic diseases over the years.
Are you familiar with the following causes of inflammation? Luckily, there is much you can do to eliminate these culprits, such as eating a healthy diet, increasing activity, and quitting smoking. These are all lifestyle behaviors that you have the ability to change!
- Obesity
- Stress
- Inactivity
- Lack of sleep
- Smoking
- SAD Diet (Standard American Diet)
Not sure where to start? Below is a list of delicious foods that just so happen to also help reduce inflammation.
Fight Inflammation with Food
Tempeh
Baby Spinach
- Fruits and vegetables
- Good fats
- Walnuts, and other nuts and seeds.
- Fatty fish
- Plant-based protein
- Whole grains versus refined
- Herbs and spices
- Minimize saturated animal fats and trans-fats
- Limit full-fat dairy
- Soy
- Tea