How to Eat to Beat Inflammation
By Sara Butler
You hear a lot of people discussing inflammation as if it's on the same level as an upset stomach, but the truth is that chronic inflammation is the driver behind a lot of chronic illnesses these days. In fact, everything from high blood pressure to stroke to heart attack to diabetes may be able to be traced back to one underlying cause: inflammation. That's why many healthcare professionals recommend keeping inflammation in check through the diet. Here are a few ways you can eat to beat inflammation and improve your overall health in the process.
Identify Inflammatory Foods and Cut Them
One of the biggest ways to reduce chronic inflammation is to eliminate the foods in your diet that is causing it. But to do that you first have to know what they are. The biggest tells are to think about what foods are grown in nature and which are not. Refined carbohydrates, trans fats, added sugars, and saturated fats are all inflammatory foods. Anything highly processed, high in sugar, deep fried, or dripping in grease are going to contribute to chronic inflammation. So try to cut them out of your diet as much as possible.
Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Replace inflammatory foods with anti-inflammatory foods in your diet. Olive oil, olives, blueberries garlic, salmon, ginger, cherries, broccoli, and red onion are all great foods to start with. The more plant-based you can make your diet, the better for inflammation it will be. Eat the rainbow!
Watch Sodium Intake
When eaten in moderation, salt isn't that bad for you. But when you're eating to fight back against inflammation, you shouldn't have more than 2,300 milligrams of salt per day. This can also help to reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure.
Limit Processed Foods
Highly processed foods such as snack foods and baked foods can make inflammation worse. This then cause pain and discomfort as well as damage to the tissues in your body. If you have pain, then any type of inflammation will make it much worse, which is why avoid foods that can aggravate inflammation is your best bet.
Get Moving
There's a connection between eating healthier and working out. When was the last time you had a really hard workout at the gym and wanted a big slice of cake afterward? Probably never! Exercise releases hormones that help you feel better mentally and physically to help keep you on the path to less inflammation.
Inflammation is a serious thing, but you can fight back with the power of food!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Lake Forest, Calif.