In this article I would like to focus on chronic inflammation. Many things contribute to chronic inflammation including a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, smoking, increased stress, lack of sleep. These things, as well as our Standard American Diet, contribute to low levels of inflammation which speeds up the aging process and increases your risk of disease.
Since inflammation is a factor in promoting disease it is important to take steps to neutralize the inflammatory process. Fortunately, nature created many things to help us fight inflammation. Certain foods have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the discomfort of inflammation. Incorporating foods that fight inflammation into your current diet will improve your health and help you to feel better. This natural approach to inflammation can reduce your dependence on prescription drugs and help reduce their side effects.
But first, let's take a look at foods that trigger inflammation. Foods that are fried with trans fats or are made with hydrogenated vegetable oils are big contributors to inflammation. Also food that is high in sugar. These include cakes, cookies, white flour, white sugar, French fries and potato chips to name a few. Reducing sugar intake can bring down inflammation and it will help you to cut calories which will help with weight loss and less joint pain. Most processed foods, red meat, and foods high in sugar and processed carbohydrates can worsen inflammation.
Saturated fats also tend to contribute to inflammation. Trim your saturated fat intake by choosing lean cuts of meat, trimming excess fat and choosing low-fat dairy products. Arachidonic acid, found in red meats, converts to pro-inflammatory chemicals. Cured meats such as bacon have nitrites which also increase the inflammatory process. Another way to decrease saturated fat intake is to limit consumption of red meats.
Being overweight is another problem in the inflammatory process. Fat cells produce inflammatory chemicals in your body. Watch your calorie intake even from the anti-inflammatory foods to be discussed later in this article.
Now, for the foods to eat that fight inflammation!
Antioxidants help to fight inflammation by binding to free radicals. The best source of dietary antioxidants is fruits and vegetables. There is no end to the positive benefit your body receives from eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables gives your body the different antioxidants that can work together to decrease inflammation. A general rule is that the more brightly colored the fruits and vegetables, the higher the antioxidant content. Eating more fruits and vegetables will also increase your fiber intake. People who eat more fiber tend to have less inflammation.
1. Pineapple is a good choice because it contains Bromelain, an enzyme that helps break down proteins. For many people it has a similar pain-relieving effect to over-the-counter pain medications, like NSAIDs (such as aspirin and ibuprofen). Don't like pineapple...try taking the supplement Bromelain. Just remember, Bromelain does thin the blood so if you are on a prescription blood thinner check with your doctor first.
2. Take advantage of the brightly colored berries, such as strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and red grapes. Use them in smoothies and desserts sweetened with Stevia. Cherries are also packed with anti-oxidants. Berries and cherries are high in fiber and low in fat and their natural sweetness is a great replacement for white processed sugar. Cherries are also beneficial to people with gout as cherry juice or cherry capsules helps the body to wash out the uric acid that has crystallized causing pain.
3. Pomegranates have also been shown to help with inflammation. A study in the "Journal of Inflammation" in 2008 showed pomegranate extract helped reduce the production of chemicals that cause inflammation. Drinking about 6 ounces of pomegranate juice a day is equivalent to the dose used in the study.
Vegetables are another great source of nutrition that inhibits the inflammatory process. Many vegetables have high concentrations of carotenoids, another antioxidant. They also have concentrations of calcium and vitamin c.
1. Onions and Garlic. These are bulb vegetables that are high in Quercetin, a chemical that acts as a natural anti-histamine. Garlic also helps to stimulate your immune system to fight disease. There are several other vegetables and fruits that contain Quercetin including black and green tea, capers, apples, citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, cherries, raspberries, cranberries and the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.
2. Spinach is also rich in carotenoids and Vitamin E. You can get similar benefits from kale, chard, turnip greens and mustard greens.
3. Sweet Potatoes are tasty, low in calories, have no fat, are rich in health boosting minerals and supply more carotenoids to fight inflammation. All brightly colored vegetables such as winter squash, carrots, red peppers also high in carotenoids.
4. Broccoli is high in vitamin C and calcium and also fights eye inflammation. Lightly steam your broccoli to capture most of its health benefits.
Several spices are beneficial in fighting inflammation. These include garlic, ginger, turmeric and hot chili peppers. You can take the above mentioned spices in capsule form but it is fun to experiment with them in various recipes. The action of these spices is very similar to anti-inflammatory drugs but they are easier on the stomach.
1. Turmeric or Curcumin as long been used in Asian medicine to treat chronic pain and upset stomachs. It can also lower blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
2. Ginger has similar benefits to turmeric to decrease inflammation and has also been shown to ease arthritis pain. Ginger can also help when taken for car sickness.
3. Other spice that can help to fight inflammation include oregano, basil, cinnamon, parsley, thyme, rosemary. Try a variety of inflammatory reducing spices to reap all the health benefits.
Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the best inflammation fighters we could use. Eating several servings of fish a week, such as cod, sardines, mackerel, tuna and salmon can boost the immune system and fight inflammation. Omega 3's can also be found in green, leafy vegetables and walnuts and almonds. Coconut and flaxseed oil are also great sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega-3's play a role in reducing chronic inflammatory changes in the body and may dull the pain associated with medical conditions such as arthritis. They can also reduce the risk of heart disease if taken on a regular basis. If you don't like fish, you may take a fish oil supplement to reap these health benefits. Fish oil also thins the blood. Please advise your doctor you are taking fish oil prior to any surgeries or consult your doctor before starting fish oil if on Coumadin or an aspirin regimen.
Other oils that are good to fight inflammation include:
1. Olive Oil contains a natural chemical called oleocanthal which inhibits the same enzymes as prescription anti-inflammatory medication. Only premium, extra virgin olive oil contains high enough concentration of this chemical to be beneficial.
2. Hemp Oil also contains Omega 3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation. This is a versatile oil that can be used for cooking or taken by the teaspoonful.
Nuts are another good source of nutrition to fight inflammation.
1. Walnuts are rich in vitamin E which helps the immune system and eating them by the handfuls or adding them to dishes can help to prevent heart disease. They are also high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
Populations which consume the highest amounts of choline and betaine have lower plasma C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor. These are all measures of inflammation in the body. To benefit from Choline-rich foods include beef liver, chicken liver, eggs, wheat germ, and dried soybeans, in your diet. Betaine-rich foods include wheat bran, wheat germ, spinach, shrimp, and wheat bread.
Begin including some of the anti-inflammatory foods or supplements into your diet. You will be doing your cardiovascular system a huge favor as well as reducing soreness associated with exercise. You may notice a decrease in acne, sinusitis, and painful joints. You waste size may also decrease because of the lower calorie consumption.
Tressie Harzman is a Certified Natural Health Professional and offers low cost supplements that have been produced in an FDA approved lab. They also hold the GMP seal for Guaranteed Potency. Find fish oil supplements guaranteed free of mercury, lead and arsenic and other anti-inflammatory supplements at http://www.threefoldhealth.com
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