Many of us lack awareness when it comes to the causes of inflammation in our bodies and how food plays a part in increasing our risk of disease causing inflammatory symptoms.
Diets which contain trans fats are one of the biggest culprits. Bad fats are also found in processed meats like hot dogs and fatty lunch meats which also contain nitrate chemicals that add to the problem.
Some saturated fats are necessary, and some in small quantities are good for us, like Omega 3’s. Mary Toscano, has a wonderful nutritional DVD that explains the benefits of fats, titled Fabulous Fats! that is a must see. This fun for all ages nutritional DVD explains the role of fats in our diet.
Mary does a excellent job sharing how to add healthy fats and what quantity and types are best for good nutritional balance. She also explains which saturated fats are good for us, and when we introduce excess saturated fat into our diet we also introduce fatty acids that may not be that great. One that comes from excess saturated fat is called arachidonic acid and in excess this substance can increase inflammation in the body.
Syndrome X
Other foods that kick in inflammation issues are sugars, as described in Syndrome X, which is called one of the hidden deadly diseases. Of course the biggest sources of unhealthy sugars are found in refined foods. Fast foods are the worst culprits and include sodas, candy, cereals, pastries. Also many of the grab and go foods are very addictive for far to many reasons to include in this article.
When we eliminate foods high in sugar and ones that contain refined and processed ingredients, and begin choosing foods with healthy amounts of fat, then diseases like diabetes and heart disease have much less of a chance of taking hold in the body. Also, Syndrome X symptoms are less likely to show up.
Pain Associated with Inflammatory Symptoms
Once a person has developed a reasonable amount of inflammation in the body some foods may actually increase the pain associated with inflammatory symptoms. Even though some of these foods have proven to have nutritional value, researchers suspect they could be potential irritants.
The nightshade family of foods are wise to avoid when on an anti-inflammatory diet, until you get your symptoms under control.
List of Anti-Inflammatory Foods
So what are the anti-inflammatory foods?
Interesting enough many are actually good fats? For example salad dressings made with olive oil and rice bran, or flax oil are great choices. Also one of the best is to add Omega-3 to your diet either in the foods you eat or quality supplements.
It is wise to eat foods that are as close to nature as you can get. And when eating meats choose lean poultry, and include other good sources of protein in your diet. Nuts, seeds, and legumes are also great to add to an anti-inflammatory diet.
High carb foods and fiber are also good, providing you are adding complex carbs versus refined ones. For example eat foods as close to whole as you can get. Some of the best carbs are really green vegetables, or colored vegetables which also contain lots of good dietary fiber.
When it comes to sugars, try meeting your sweet cravings with blue berries and strawberries, preferably organic so you are not picking up anti-inflammatory agents from pesticides. An organic apple a day is an excellent choice!
You can also make your own beverages versus buying those from the bottle or can. Stevia is excellent for sweeting teas, One of our favorites beverage recipes is to make a pitcher of green tea combined with a little concentrated blueberry juice and a touch of stevia. Not only is this healthy drink recipe economical it is a good anti-inflammatory beverage choice that is quick to make and easy to keep on hand.
To help you with your meal planning, and also with creating an easy anti-inflammatory diet you might want to pick up a few good anti inflammatory diet recipes and cookbooks. Below is a review of an book that was recommended due to its easy to its overall content and readability factor. There are quite a few great books on the subject so we hope this choice will get you started.
Here’s to your health!
The Anti-Inflammation Diet by Christopher P. Cannon
The Anti-Inflammation Diet by Christopher P. CannonInflammation is rampant today. It’s a hot topic in medicine. People suffer needlessly from health issues as diverse as asthma to heart disease due to unchecked inflammation. And the solution is simple. Change your diet and get some exercise.
Dr. Cannon explains in his book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide To The Anti-Inflammation Diet, diet and lifestyle are key to reducing inflammation. Unchecked inflammation can damage your body resulting in diseases. These inflammation driven diseases include:
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Cardiovascular diseases: including stroke and heart attacks
- Cancer
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Gout
- Acne
- Age related macular degeneration
- Allergies
- Multiple sclerosis
- Lupus
- Alzheimer’s
Left unchecked they lead to chronic illness, disability, and death. Dr. Cannon explains how to prevent and treat these diseases through his anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle.
Bloodtest to Check Your C-reactive Protein Levels
Finding out whether you suffer from inflammation, the driving force behind so many health conditions, is simple. An inexpensive blood test for C-reactive protein levels (CRP) will tell you if you’re at risk.
Numerous studies show that high CRP levels are associated with heart disease even in people with normal cholesterol levels.
Fact Filled and Easy to Follow
Laid out in an easy-to-use format, Dr. Cannon’s book makes reading about the anti-inflammation diet entertaining.
Fact filled and easy to understand chapters are followed by chapters explaining how to put the diet into action. You’ll learn what foods to avoid and which foods fight inflammation.
There are chapters on fast food survival, grocery shopping strategies, how to read shopping labels, and helpful herbs and supplements.
Lifestyle changes are explained including stress reduction, adequate sleep, fitting physical activity into your daily life, and weight control.
There’s even a chapter on how to combine The Anti-inflammation Diet with popular diets like The South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers Recipes , The Zone, The Atkins Diet, and The Sonoma Diet.
Special Need Diets
Also, we should mention that Dr. Christopher P. Cannon is highly qualified to author a book on this topic. He is an associate medical professor at Harvard Medical School, and an associate physician in cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He frequently lectures, is a television medical expert, and is often cited in major news media.
In the final chapters of The Anti-Inflammation Diet, Cannon walks you through anti-inflammatory cooking. Special needs diets, including gluten-free, dairy-free, and low sodium, are easily accommodated. Delicious recipes are included.
InflamWise facts, and relevant cartoons keep the subject matter light, yet easy to understand. Dr. Cannon’s expert advice raises your quality of life. And it may save your life.
