Cancer won’t be cured today, and the spread of COVID promises to continue, but in a world where illness can make us seem powerless, there is a medical issue you can cure today, with a few easy, natural steps. Inflammation is our body’s way of healing and defending itself, and we have all experienced it at one time or another.
“People think inflammation needs to be stomped out at all times,” says Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, a medical editor from Harvard Health Publishing and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School “But it plays an essential role in healing and injury repair to keep your body safe and healthy. Some inflammation is good. Too much is often bad. The goal is to recognize when inflammation is simply doing its job, and when it can potentially cause problems.” You can take medicine for a swollen ankle, sore back, or a sprained wrist, or you could follow these easy steps to try out an anti-inflammatory diet, proven to reduce common or chronic inflammation and lead to a healthier and more active lifestyle.
When a part of your body is hurt, it rushes to protect the vulnerable part with blood cells and immune cells, working together to encircle, protect and heal the injury. Inflammation is often accompanied by aches and pains, redness, stiffness an
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What Is Inflammation?
d swelling, all elements you need for healing. Short-term, or acute inflammation, is little more than annoying, slowing you down just enough to heal. Long-term inflammation can cause more serious problems if not addressed, including;
- Liver disease
- Heart disease
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Lung disease
- Asthma
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Autoimmune disorders
- Some cancers
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What Causes Inflammation?
Inflammation is, first and foremost, caused by injury, but your diet can actually cause or exacerbate the problem! Diets with a great deal of high fructose corn syrup or sugar are proven to cause inflammation, as well as processed foods, refined carbs, trans fats, vegetable oils, meat, and almost every other delicious food, right? Wrong! Let’s explore a few things you can eat to get the health benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet.
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What Does An Anti-Inflammatory Diet Consist Of?
Berries pack a huge punch of fiber, minerals, and vitamins, and are proven to produce more “natural killer cells,” which help the immune system function. Fatty fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, and eating things like sardines, herring, salmon, and anchovies will see a marked improvement in any inflammation. Does cannabis offer anti inflammatory properties? Find out if you should add it to your diet. Try some green stuff, like broccoli or avocados! Both are heart-healthy and contain antioxidants that help with inflammation, or spice up your food with some arthritis and diabetes-killing turmeric.
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What Does A Day Of Anti-Inflammatory Eating Look Like?
Let’s talk about what a day of anti-inflammatory eating entails.
Breakfast could include fresh fruit like bananas, apples, peaches or pomegranates, or dried fruit, oatmeal, and nuts. Go ahead and have some coffee or tea for breakfast! For lunch, pick up vegetables, brussels sprouts, brown rice, or a salad. Everything you need for an anti-inflammatory lunch can be found at your local grocery store! For dinner, go wild with brightly colored fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, plant-based proteins like chickpeas, and finish it up with a bit of dark chocolate and even some red wine! Both are great in moderation!
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Tips for Maintaining an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Remember, if you fail to keep to your diet, don’t give up! No one is perfect and an all-or-nothing attitude is an easy way to feel like a failure. Give yourself a break. Some new dieters experience what is known as sibo die-off symptoms, a sudden increase in endotoxins in your body that cause irritability, fatigue, and digestive issues. This is the sign of good things to come and is temporary discomfort compared to a lifetime of less inflammation.
Incorporating an anti-inflammatory diet might not be the next sweeping food fad, but sometimes less sexy and more practical is the way to go. Eating anti-inflammatory foods won’t win you friends, but you will feel better, recover from injury faster, and stay healthier later in life, and these are all positive things everyone can get behind.
*Guest post by Naomi Shaw.
