Are you battling a weight problem or feel tired and sick most the time? This could be the result of chronic inflammation. Inflammation in the body contributes to many debilitating, chronic illnesses such as arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and even cancer.

Chronic inflammation occurs when your immune system’s “switch” seemingly is stuck in the “on” position. At that point, it’s as if a war is raging on your body’s cells and unfortunately this can pack on the pounds, especially around your waistline – not to mention the other damages done to your body.

It is my belief that the best way to combat chronic inflammation is through diet. I often put my clients on an anti-inflammatory diet consisting of high-quality proteins, bone broth, vegetables, healthy fats, fruits, and nuts. This type of diet helps to put out those raging fires inside causing the inflammation. Recent research finds that eating this way not only helps protect against certain diseases, but it also slows the aging process by stabilizing blood sugar and increasing metabolism.

However, healing chronic inflammation isn’t just about adding anti-inflammatory foods—it’s also about eliminating “pro-inflammatory” foods. You probably already know that sugar and white flour are inflammatory-causing culprits, but other foods may be less familiar.

Foods to Avoid or Limit

To help eliminate inflammation and aid with your weight loss, you should avoid processed foods and refined sugars. This includes any foods containing high-fructose corn syrup or foods high in sodium. All of these contribute to inflammation throughout the body. You should avoid artificial sweeteners altogether.

You should also eliminate trans fats. In 2006, the FDA required food manufacturers to identify trans fats on nutrition labels, in part because studies showed that people who ate foods high in trans fats have higher levels of C-reactive protein which is a biomarker for inflammation in the body.

It is advisable to make a habit of reading labels and avoid products containing the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated oils.” Vegetable shortenings, select margarines, crackers, and cookies are just a few examples of foods that might contain trans fats and should be substituted with a healthier fat.

Limit saturated fat to 10 percent of your daily calories. By keeping saturated fat low (that’s about 20 grams per 2,000 calories), you’ll help reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, you should limit red meat to once per week. To reduce the toxic compounds which are formed during the cooking of red meats, I would recommend marinating it with herbs, spices, and tart, unsweetened fruit juice.

Along those lines, the following foods should also be avoided:

1. Whole wheat bread.  The sugar in whole wheat bread increases blood glucose, which causes your body to produce higher levels of inflammation-causing cytokines. Sugar also elevates your levels of destructive molecules which feed inflammation. If you can, go grain-free. Your body doesn’t actually need grains, which is why there’s no daily requirement for them. If you’re not ready to give up all grains, at least avoid those with gluten, which is inflammatory.

2. Soy. We’ve heard conflicting views on soy, but in reality, soy is bad news when it comes to inflammation.

• Soy extracts suppress iodine uptake and can stimulate the production of auto-immunogens that could put you at risk for auto-immune thyroid disease.
• Children with auto-immune thyroid disease are more likely to have received soy infant formula than children without the disease.
• The processing of soy proteins can sometimes lead to the formation of lysinoalanine and nitrosamines. These damage your cells and contribute to inflammation.

3. Diet soda.  No surprise there. The question is, are you trying to lose weight by ditching sugar and switching to artificial sweeteners? If so, you are probably doing your body more harm than good. In fact, research points to artificial sweeteners as being the culprit of glucose intolerance, which, by the way,  packs on belly fat which, in turn, produces inflammatory chemicals. Interestingly, there is now also some speculation that artificial sweeteners play a role in inflammatory bowel disease. So if you are switching sugar for these sweeteners, you’re simply substituting one inflammatory-causing poison for another. Instead of going for the artificial sweeteners, teach yourself to enjoy unsweetened tea, black coffee, water with a little fresh lemon juice, or other natural drinks. You can also drink water which you naturally infuse with fruits or fresh mint. It does take a while to get over the hump of craving those sugary sodas and sweetened teas and coffees, but I can attest to the fact that you can get used to the healthier drinks and actually find you can no longer tolerate the sweetness you used to so enjoy!

4. Seed oils. While you may have heard that seed oils like corn, soybean, sunflower, and canola oil are good for you, they are actually heavily processed and often rancid (even when you actually purchase them). These oils are also high in omega-6s, which are inflammatory-causing, and low in anti-inflammatory omega-3s. Instead, substitute these types of fats for healthy fats like olive, coconut, and avocado oils. Healthy fats like these take off fat—and they lower inflammation as well.

Foods to Include

1. Consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily. A diet rich in fiber helps reduce inflammation by supplying naturally occurring anti-inflammatory phytonutrients which are found in whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. Also, include whole grains such as barley and oatmeal; vegetables like okra, eggplant, and onions; and a variety of fruits like bananas and blueberries, which are especially high in fiber.
2. Eat a minimum of nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. One serving equals half a cup of a cooked fruit or vegetable, or one cup of a raw leafy vegetable. For an extra “punch,” add anti-inflammatory herbs and spices such as turmeric and ginger to your cooked fruits and vegetables to increase their antioxidant capacity. I generally add both fresh turmeric and ginger to my morning green smoothie which I think increases the tastiness of the smoothie as well as giving the anti-inflammatory benefits needed. Along the lines of fruits and vegetables, you should also include four servings of both alliums, which include garlic, scallions, onions, and leek, and crucifers which include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts. Because of their powerful antioxidant properties, eating an average of four servings per week will also help lower your risk of cancer.
3. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis (diseases which often have been found to have a high inflammatory process at their root). Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include flax meal, walnuts, and beans such as navy and kidney, and cold-water fish, such as salmon, oysters, herring, mackerel, trout, sardines, and anchovies. If you don’t get enough of these types of foods in your diet, you can take a good-quality omega-3 supplement.
4. Eat fish at least three times a week. Choose low-fat fish such as sole and flounder, and cold-water fish that contain healthy fats, like the ones mentioned above.
5. Use oils that contain healthy fats. The body requires fat, but choose the fats that provide you with benefits. These would be fats such as virgin and extra-virgin olive oil and expeller-pressed canola. These are the best fats for anti-inflammatory benefits. You could also use high-oleic, expeller-pressed versions of sunflower and safflower oil.
6. Eat healthy snacks twice a day. If you are a person who likes to snack, you should eat snacks such as fruit, plain or unsweetened Greek-style yogurt, celery sticks, carrots, or nuts like pistachios, almonds, and walnuts.
7. Flavor your foods. Sweeten meals with phytonutrient-rich fruits, and flavor foods with spices. The majority of fruits and vegetables are full of phytonutrients – very important for a healthy diet. To naturally sweeten your meals, try adding apples, apricots, berries, and even carrots. To add flavor to savory meals, choose spices that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, including cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, rosemary, ginger, sage, and thyme.
8. Eat leafy greens daily.  Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, chard and collards are packed with anti-inflammatory chlorophyll and are the foundation to anti-inflammatory living. Foods like kale and Brussels sprouts also contain sulfur-based compounds, which reduce the pathways that cause inflammation.

I believe the best way to combat chronic inflammation is through diet. In my practice, I put clients on an anti-inflammatory diet of high-quality proteins, bone broth, vegetables, healthy fats, fruits, and nuts. This is the natural diet we’re genetically programmed to need, and it helps to snuff out those internal inflammatory flames.

The good news is that if you follow this type of eating pattern/diet, you will optimize your health, lessen or eliminate your inflammation, and best of all (for some), you can naturally lose weight. Great benefits all round.

Do you feel that you could benefit by an anti-inflammatory diet to heal your body and help with weight loss?  If you need help figuring out what you should include in your diet or would like help with your daily diet plan, feel free to jump on a free call with me so that we can discuss your specific and individual goals and health concerns.