Inflammation is at the root cause of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, dementia and autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. What you eat can either cause or reduce inflammation. Some signs and symptoms that your body is in a chronic state of inflammation are low energy levels, headaches, joint pain, swelling in the legs and feet, autoimmune disease, obesity, arthritis, and heart disease.
Foods to enjoy and avoid to reduce inflammation in the body:
ENJOY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES eat a rainbow of whole fruits and veggies daily.
AVOID SUGAR and ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS from sugar sweetened beverages, desserts, and packaged foods such as granola bars, breakfast bars and salad dressings.
ADD OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS from fatty fish (tuna, salmon, anchovies), flaxseed oil, nuts and seeds (chia seeds, flaxseed and walnuts) and avocados.
GET MOVING! It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, just that you are consistent in doing it. Shoot for 30 minutes per day most days of the week or 150 minutes per week. Find something you enjoy and will commit to.
ADD TURMERIC and GINGER these are potent anti-inflammatory spices.
AVOID PROCESSED FOODS which are high in sugar and inflammatory fats such as trans fats and processed vegetable oils like canola, soybean and corn oil. Eat whole foods like fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds and healthy proteins.
RETHINK GRAINS and DAIRY which are highly inflammatory and can cause intestinal permeability which leads to digestive problems and autoimmunity.
AVOID GMO FOODS like corn, soy, canola oil, and white potatoes (non-organic). Choose organic and use the environmental working groups DIRTY DOZEN when choosing which foods to purchase organic. Swap cauliflower for corn, sweet potatoes for white potatoes, olive oil for canola and soybean oil. Avoid eating out at restaurants and fast food.