What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

In our last blog post we introduced what inflammation is and how chronic inflammation can have a negative impact on your health.  It can cause serious damage to healthy tissues and can drive illnesses like diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease, auto-immune conditions and cancer.

💥Chronic inflammation can also happen when people are obese or under stress. 

No-one is perfect and not everyone eats “healthy” all of the time, however, reducing your risk of inflammation IS possible and within your control.  Diet does play a key role, and some experts advise adjusting the foods and drinks you consume in order to lower inflammation levels rather than relying on medication.

Adjusting certain lifestyle factors can also help.  Smoking, being overweight or obese, and drinking excessively can increase your risk of inflammation.

So, what is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?  🧐

Scientific researchers have identified certain foods that can help control inflammation in the body. Many of these foods are common in the “Mediterranean diet”, which emphasises fish, vegetables and olive oil, among other staples.

The anti-inflammatory diet contains plenty of prebiotics (that feed your good gut bacteria), fibre, antioxidants, and omega-3s. This means a diet rich in vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, legumes, and fatty fish. Ideally, you would eat lots of fruits and vegetables, limit your intake of red meat and dairy, choose complex carbohydrates over simple ones, and stay away from processed foods.

Why are complex carbs healthier than simple carbs?

Complex carbohydrates, found mostly in whole plant foods, are incredibly nutritious and maintain their natural fibre and fuel your body with the energy it needs. Examples include beans, oatmeal, 100% whole-wheat bread, quinoa, barley, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and many other plant foods. They're higher in fibre and digest more slowly. This also makes them more filling, which means they're a good option for weight control. They're also ideal for people with type 2 diabetes because they help manage blood sugar spikes after meals.

On the other hand, refined or simple carbs have had most of the nutrients and fibre removed. Although eating simple carbs gives you that rush of energy in the short term as they are easier and quicker to break down, eating too many refined carbs is linked to drastically increased risk of many diseases, including obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Here are some examples of foods that have been linked to increased levels of inflammation:

X Junk foods: fast food, convenience meals, potato chips, pretzels

X Refined carbohydrates: white bread, pasta, white rice, crackers, flour tortillas, biscuits

X Fried foods: french fries, donuts, fried chicken

X Sugar-sweetened beverages: fizzy drinks, sweet tea, energy drinks, sports drinks

X Processed meats: bacon, canned meat, salami, hot dogs, smoked meat

X Trans fats: shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, margarine 

What you put into your body can either help or hurt your health

Our food choices can significantly impact on inflammation in the body.  Research shows that what you eat can affect the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation—in your blood. That could be because some foods like processed sugars help release inflammatory messengers that can increase the risk of chronic inflammation. Other foods like fruits and veggies help your body fight against the oxidative stress that can trigger inflammation.

Simple rule for anti-inflammatory eating:

Eat more plants. Whole plant foods have the anti-inflammatory nutrients that your body needs for optimum health. So, eating a rainbow of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes is the way to go.

Focus on antioxidants. They help prevent, delay or repair some types of cell and tissue damage. They're found in colourful fruits and vegetables like berries, leafy greens, beets and avocados, as well as beans and lentils, whole grains, ginger, turmeric and green tea.

Get your Omega-3’s. Omega-3 fatty acids play a role in regulating your body's inflammatory process and could help regulate pain related to inflammation. Your body metabolises these fatty acids into compounds called resolvins and protectins, which have anti-inflammatory effects.

Find these healthy fats in fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel, as well as vegetarian or vegan sources in smaller amounts in walnuts, chia seeds, pecans, hemp seeds, ground flaxseed, edamame, kidney beans, seaweed and algae and soy.

Eat less red meat. Red meat can be pro-inflammatory. If you love your meat, aim for a realistic goal. Try substituting some of your meat dishes with fish, nuts or soy-based protein.

Cut out or cut down the processed foods. Sugary cereals and drinks, deep-fried food, and pastries are all pro-inflammatory foods. They can contain plenty of unhealthy fats that are linked to inflammation.

Foods that are anti-inflammatory tend to be the same foods that can help keep you healthy in other ways, too. So, eating with reducing inflammation in mind DOESN’T have to be hard or restrictive.

Eating a more anti-inflammatory diet of whole fruits, veggies, grains and beans can be quick and relatively simple if you prep ahead for multiple meals.  Your body and mind will thank you for it! 🌱😊👍