Last January, I was interviewed for an article for Competitor Magazine “8 Ways to Improve Your Daily Diet and Eat Cleaner”. One of my most important recommendations was to increase anti-inflammatory foods. This concept is important for everyone. Why?
Chronic Inflammation is associated with every disease.
Heart disease, asthma, cancer, obesity, thyroid, dental issues…The list goes on. High inflammation in the body is at the root of all these conditions.
Chronic inflammation increases recovery time.
Whether chronic stress is imposed by a life event, illness or athletic activity, your body needs time to heal. If you have chronic inflammation in your body, it will take longer to recover. (Athletes: Shorter recovery time means better results and more effective training days!)
How can you get more anti-inflammatory foods in your diet?
- Saute veggies/meats in coconut oil.
- Bake wild-caught salmon for dinner.
- Make a smoothie with dark, leafy greens.
- Add turmeric, cinnamon and cloves to a warm mug of bone or vegetable broth.
- Dilute ¼ cup tart cherry juice with pure water.
At the same time you adding anti-inflammatory foods to your pantry, it’s just as important to review foods that could be promoting inflammation.
Pro-inflammatory foods to reduce/avoid in your diet:
- Candy
- Margarine
- Soda
- Vegetables Oils (such as canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower and peanut)
- White flour bread, pasta and cookies
Reducing or eliminating inflammation-causing foods and increasing anti-inflammatory foods can have a positively profound effect on your diet.
