Diet and Inflammation
Having a healthy diet overall will generally help with combatting inflammation. But there are certain anti-inflammatory foods that specifically help pain and inflammation. Your body’s inflammatory state is often related to the lack of nutritional and metabolic balances.
You may be consuming too much of simple sugars and trans fats in your diet. However, too many refined grains can easily lead to a chronic inflammatory state. With an anti-inflammatory diet you will be able to maintain the acid balance, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation while enhancing a healthy gut balance.
Increase Fiber
Increasing your dietary fiber intake will increase your intestinal microbiota. You may want to reduce your salt intake and go for herbs and spices like pepper, turmeric and ginger.
Reduce your salt intake
You may want to add salt to starchy foods during cooking rather than after. And try sometimes having rice, potatoes and other starchy foods instead of salty bread. Cheese contains lots of it so try to have it no more than once a day. Increase Omega 3-rich foods. Basically, include salmon, herring, mackerel, sardine, salmon, trout, walnuts, rapeseed, hempseed, flaxseeds, chia seeds and Brussels sprouts.
Water
Drink plenty of water (2-2.5 liters per day) to help with muscle fatigue, reducing cramps, enhancing intestinal transit and improving overall body functioning. By focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet, you will be reducing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity and more. Extra virgin olive oil contains Oleocanthal that blocks the enzymes that cause inflammation, just like the pain killer ibuprofen. So, you may want to use olive oil throughout the day on your salads, meals and dips.
Pineapple
It contains Bromelain enzyme that helps digest protein and decrease the inflammation risk. Eating pineapple can help decrease knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis pain and swelling in people with carpal tunnel syndrome. Apple has the anti-inflammatory quercetin antioxidant which is a type of flavonoids and has the anti-cancer properties. Nuts and seeds are rich in tryptophan amino acid and help reduce pain in about an hour.
Tryptophan
These are foods like chicken, turkey, sunflower seeds, dairy products, rice, beans, seafood, soy and legumes. Leafy greens like spinach, Swiss chard, bok choy, kale contain lots of carotenoids with the pigments that give the green and orange colors and that have anti-inflammatory effects. Whole grain cereals including brown rice help fight leaky gut and irritable bowel syndrome. They help relax the nerves, muscles and blood vessels and reduce the frequency of migraines.
Resveratrol
Grapes, blackberries or a glass of red wine contain resveratrol that blocks enzymes that cause inflammation just like aspirin but without any ill effects on your stomach. Other major anti-inflammatory foods include cranberry juice (reduced bladder inflammation), cherries, strawberries and raspberries (anthocyanin), nectarine, apricot, oranges (less joint inflammation), green or black tea (flavonoids), onion and garlic, broccoli (glutathione), cauliflower, potatoes, avocados, tomatoes, watermelon and fish. So, there is a long list of healthy foods that you can consume with anti-inflammatory properties and you are not restricted to just a few special foods.
Photo Courtesy of radnatt at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Source: glycemic-index.org
Related: Inflammation: Foods That Fight It Effectively – TUTORING YOU
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