Better Health With an Anti-Inflammatory Diet.
A healthy anti-inflammatory diet can reduce disease risk.
What is inflammation and how can an anti-inflammatory diet help?
We all know about having a cut, infected wound, or a sore throat. The area is painful, hot, red and swollen. These are telltale signs of inflammation...a natural and essential process that your body uses to defend itself from infections and heal injured cells and tissues.
Inflammation is sometimes compared to a fire. It produces specific biochemicals that can destroy invaders like bacteria and viruses, increase blood flow to areas that need it, and clean up debris. It is absolutely a good thing! But, sometimes it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.
Types of inflammation (acute vs. chronic)
Acute inflammation is short-lived. When inflammation is acute it’s usually at high levels in a small, localized area in response to an infection or some kind of damage to the body. It’s necessary for proper healing and injury repair.
When your cells detect an infection or damage your immune system is signaled. Your immune system sends over many types of white blood cells to help fight off invading bacteria, viruses, pathogens.
Symptoms of acute inflammation may need short-term treatment such as pain relievers, cold compresses, and medical attention. In general, acute inflammation goes away after the damage is healed. Acute inflammation is the “good” kind of inflammation because it does an essential job and then quiets itself down.
Chronic inflammation is different. This type of inflammation can exist throughout your entire body at lower levels. This means that the symptoms aren’t localized to one area. Instead, they can appear gradually, and can last much longer—months or even years. This is undesirable inflammation, and it is often silent.
Chronic inflammation is often invisible without immediate or serious symptoms, but over the long-term it’s been linked to many chronic diseases such as:
● Acne, eczema, and psoriasis
● Allergies and asthma
● Autoimmune diseases (arthritis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus)
● Cancer
● Chronic pain
● Gastrointestinal disorders (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
● Heart disease and stroke
● Lung diseases (emphysema)
● Mental illnesses (anxiety, depression)
● Metabolic diseases (type 2 diabetes)
● Neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s)
How does chronic inflammation begin? It may start acutely—from an infection or injury—and then instead of shutting off, it becomes persistent. Chronic low-grade inflammation can also occur with exposure to chemicals (e.g., tobacco) or radiation, consuming an unhealthy diet or too much alcohol, lack of physical activity or excess exercise, mental stress, or socially isolation. Some people have a genetic predisposition to have more chronic inflammation than others.
An anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle can reduce chronic inflammation
Studies show that reducing inflammation can reduce the risk of several of these conditions, including heart disease and cancer. There are medications used to help lower inflammation to treat some of these diseases such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics.
“For chronic low-grade inflammation not caused by a defined illness, lifestyle changes and an anti-inflammatory diet, are the mainstay of both prevention and treatment,” says Harvard Health.
Anti-inflammatory diet basics:
● Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains (brown rice, oats, bran), nuts (almonds), seeds, fish, poultry, legumes (beans, lentils), and healthy oils (olive oil)
● Pay particular attention to foods high in antioxidant polyphenols, including colorful foods such as berries, cherries, plums, red grapes, avocados, onions, carrots, beets, turmeric, green tea, and dark green leafy vegetables.
● Omega-3 fats can help to reduce pain and clear up inflammation and are found in salmon, trout, mackerel, soy, walnuts, and flax
● High fiber foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes) encourage friendly gut microbes to help reduce inflammation
● Avoid charring foods when cooking at high temperatures
● Limit inflammatory foods like processed meats (lunch meats, hot dogs, hamburgers), fried foods (fries), unhealthy fats (shortening, lard), sugary foods and drinks (sodas, candy, sports drinks), refined carbohydrates (white bread, cookies, pie), and ultra-processed foods (microwaveable dinners, dehydrated soups)
Be physically active
● Regular exercise reduces inflammation over the long-term, so try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (brisk walking) per week; about 20-30 minutes per day
● To this add two or more strength training sessions (using weights or resistance bands) each week
Get enough restful sleep
● Disrupted sleep has recently been linked to increased inflammation and atherosclerosis. Get 7-9 hours of restful sleep every night to help the body heal and repair
● Tips for better sleep: try to maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule every day, get exposure to natural daylight earlier in the day, avoid caffeine later in the day, cut out screens an hour before bedtime, avoid alcohol, do not eat within 3 hours of bedtime, and create a relaxing nighttime routine
Quit smoking and limit alcohol
● Quitting smoking can help reduce inflammation by reducing exposure to toxins that are directly linked to inflammation
● Limit your alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day
Manage your stress
● Engage in relaxing stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or tai chi
● Exercise
● Keep a gratitude journal
● Say no to stressful people and situations
● Mental health professional are great resources to help you cope with stress
Be social
● New research suggests that feeling socially isolated is linked with higher levels of inflammation, so reach out to family and friends (or make new ones)
● Say yes to invitations (if they won’t create more stress)
● Get a walking buddy for both the exercise and social connection
See your doctor or dentist
● Schedule a regular wellness exam with your physician
● Get your cholesterol and blood lipids tested because high amounts of “bad” LDL cholesterol is linked to inflammation and negatively affects your vessels
● Request a blood test to measure levels of hs CRP (C-reactive protein) which is a marker of inflammation (elevated levels are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease) and track it yearly
● Brush and floss your teeth twice daily. If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, this may be a sign of gum inflammation (gingivitis). See your dentist regularly
Anti-inflammatory diet final thoughts
Chronic, low-level inflammation is linked to many health issues. The first approach to preventing and improving this is through food and lifestyle changes. Start by focusing on adding colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fish to your diet. Then layer in lifestyle upgrades like physical activity, restful sleep, and stress management.
If you’d like a plan designed to help you enjoy more of these anti-inflammatory foods, I can provide personalized research-based nutrition advice for your health, lifestyle, and goals.
Book a free call here.
References
Harvard Health. (2018, November 7). Foods that fight inflammation. Retrieved from
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
Harvard Magazine. (2019 May-June). Could inflammation be the cause of myriad chronic conditions? Retrieved from https://harvardmagazine.com/2019/05/inflammation-disease-diet
Harvard Health. (2020, April). Understanding acute and chronic inflammation. Retrieved from
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-acute-and-chronic-inflammation
Harvard Health. (2020, May). Quick-start guide to an anti-inflammation diet. Retrieved from
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/quick-start-guide-to-an-antiinflammation-diet
Harvard Health. (2020, June). All about inflammation. Retrieved from
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/all-about-inflammation
Mayo Clinic. (2017, November 21). C-reactive protein test. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/c-reactive-protein-test/about/pac-20385228
Mayo Clinic. (2018, May 25). Home remedies: How a healthy diet can help manage pain. Retrieved from https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/home-remedies-how-a-healthy-diet-can-help-manage-pain/
Mayo Clinic. (2019, August 13). How to use food to help your body fight inflammation. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/how-to-use-food-to-help-your-body-fight-inflammation/art-20457586
Medscape. (n.d.). Inflammation, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer. Retrieved from https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/923743
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2020, April 4). Inflammation. Retrieved from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/inflammation/index.cfm
Neuroscience News. (2020, March 5). Social isolation could cause physical inflammation. Retrieved from https://neurosciencenews.com/social-isolation-inflammation-15864/
University of California Berkeley News. (2020, June 4). Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries. Retrieved from https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/06/04/fitful-nightly-sleep-linked-to-chronic-inflammation-hardened-arteries/
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. (2018). The anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Retrieved from https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout_ai_diet_patient.pdf
