15 Anti-inflammatory Foods that Could Save Your Life

Dear Reader,

Most people are surprised when I bring up inflammation as a major player in diseases ranging from diabetes to dementia. That’s because they’re likely thinking of regular, everyday, inflammation that you can ice away or take an over-the-counter product to get under control.

But there are actually two types of inflammation. And although they’re related, their effects on your health are drastically different.

Acute inflammation occurs when you have an injury or some type of infection. The pain, redness, and swelling are signs that your immune system is doing its job, clearing away infection and damaged tissue. Once the threat is removed, natural anti-inflammatory agents kick in, the inflammation goes away, and healing begins.

But with chronic inflammation, it’s as if your body’s immune system somehow gets stuck in the on position. What may have started out as a positive response by the body, sending out cytokines to protect and heal, just doesn’t shut down when it should, and the resulting ongoing inflammation can wreak havoc with your health.

Experts are starting to suspect that chronic inflammation lies at the heart of most major degenerative diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, asthma, dementia, and cancer. In fact it’s already been shown that it can play a major role in insulin resistance, advancing hardening of arteries, and even promoting the growth of tumors.

The good news is that the connection between diet and inflammation is a well-established one. This means we can actually tip the scales in our favor…avoiding or reversing certain chronic health problems…simply by choosing the right foods at the grocery store.

You can reduce inflammation, and fight chronic diseases, by adding these 15 anti-inflammatory foods to your diet on a regular basis (whenever possible choosing organic and unrefined whole-food varieties):

• nuts like walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts
• berries like blueberries, and strawberries
• wild-caught fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel
• leafy greens like spinach, collard greens, and kale
• green, black, and white tea
• chili peppers
• papaya
• shiitake mushrooms
• sweet potatoes
• tumeric
• garlic
• ginger
• avocados
• cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and cabbage
• extra-virgin cold-pressed oils like olive, flaxseed, and avocado varieties

But remember this: Just as certain foods can act as anti-inflammatories, others can do the opposite. It’s important to limit the inflammation promoters in your diet as well. While there are no real surprises in my list, I think it’s good to be reminded of just how bad they actually are for us. Do your best to avoid these top-5 offenders: processed sugars, fried snack foods, processed white flour, highly processed and/or preserved meats, and polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Personally, I think the list of anti-inflammatory foods looks a heck of a lot more appetizing than the “bad-foods” list anyway. Don’t you agree?

Soothing the flames of hidden inflammation while pleasing my palate,

Alice Wessendorf