My husband sometimes wakes up sore and achy. He doesn’t sleep well. His knees, hips, and lower back all sing so badly out of tune. I have made it my life mission to help ease inflammation for him. Hopefully I can help you too.
Do simple daily tasks seem challenging? Is your arthritis impeding you from doing the things you once use to enjoy? Have you been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease? Do your knees and hips scream out in pain when you perform the most simple of movements? If you answered with a resounding YES, then perhaps it is time to change up your diet. The awesome news, is food can indeed make a huge difference in how you feel. Food is fuel for the body, and the way you feed your body truly matters. Food can heal, but it can also hurt.
Foods that Heal Inflammation
Let’s look at those that help as there are many foods that aid in reducing inflammation. Fruits are packed full of healthy antioxidants, which fight inflammation. Some people fear fruit because of its sugar content, but dear friends, fruit is not the enemy. Instead it is the processed and packaged foods that cause inflammation and wreak havoc in our bodies we should fear.
Fruits that fight inflammation include berries, apples, pineapples, bananas, and cherries. High fat fruits such as avocado and olives are also anti-inflammatory. Remember that fruit never made anyone overweight or inflamed. Our biggest healthy eating problem in the US today is processed foods.
Vegetables are also a great fighter of inflammation. Veggies to include in your daily anti- inflammatory diet are kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, ginger, garlic, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, beans, carrots, and bell peppers. Try to include a variety of color onto your plate.
Omega-3 Rich foods are also essential for those fighting inflammation. Opt for Omega-3 Eggs instead of the standard white eggs when shopping. Fish is also abundant in Omega-3 fatty acids as well. Salmon, tuna, mackerel, bass, snapper, cod, and halibut are all excellent choices.
Increasing your fiber intake helps lower your C-Reactive Proteins, which are a substance in the blood that indicate inflammation. Whole grain foods are chocked full of fiber and are a great addition into your anti-inflammatory diet. Examples of whole grains are brown rice, whole grain bread (make sure it isn’t enriched when looking at the ingredient label), oats (organic is the way to go), and quinoa. Nuts and seeds are also great at reducing inflammation. Just don’t overdo it.
Small portions are a must when it comes to these tasty healthy fats. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds are all great examples. Olive oil is also anti-inflammatory.
Green tea contains polyphenols, antioxidants, and EGCG that help fight inflammation. Keep in mind the saying everything in moderation. Don’t go crazy consuming too much green tea as it may inhibit your absorption of important nutrients. A little goes a long way.
Red wine has also been touted as a great anti-inflammatory beverage as well thanks its polyphenol resveratrol. If you have rheumatoid arthritis or are on certain medications, you should limit your intake of red wine. Always check with your doctor if you are taking any prescription medicines. Otherwise, a glass every once in while gets two thumbs up.
Foods to Avoid
Some foods are aggravators of inflammation. Foods to avoid include sugar, saturated and trans fats, vegetable oil, dairy, fried foods, processed foods, artificial sweeteners found in diet cokes etc, refined foods, and alcohol.
Anti Inflammatory Spices
Turmeric has been used as medicine for centuries and may help reduce inflammation in the body. Other spices that may reduce inflammation include ginger, cinnamon, clove, cayenne, and garlic.
I enjoy my favorite bedtime drink, golden milk, in the evening. I add a tablespoon of organic ground turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and a dash of black pepper into a cup of warm almond milk at bedtime. This immersion blender is definitely my preference for blending. If you are the kind of person that would rather take a supplement, I suggest these Garlic and Turmeric Curcumin supplements.
Exercise
Exercise is important for good health. A study led by Suzi Hong, Ph.D and the researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reveal that 20 minutes of exercise can improve the bodies anti-inflammatory response with the lowering of cytokine TNF. The study was based on moderate exercise on the treadmill, not intense exercise. This is super exciting news. It means whether you do light exercise such as stretching and yoga or more intense exercise such as weight lifting or boxing, you still reap the benefits of the anti-inflammatory response brought on by exercise.
Adequate Sleep
Don’t forget that the body needs adequate rest. Even cats know how imperative proper sleep is. Make sure to get those zzz’s in and let your body recuperate naturally. If you have trouble dozing off, try having a banana. Bananas are a great bedtime snack as they contain magnesium, potassium, and L-tryptophan which help the body relax. A good night’s sleep is medicine for the soul.
Avoid Stress
Stress is not good for the body and can increase inflammation. Work on finding ways to destress such as gardening or meditation. Finding the sunny side of life, starts within. Check out my 5 Ways to Find the Sunny Side of Life Blog for tips to destress.
Listed above, you have lots of good wholesome foods to choose from and get started on feeling better. The key to your success is choosing healthy happiness over processed food happiness. Sometimes it’s hard to stick to a new diet without some help. With that in mind, I have designed a basic, but very good 4 week nutrition plan for both men and women on my website.
If the task of coming up with a daily nutrition plan is too overwhelming, these simple to follow inexpensive plans are waiting just for you to start your journey to living the anti-inflammatory life. As always, if you require something more custom to work for you, I can do that too!
Cheers to Changing Lives Every Day!
~Dawn
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