The Benefits of Including Anti-Inflammatory Foods In Your Diet and How

Vegetable salad

Anti-inflammatory foods appear to be trending on social media. They are extremely beneficial for everyone and should be something you include in your diet. It is, however, important to educate yourself on topics that you see making the rounds on social media, so you can ensure you are looking after your health, and not endangering it.

Benefits of anti-inflammatory foods
Inflammation is known to be the main cause, or a factor in exacerbating many common health conditions, such as depression, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and many more.

When your body senses something foreign that is a potential threat, it activates your immune system. This then triggers inflammation, a process that tries to protect you from infection and keep you healthy. However, it can become damaging when the inflammatory response becomes persistent and turns into a chronic health issue.

Inflammation can also impact your weight loss. Many people find that, no matter how many calories they eat, or the amount of exercise they participate in, they just cannot lose weight. This can often be the result of inflammation, as it will increase with weight gain, cause more insulin resistance and increase leptin resistance which is linked to appetite and metabolism, all of which becomes a vicious cycle of inflammation and weight gain. It can also be further triggered if your lifestyle is chaotic, for example, you don’t get much sleep, you are stressed, and you live a sedentary lifestyle. Anti-inflammatory foods have also been shown to help with boosting your mood, and your quality of life.

So if you are on a journey to become fitter and healthier, you may not be reaching your goals for this reason.
An anti-inflammatory diet, paired with a good lifestyle such as regular exercise and good quality sleep, can also provide you with a reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, depression and cancer while improving any symptoms of inflammatory bowel syndrome, arthritis, and many more conditions.

You can purchase or be prescribed medication to help inflammation. But there is a more effective, and natural way to deal with inflammation in your body, and that’s with your diet. There are plenty of foods that you can add to your diet to improve your health, as well as a few items you should avoid. Here are some of the top tips to help you include more inflammatory foods in your diet, live happier and longer, and reduce your risk of health conditions now and in the future.

Anti-inflammatory foods you should include in your diet
If you want to start reaping the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet and reduce your risk of health conditions, then here are some of the best foods and supplements that you can include in your diet.
● Olive oil
● Tomatoes
● Fruits (such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, cherries)
● Leafy green vegetables (such as kale, collards, spinach)
● Fatty fish (such as mackerel, tuna, sardines and salmon)
● Nuts (such as almonds and walnuts)
● Supplements (such as turmeric supplements)

It is important to note that anti-inflammatory diets will vary depending on the person, their needs, their biology and their lifestyle. Paired with other positive lifestyle changes, such as exercise and good quality sleep, you can exchange the great effects of an anti-inflammatory diet.

Foods that are more likely to cause inflammation
While you should aim to include more anti-inflammatory foods in your diet to improve your health, you should also reduce the number of foods in your diet that cause inflammation. These foods will cause inflammation if consumed every day over a long period. These foods have also been shown to impact your health in other ways too. Where possible, you should aim to avoid, or at the very least, reduce your consumption of the following foods:
● Soda drinks (that are carbonated, sweetened and have artificial flavorings such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew, Sprite, etc.)
● Alcohol
● Sweet tea (that is loaded with artificial sugar)
● Energy drinks (such as Monster)
● Refined carbohydrates (pastries, white bread, french fries)
● Fried foods
● Red meat (steaks, burgers)
● Processed meat (sausages, hot dogs)
● Margarine

This list may leave you wondering what you can enjoy. There are still plenty of delicious foods that you can enjoy to boost your mental and physical health, as well as help you on your fitness journey. Some popular diets that are encouraged by scientists are the Mediterranean diet or a plant-based diet. These include a wide variety of natural, whole foods that are great for your health, and your gut health and can reduce inflammation.

As you begin this journey, you must consider this a lifestyle change, and not a quick fix or isolated solution to a problem you may be having. If you are struggling with any condition, you should first consult your medical professional for help. They will be able to provide you with the best advice, and further advice on an anti-inflammatory diet to help enhance your life, that is tailored to your needs.

You cannot simply reduce the inflammation overnight, but you can change your habits and the way you live to better take care of your health, improve your quality of life, and reduce your consistent intake of foods that are going to contribute to health problems.

Be consistent
You have to be consistent if you want to change the inflammation in your body. The effects will be difficult to see at first, as they will take consistency and patience. The changes you may see will be gradual. If you have a more serious condition, the impacts could be much longer to see. It is a good idea to start a journal, to keep track of your new habits, routines, and any changes in symptoms that you start to see. You must consider the changes you need to make, and make them slowly, rather than trying to change everything at once. This will help you to make sustainable, and lasting change.

There are a plethora of benefits to eating an anti-inflammatory diet, such as reducing your risk of major health conditions and weight loss.

This is a collaborative post.