Inflammation. You breathe in and out and it causes inflammation. You strength train and you’ve got inflammation. Inflammation is a natural part of staying healthy and strong. But continuous inflammation can lead to what’s called chronic inflammation, which research shows can lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Inflammation can also negatively affect certain mood disorders and people with ADD/ADHD, so it’s important to control it with what you eat and drink.
Diet does matter, but it’s a lot easier than you think to nourish your body with anti-inflammatory foods. And it’s not expensive.
Our nation’s fast paced lifestyle has the average American eating way too many highly processed carbohydrates, red meat, dairy, fats and trans fats which experts say is a root cause of inflammation. Lack of sleep and exercise will also have this effect. There’s real evidence that eating anti-inflammatory foods can help speed up post workout recovery, improve your overall productivity and health, and enhance fat loss by improving insulin sensitivity.
Components of certain foods have also been shown to help reduce symptoms related to chronic inflammation like joint pain, memory loss and high blood pressure.
The general guidelines are these:
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables from the rainbow – lots of different colors. They are loaded with antioxidants which reduce inflammation.
Minimize saturated and trans fat sources like butter, hydrogenated oils, prime cuts of red meat, high fat dairy products and fried or processed food. These types of fats directly increase inflammatory pathways and promote the oxidation of bad cholesterol – not good.
Eat fish, flaxseeds and walnuts or take high quality fish oil supplements. Omega-3 fats are powerful antioxidants that reduce inflammation.
