Anti-Inflammatory vs. Inflammatory Foods

By Julie Alvira, MD, MBA

Do you need to be ready for a certain event and fit in that special dress you bought a month ago?

Do you need to be bathing suit ready because you are going to a special destination to be kissed by the sun in front of the beach?

The answer is to limit inflammatory foods.

According to Dr. Frank Hu, a professor at Harvard, if you choose the right foods, you can reduce inflammation and prevent conditions like obesity and certain illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. But if you make wrong decisions, you may be dealing with inflammation and promoting degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Inflammation is a normal process that occurs in the body following an injury. Basically, the body releases a lot of white blood cells as part of the immune system’s response. There are different types of inflammation. There is acute inflammation that involves pain, redness, swelling (not all these symptoms need to occur at the same time, all the time) and chronic inflammation which can occur in the body for years, such as arthritis. What happens is, our bodies go into over activity mode. In other words, our immune system keeps working and working and working. One of the best ways we can help our bodies is to reduce the amount of inflammatory foods we eat. By doing this, we can be ready for those special occasions I asked about earlier. The dress, or the bathing suit. The party, or the beach. The cruise, or the pool. We can be ready anytime and for anything and the best news is, by reducing foods that promote inflammation, we will feel more energetic. It all starts with creating better eating habits and making them part of a new lifestyle.

Know your limits

Certain foods are not going to help us with our health and can promote inflammation such as: sugar, trans and saturated fats, processed foods, refined carbohydrates, gluten, sodas, fried foods, certain types of dairy, lard, shortening, emulsifiers and many others. By reducing, limiting or eliminating these many foods from our diet we can help our energy levels, wrinkles, lean body mass, muscle tissue, metabolism and our overall health. Also, we can help our mood in terms of depression and anxiety. Hold on––some mood disorders are fed by certain foods? You bet! For example, foods high in sugar make us feel really good at first but later can disrupt blood glucose levels. After the insulin boost, they can make you feel fatigued and tired. The same goes for some artificial sweeteners and foods high in sodium. They can make an individual irritated. Plus, remember the “be ready for the bathing suit anytime, anywhere”? High sodium foods can also make you bloated and promote water retention. Other foods block serotonin (neurotransmitters) and can contribute to mood swings and headaches. Alcohol, among many things, can exacerbate symptoms associated with depression. Remember moderation.

Let’s go shopping!

Where are we going to look for the foods we need? The grocery store or your favorite market. We should shop for foods with fiber, nuts (especially almonds), seeds, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, and antioxidant fruits like strawberries, blueberries, oranges, cherries, whole grains, fatty fish, certain dairy, beets, garlic, ginger, and many others.

Nowadays, popular add-ons like turmeric are receiving big attention and, of course, the antioxidants in green tea and certain supplements. Likewise, some of the foods mentioned above might affect you in other ways in terms of sensitivity, allergies, digestion process, etc. So practice moderation and see what works individually for you. Your body and health will appreciate the changes you make.

“It’s not a short-term diet. It’s a long-term lifestyle change.”

Julie Alvira, M.D., MBA Healthcare Management. Health & Wellness consulting. Corporate wellness. Addictions recovery coaching. Personal trainer. Sports nutrition specialist. “I like to focus on women and helping them get into a healthier lifestyle.” You can reach Julie via julie@ajbodysculpt.com or www.ajbodysculpt.com.