How To Eat An Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Have you heard that an anti-inflammatory diet might be the answer to your health issues? We know that inflammation plays a massive role in disease – not only by making symptoms worse, but by being a root cause of many conditions.

So could shifting your diet to an anti-inflammatory approach make a difference?

Because there are so many anti-inflammatory foods, there is no one standardised ‘anti-inflammatory diet’. As such, there is not much in terms of research to back up the overall approach.

However, we do know that specific anti-inflammatory foods can help with a host of health concerns. We also know that diets that are naturally anti-inflammatory such as the Mediterranean diet and the Okinawa (Japanese) diet can support health.

So, it’s fair to assume that eating more anti-inflammatory foods will:

Help reduce inflammation in the body
Alleviate symptoms that are related to inflammation
Help to manage any health conditions influenced by inflammation

Foods to include on an anti-inflammatory diet

As there’s no ‘standard’ diet, the key is to focus on including as many anti-inflammatory foods as possible. Some of your best options include:

All fruits and vegetables – particularly berries
Sea vegetables such as kelp, nori, dulse and spirulina
All herbs and spices – cinnamon, turmeric and ginger are some of our favourites
Nuts & seeds
Dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa content)
Fish and seafood, particularly oily fish and shellfish
Healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado
Fermented foods
Green tea
Herbal teas

You want to aim to include at least one of these ingredients in every meal and snack.

Foods to limit on an anti-inflammatory diet

Just as there are anti-inflammatory foods, there are also foods that can increase inflammation.

It’s important to note that not all of these will be an issue for you – some people are more sensitive to certain foods. But overall, it’s best to limit or at least reduce these foods and focus on anti-inflammatory foods instead.

Foods that can contribute to inflammation include:

Highly processed foods and junk foods
Added and refined sugars
Artificial sweeteners
Gluten containing grains – research suggests these could be a problem even for someone who is not intolerant or Coeliac
Dairy products – many people have issues with lactose and/or casein
Vegetable oils such as canola, soy and general ‘vegetable oils’
Any foods that you have an intolerance to – even if they are considered healthy or wholefoods! The body responds to an intolerance with inflammation

Of course, you might be able to avoid all of these foods all of the time, and you may not want to either! But it’s best to reduce your intake and consider anti-inflammatory substitutes instead.

Here’s what a day of an anti-inflammatory diet might look like

This is only an example of what you might eat – feel free to eat more of the anti-inflammatory foods you enjoy and skip those you dislike!

Breakfast

Oat porridge with nut milk, berries, cinnamon and vanilla

Scrambled eggs with mushroom, spinach, cherry tomatoes on GF seeded bread

Lunch

Sushi rolls made with poached chicken, avocado and quinoa

Dairy-free pumpkin soup with bone broth base and added turmeric & ginger

Dinner

Salmon with brown rice and greens (bok choy and Chinese broccoli)

Taco bowl with taco mince, avocado, lettuce and red capsicum

Snacks

Raw or activated nuts & seeds

Dark chocolate

Seaweed ‘chips’

Hydration

Water

Green tea in the morning

A green smoothie with berries to sweeten

Are you considering an anti-inflammatory diet to manage or prevent health concerns? Here at Burnett House, our naturopath Trish is ready to support you.

She can assess your diet, lifestyle and goals, as well as any pathology results you might have from your GP. Together, you can discuss the best ways to implement an anti-inflammatory diet, along with other changes to reduce your inflammation naturally.

To book an appointment with Trish at our Bundaberg clinic, book an appointment online here or call us on (07) 41522372