Anti-Inflammatory Foods & How They Protect Our Body

We’ve been talking a lot about fueling our bodies with foods that serve us, which led me to developing a new and exciting program that I’ll be launching soon (stay tuned for that).

Creating custom programs for clients that are serious about managing their health and fitness goals proactively is what makes my job fun, because there is so much to learn when it comes to how our bodies break down, absorb and react to what we eat and drink. Based on how many different kinds of diets there are out there, it makes total sense that there are always new and emerging discoveries about how our bodies change based on what we’re consuming and that includes foods that cause or increase inflammation.

Defined simply, inflammation is when certain chemicals from our body’s white blood cells are released into the blood of our tissues that may be healing from an injury. This process essentially protects our body from foreign substances, increasing blood flow to the impacted areas, which is often physically visible as swelling, redness or warmth.

Inflammation as protection.

Most of us can remember bumping our heads and noticing it turn red almost instantly - a good example of inflammation. This immediate reaction of redness or swelling tells us that our body is getting to work because it’s been signalled that something isn’t quite right.

Interestingly, we don’t often think about how our bodies respond when we don’t nourish them correctly, because we aren’t necessarily conscious that even though something is presented to us as food (like junk), or looks healthy, our bodies still identify them as foreign substances.

So, what happens when we turn to the wrong foods or those that increase inflammation, for sustenance? Our bodies know and our immune system activates the same way it does when we get injured or it comes into contact with something it doesn’t recognize (think pollen). The inflammation process is then triggered to protect our health - and that says a lot about the power of our amazing bodies.

Foods that cause inflammation.

If you notice you’re experiencing inflammation on a regular or daily basis, it could easily be due to your current diet, which is why it’s important to know which foods actually cause inflammation. These include refined carbohydrates, like white bread and pastries, french fries and other fried foods, diet soda, regular soda or sugar sweetened drinks, red and processed meats (burgers, steaks, hot dogs, sausage), margarine, shortening and lard. It’s best to avoid these foods if you’re noticing inflammation, but there are also some great diet options that you can incorporate which combat inflammation as well.

Foods that combat inflammation.

I personally love this list of foods because it doesn’t include anything scary that you normally wouldn’t eat. Sometimes the right diet is simply about being empowered with knowledge and doesn’t necessarily require a strict routine that completely negates the foods you like. Foods that help fight inflammation include olive oil, tomatoes, green leafy veggies (spinach, kale, arugula), nuts, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines) and fruits like blueberries, strawberries, cherries.

Of course, it’s not surprising that many of the foods that cause inflammation don’t really hold much nutritional value, which is a great indicator of the types of foods you should avoid. It’s also not surprising that inflammation is an important stage in the development of many chronic diseases. Many, if not some of the foods that have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes are also associated with excess inflammation, which is reason enough to avoid them altogether.

The good news is that anti-inflammatory foods follow a similar connection, which simply means foods that reduce inflammation are essentially also reducing our risk for chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables like blueberries, apples and leafy greens, for example, are high in natural antioxidants and polyphenols which are the protective elements found in produce and plants. These natural elements protect the body against stress and inflammation, and in the same breath, increase protection against many chronic illnesses including cancers.

How you feel will tell you a lot.

If you’re reading today’s post and realize you might be experiencing some of the symptoms of inflammation, or that your diet contains the foods we talked about that cause inflammation, take a look at where you could exchange these foods for ones that will benefit you overall.

Turning to a list of foods based on their advantages to the body isn’t the wrong way to create a diet that works for you, but it’s important to remember that foods that are good for you will have an overall greater impact on your physical and emotional health. If you’re looking for a diet that incorporates anti-inflammatory foods on a regular basis, the Mediterranean diet is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts whole grains, fish and healthy oils. Also remember that a more natural, less processed diet will have a substantial impact on your overall health including your mood and quality of life.

The nerd in me thinks it’s actually fascinating and exciting to think about how our bodies have been created to protect our bones, muscles, tissue and organs. We often hear health gurus and fitness experts talk about the body as a “temple”, and this concept is an important one to keep in mind, especially when we’re thinking about consuming processed foods, alcohol or other substances lacking in nutrition that simply won’t serve or assist our long term health.