Inflammation 101
Inflammation is the body’s response to injury but can also play a role in some chronic diseases. Chronic Inflammation can cause serious damage and make the body toxic. A healthy diet can help to stave off and combat this toxicity by way of antioxidants and micronutrients. Some foods are more specific to containing large amounts of these.
You may have noticed some of these anti inflammatory products in your local grocery stores and health food stores with there packaging or signs displayed explaining their uniqueness in being an anti inflammatory. A few growing products are turmeric, ginger, and foods containing omegas like salmon, flax and chia seed. These are not the only foods that have these properties, eating a well balanced diet of whole foods helps to compliment them to give you the best result.
So what are the best choices?
Antioxidant Rich Roots:
To start I want to touch on the first few that I named, turmeric, ginger, and omega 3 rich foods. Turmeric and Ginger are botanically related to each other. Turmeric is remarkable for its curcumin which is a potent antioxidant that is said to have an anti inflammatory affect on the body. Ginger on the other hand has gingerol which is also responsible for fighting inflammation.
Omega 3 rich foods:
Aside from the two roots there are omega 3 rich foods that have been popular for inflammation reduction due to its DHA and EPA .
- cold water fish ( salmon, halibut, herring, tuna, mackerel, and sardines)
- flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
- pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil
- walnuts and walnut oil
- purslane
Whole foods
Although turmeric, ginger, and omega rich foods are the most popular foods to help with inflammation, eating a diet containing whole foods will help further. With this said if you have a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans/legumes, and healthy fats would be beneficial. When these are incorporated we then supply the body with loads of nutrients like vitamins and minerals among others.
Next time you are at the grocery store remember these guidelines when warding off inflammation and adding more healthy options to your menu each week. Incorporating a little of each food source each day can go a long way to helping you on your wellness journey. I hope you all have an amazing weekend!
Healthfully Yours,
Krystal Goodman
Resources
http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/omega3-fatty-acids
http://www.livescience.com/52344-inflammation.html
