Did you know that Red Meat and Processed Meats are common causes of inflammation, including bacon, sausage, lunch meats, and cured meats?
That ankle swelling, red spots in our body, constant headaches, muscle stiffness, and joint pain are some of the symptoms of inflammation in our body. While some last long others may last for years. Food is a big influence on how our body reacts. Inflammation in our body is triggered by how our immune system reacts, while is very complicated the biggest component that affects it is certain types of food we eat that we don’t even know how it’s affecting us.
We know that eating unhealthy food affects our body weight. Unbalance and unhealthy eating activate inflammatory processes that we don’t even know could exist. While we focus on the obvious that’s the thing we see (our body composition), we should be more aware of how our body is reacting inside our body.
What is inflammation?
According to the Cleveland, Clinic inflammation is an essential part of your body’s healing process. It occurs when inflammatory cells travel to the place of an injury or foreign body like bacteria. If inflammatory cells stay too long, it may lead to chronic inflammation.
It is considered the process by which our body’s white blood cells and other components help our body fight back from outside invaders such as viruses and bacteria. In some diseases, one of the ways our body fights back is by activating our immune system causing inflammation to help fight those outside invaders, in some cases like autoimmune diseases our tissues are so infected that causes damage that our body sometimes cannot repair.
There are 2 types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Both are triggered by the same invaders which are high numbers of white blood cells caused by irritation causing swelling and loss of cartilage. Acute can last for a short period while chronic can last for months and even years.
What causes inflammation?
Many types of foods have been shown to contribute to inflammation in the body, such as:
- Refined carbohydrates- they are high in sugar and lack fiber.
- Fried foods- are high in trans fats and can contribute to inflammation.
- Processed meats- contain chemicals that may contribute to inflammation.
- Alcohol
- Sugar
- Artificial sweeteners-such as aspartame, have been linked to inflammation.
While we can’t prevent everything that happens inside our body if we can’t contribute at least a minimum to our eating habits to prevent it we should take that chance. Many foods can help us prevents it here are my favorite superfoods that we should include in our diet.
We can’t control everything that happens inside our bodies, but we can at least make an effort to maintain healthy eating habits as a way to prevent certain problems from occurring. There are many foods that have been shown to have preventative benefits, and these are called “superfoods.”
Our Top 5 Nutrient-Rich Foods to Include in Your Diet:
- Berries– contain antioxidants called Anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory effects that help reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases.
- Cruciferous Vegetables– contain Sulforaphane, which is an antioxidant that helps decrease inflammation.
- Avocado -are one of the biggest sources of monounsaturated fats, which research have shown helps our body fight back inflammation.
- Tumeric -one of our favorite spices since it contains Curcumin, it’s considered one of the earth’s strong anti-inflammatory components.
- Dark Chocolate -contains Flavanols, which are antioxidants that help reduce inflammation.
Everyone’s body is different and be aware of what food may cause you inflammation. It’s not worth eliminating food that you like but rather consuming it in moderation. Focus on following a balanced varied diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Go check our Power of Plants Blog for more foods that help fight inflammation.
