by Sarah Bricker
In the conventional world of medicine, inflammation has gotten a bad rap! Most people know that inflammation occurs due to the body experiencing a trauma – this could be a visible, physical trauma, or trauma at the cellular level. What most people don’t know is that the inflammatory response after the trauma is the body’s natural response and the first stage in the healing process. But in order for healing to complete, the body must also resolve the inflammation. Unfortunately, the healing process often gets “stuck” in the inflammation stage. When the exudate (the fluid causing the inflammation) remains in the body for too long, it begins to chemically irritate the surrounding tissue instead of promote healing. This fluid causes more irritation, which leads to more inflammation… and more, and more, and more… and the healing cycle breaks down! What causes this stall in the cycle? Primarily, it’s a result of poor dietary choices.
The following is a list of 14 foods that create chronic, low-grade inflammation. If these foods are consumed regularly, the body can’t “turn off” the inflammatory response. This list contains many food items that are common to the American diet, and considered safe, which is why inflammation has gotten a bad reputation. The truth is that inflammation is not the problem, it’s the symptom telling us that something else is wrong!
Foods to avoid:
- Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Fried Foods
- Refined Flour
- Conventional Dairy
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Artificial Additives
- Saturated Fats
- Conventional, Grain-Fed Meats
- Highly Processed Meats
- Gluten (in high quantities)
- That Second Round of Alcohol
- Trans Fats
- Fast Food
Now for the good news! There are many delicious foods that will help to complete the body’s healing process, and reduce the chronic inflammatory response.
- Blueberries
- Raw Oats
- Ginger
- Green Tea
- Dark Chocolate
- Wild Salmon
- Red Peppers
- Turmeric
- Black Beans
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Tomatoes
- Chia Seeds
- Pineapple
- Spinach
- Whole Grains
- Kamut
- Organic Yogurt
- Apples
- Nuts
- White Tuna
- Rosemary
- Organic Bone Broth
- Coconut Oil
- Eggs
- Oysters
- Broccoli
- Beets
- Garlic
- Raw Honey
- Miso
Enjoy!
Yours in Health,
SFC
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