Top 12 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Eat
Eating a healthy diet consistently, including anti-inflammatory foods, is the first step to healing your body. The foods you consume have a direct impact on the symptoms you may be experiencing with any health condition, including arthritis, back pain, and fibromyalgia.
Have you ever heard the following proverbial phrase?
You are what you eat.
The origin of this phrase dates back to 1826, and variations of the phrase have been used since then to emphasize the positive impact of healthy food on your body and mind.
In 1942, Victor Lindlahr, a prominent nutritionist and firm believer in the idea that food controls health said it like this, “Ninety percent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat.”
You Have The Ability To Choose
The food you eat becomes a direct representation of your body. The performance of your bodily functions can either be at a high level or a low level based on the nutrients you are providing it. This idea applies to more than just food. It’s also equally important to realize that your environment and lifestyle impact your body. All of these factors affect how you feel mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Your diet and lifestyle have the most significant impact on every bodily function, beginning at the cellular level. While a diet won’t cure ALL health conditions due to hereditary, biological, or other illness predispositions, it should be a high priority and one of the first places you start to improve your health.
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s reaction to an injury, illness, or infection. It occurs when your body releases white blood cells (immune cells) and compounds called cytokines. Both of these compounds help fight infections. Inflammation can be both good and bad for your body. It can help protect your body from foreign invaders by increasing blood flow to the injury or infection. It also plays a role in helping you heal faster.
Recurring, chronic inflammation, however, is not good for the body. It occurs when your body is continuously sending off signals to increase blood flow to areas of your body even though it’s not needed. The inflammation can then attack your body’s tissues. Chronic inflammation causes arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s, weight gain, autoimmune conditions, and other unwanted conditions.
Inflammatory foods like fried foods, refined carbs, and processed meat, cause chronic inflammation when consumed regularly. Think of it as a compounding effect on your body. The more of these types of foods you consume, the greater the impact to your body over time. You may not even notice any immediate effects (or you may, depending on your sensitivity level to these foods). However, in a few days to a few years, the results will show up in your body.
- Irritate your digestive system
- Don’t break down in your body well
- Cause crashes or spikes in blood sugar
- Result in inflammation in the gut and other parts of your body
- Cause irritation in your gut.
If you are in pain daily from any condition, take a look at your diet. Get a journal and write down what you are eating every single day for a week. Then, go back and identify foods that may be causing inflammation in your body. Start eliminating those foods until you no longer eat them. Even if it is a gradual process, every little bit of positive change will be beneficial to you.
If you strive to eat mostly unprocessed foods, you can fight chronic inflammation in your body naturally. In general, you should eat whole foods like vegetables, fruit, wild caught fish, free-range poultry, and grass-fed beef. We put together a list of the top 12 foods that you should include in your diet to help fight inflammation in your body.
Top 12 Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Labeled by some experts as the number one nutritional supplement/food, curcumin is the active compound found in turmeric. It is an anti-inflammatory agent. It should be paired with black pepper (which contains piperine) for best results due to curcumin’s reduced ability to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
An anti-viral, anti-fungal, and antioxidant, fresh garlic works wonders to reduce inflammation because it contains a compound called diallyl disulfide.
Best consumed in the raw form, ginger contains gingerol and shogaol chemicals which block inflammatory pathways in the body. You can use it in sweet or savory dishes.
Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. They contain antioxidants that act as anti-inflammatory agents in your body.
Wild-caught fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and herring contain fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which, when metabolized, have an anti-inflammatory effect on our bodies.
6. Green Leafy Vegetables
Kale, spinach, broccoli, and other cruciferous and green leafy vegetables are shown to decrease your risk for heart disease likely because of their antioxidant content.
7. Chia Seeds
As a superfood, chia seeds contain antioxidants, omega 3’s, protein, and fiber. The antioxidants and omega 3’s help reduce inflammation in your body. Chia seeds are also a great choice if you’re on a low-glycemic, low carb, or ketogenic diet.
Avocados contain monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, which both work to lessen the inflammation in your body.
These are an excellent source of lycopene, which helps prevent inflammation and cancer.
10. Tart Cherries
Tart cherries are often consumed via a concentrated juice. They contain a high amount of antioxidants, reducing inflammation in the body when consumed.
Walnuts contain omega 3’s, which are shown to minimize inflammation. Almonds are filled with a lot of nutrients, protein, and healthy fat.
12. Olive Oil
Olive oil contains oleocanthal, which is an antioxidant shown to reduce inflammation.
Where To Find Anti-inflammatory Foods
I often hear folks say they “can’t afford to buy healthy food” or that “healthy food is more expensive.” So, we put together a list of places and ideas to help you find whole foods (including anti-inflammatory foods) without paying top dollar.
- Local farmer’s markets: The local farmers often participate in market days that allow you to have a direct connection to their goods. This means the food is usually less expensive and fresher.
- Road-side produce stands: Similar to markets, these stands provide a direct connection to the producers themselves, making the cost more reasonable.
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups: You can find fresh produce directly from the source, at local farms. You can ask around in your circle of family and friends or Google “CSA” with your location.
- Wholesale clubs: You can buy in bulk at these stores, making the cost more reasonable.
- Grocery stores: When stores receive new shipments, their older produce often goes on sale. You can ask them when they get their deliveries and plan your shopping trips accordingly. You can also try asking the produce manager for their leftovers or “seconds” as they call them. This means the product isn’t sellable, but you may still be able to purchase it at a significantly reduced amount. Examples of “seconds” include an oddly shaped strawberry or an apple with a small bruise on it.
- Discount grocery stores: Stores like Aldi and Trader Joe’s sell organic produce and other quality foods for less.
- Online retailers: Imperfect produce purchased from online retailers is another option. It isn’t available everywhere, but if it’s available in your area, this is a great way to have it shipped directly to your door at a fraction of the cost.
More Tips For You
- Always opt for organic and non-genetically modified food when possible as these provide the most nutrition without harmful pesticides and other additives.
- Incorporate more whole foods (the ones above and others) into your diet by making swaps in your daily routine. The more foods you can identify in your diet causing you inflammation, the easier it will be to make a transition to eating unprocessed, anti-inflammatory foods.
- Buy produce that is in season. The prices are less, and the produce is fresher!
- If you’re looking to boost your energy through whole food supplements, try beetroot powder and maca root powder. You can read more about those in our post here 5 Ways to Get More Energy.
By following an anti-inflammatory diet, you can fight off chronic inflammation and disease, and live a longer, healthier life! Do you eat any of these foods as part of your everyday diet? Let us know in the comments below!
Are you interested in a meal plan that includes anti-inflammatory foods like the ones in this post? check out our 21 Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan.