You’ve likely heard about the wonders of the anti-inflammatory diet, and for good reason! It’s a relatively easy dietary choice to make with a wealth of potential health benefits.
First, what is inflammation and how does it impact your health?
Simply put, inflammation is what you see when a cut swells up and reddens. It’s the result of chemicals released by damaged tissues signaling to your white blood cells that it’s time to begin the healing process. And it’s not always a bad thing.
However, chronic inflammation can wreak havoc in your body. This low-grade form of persistent inflammation can spread throughout your body and cause your immune system to remain in a state of “red alert.” It can disrupt tissue and cell function and has been linked to cancer, heart disease, asthma, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Calming this type of chronic inflammation can reduce your risk of disease.
Chronic inflammation is often treated with:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
- Fish oil supplements
However, chronic inflammation may also effectively be combatted through healthy diet choices. It should be noted, however, that an anti-inflammation diet isn’t a quick fix or a temporary solution. It’s meant to be a lifestyle change. The anti-inflammatory diet can even lower the risk of heart disease even in people who aren’t overweight.
Fortunately, there aren’t any meal restrictions involved in the anti-inflammatory diet. Similar to the Mediterranean or DASH diets, it puts an emphasis on whole and unprocessed foods and includes nutrient-rich foods such as salmon, berries and nuts.
What to Eat and What Not to Eat on the Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring are not only a great way to get protein while you’re focused on an anti-inflammatory diet, but they’re also high in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These acids are a natural anti-inflammatory and can help balance out omega-6 fatty acids that cause inflammation.
Fruits and Vegetables (Especially Those with Vitamin C):
In addition to being an antioxidant, vitamin C in fruits such as oranges can reduce inflammation-inducing substances like high-sensitivity C-reactive proteins and interleukin 6. Other foods with vitamin C include:
- Brussel sprouts
In addition to vitamin C, bell peppers contain the antioxidant quercetin, which can help combat oxidative damage in inflammatory diseases. Quercetin is actually a multi-talented flavonoid that maintains immune balance and is known to support a healthy histamine response.*
Chili peppers also have sinapic acid, which has been shown to contain antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, and ferulic acid, which can reduce inflammation and promote cardiovascular health.
Berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries have anthocyanins, a form of antioxidant that can reduce inflammation and risk of disease. They also can increase natural killer cells (NK cells), which help the immune system function.
Avocado has been shown to lower the levels of inflammatory markers NF-kB and IL-6, and sugar that occurs naturally in avocado has been shown to reduce inflammation in skin cells. Plus the potassium, magnesium and fiber are great for heart health!
Green tea contains an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as well as other helpful properties, including:
- Stimulant properties without the jittery side effects of coffee
- An improvement in physical performance
- A potential lowered risk of some kinds of cancer
Foods to Avoid
The anti-inflammatory diet is as much about what you eat as what you don’t eat. While you don’t have to outright ban the following inflammatory foods, they’re best only eaten in small quantities on rare occasions. Inflammatory foods include:
- Refined carbohydrates like white bread
- Fried foods such as french fries.
- Sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages
- Margarine, shortening and lard
Fill in the Gaps
Having trouble fitting enough of these anti-inflammatory foods into your daily meals? Airloom could help fill the gaps in your diet. Our five all-natural ingredients were chosen for their unique abilities to work together to support healthy histamine and inflammation levels.
One of our ingredients, quercetin, is a natural flavonoid found in foods like tomatoes, cherries, kale, black tea, and many others. It is full of antioxidants that may help lower inflammation by supporting a healthy histamine response.
Another Airloom ingredient, grape seed extract, also contains antioxidants and flavonoids that inhibit the creation of histamine in your cells, which means less histamine in the body to cause chaos.
Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapple stem, reduces swelling in the nose and sinuses has anti-inflammatory properties.
Butterbur root extract has been used in holistic healing for centuries. We selected it for Airloom because butterbur has been shown to inhibit leukotriene, an inflammatory chemical your body releases in response to allergens.
The spice, turmeric, is the final Airloom ingredient. Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. In fact, some studies found that curcumin can be as effective as anti-inflammatory drugs when it comes to helping your body fight unhealthy inflammation levels.
While some of these potent ingredients can be found in food, using Airloom in conjunction with your anti-inflammatory diet gives you a more concentrated, effective dosage of each.
Learn more about how Airloom can help you and get $5 off with code ownyourbreath!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.