Entry #2: Tame the Flame: A Guide to Eating an Anti-Inflammation Diet

Tame the Flame: A Guide to Eating an Anti-inflammation Diet






Let’s be honest: We have all felt sluggish and bloated after eating. Or worse, we’ve had aching joints for no apparent reason. Some of us feel this way always.  All. Day. Long. 24/7. Well, these symptoms can be little warning signs from your body that something is up, inflammation. Do not panic! Not all inflammation is bad. Most of the time it’s simply your body fighting off infection or protecting itself when our body has been hurt. The real problem is when we have lingering inflammation. It is all thanks to us. What we eat, the stress we say we do not have, or not sleeping enough. Everything combined can create serious health problems. Imagine a car with an odometer full of those pesky lights we all dread. You know, the lights that read “Check Engine,” or a flat tire symbol that’s starring at you every time you turn the car on. Well, imagine all that chaos going on in our body. This chaos is called systemic inflammation. It’s usually just acute inflammation, inflammation that can go away on its own, but if it is left untreated it can very well become chronic with worsening symptoms. Take myself for instance, I am a victim of overfeeding the Flame within. I am the poster child for health issues that need correcting. From carpal tunnel to PCOS, both health conditions are aggravated by what I eat. Now, what if there is a way those symptoms and many others could be prevented? It starts with making some lifestyle changes. This is all possible by following an Anti-inflammatory diet.


Anti-Inflammatory Diet

This diet is aimed at reducing and preventing chronic inflammation by eliminating processed foods and reintroducing the right foods. Let's rip the band aid right off and give you the hardest goodbye. Red meat. I know, I know, life is not complete without some meat, but we can have what we like in moderations. Along with red meat, food to avoid include; trans fats, refined foods and carbs, excessive alcohol and artificial additives. Foods our body needs are: fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, minimal whole grains, legumes, fatty fish and health fats like avocados. 




Fun Fact: 
There are many myths that our internal inflammation is a response to eating spicy foods. Well it actually can benefit us. Check out this article that talks more in-depth about it.




An Anti-inflammation diet is not so much a diet but a guide or suggestions of foods we should or should not eat. It's important to take a slow start. Remember this is supposed to be a life style change. Start by hydrating your body. Not only ensuring you drink plenty of water, but trying out anti-inflammatory drinks like green tea and other herbal teas. Make sure to explore meal prep recipes and be mindful when eating. Make sure you chew slowly and savor your meals. See this change as a way to have a healthy relationship with food. 



Benefits of an Anti-Inflammation Diet

Making these subtle changes can be extremely rewarding. It will boost your energy and give you mental clarity. Thanks to reduced fatigue, our brain fog can clear away and in return improving our focus. It can also go as far as supporting not only our joint health, but our hearts as well. This diet also helps those suffering from skin conditions like acne or eczema. And it doesn't stop there it also helps improve our digestion track. Reducing not only our bloating but any gut discomfort. Have you ever heard of "the morning skinny?" Well dream no more, going on this journey will give you the looks and feeling of being slim all day long. 




The Power of a Healthy Plate

I like to think of the benefits of this diet as a domino effect. As one part of our health starts improving, those results trickle into the next category of health problems we might have. Keep in mind it is 80% what we eat, and 20% everything else. If the 80% is corrected, it will give us those benefits of reducing inflammation. Keep in mind, eating right, along with exercise and mental clarity, is the water needed to start putting out the fire from within. Try taking small steps toward bigger changes to come. Choosing the right foods or maybe try an anti-inflammatory meal or snack for a week and see how you feel. This diet doesn't have to be bland or tasteless, contrary, it can be flavorful and delicious. Don't knock it till you try it! You have nothing to loss and everything to gain. Let's spice up our food and cool down the 'flammation. Tssssss!










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