Inflammation is part of your body’s natural healing system. So, why would you want to reduce it, and how does reducing it help you feel great?
Inflammation (swelling) is meant to help fight against infection and injury. However, sometimes an inflammatory response can be triggered by the immune system trying to fight a non-existent infection or injury.
When this happens, the cells which are meant to protect us, start to attack by destroying healthy organs, joints, and arteries.
A misfiring inflammatory response is often caused by too much stress, not eating healthily, not getting enough exercise, or a combination of all three.
5 dieting tips to reducing inflammation
It is possible to control, and even reverse, inflammation by eating a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet, and exercise. Here are 5 tips to help you reduce inflammation.
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Control blood sugar
Avoid, or limit, simple carbohydrates such as white rice, white flour, anything with high fructose corn syrup, and refined sugar.
For example: replace white bread or white rice, with whole wheat bread and brown rice. Create meals around lean proteins and vegetables, fruits and whole grains high in fiber.
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Reduce consumption of inflammatory foods
Most processed foods, red meat, and deep-fried food are inflammation-causing foods you can limit to reduce inflammation.
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Eat your greens
Leafy greens are rich in magnesium: a mineral often lacking in people with inflammation. The best way to find out if you have low magnesium levels, is to ask your doctor for a blood test.
Eating more green vegetables as part of a balanced whole foods diet can help to significantly reduce inflammation.
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Eat your blues, purples and reds
Fruit and vegetables get their purple color from anthocyanins. It’s been shown that eating about 40mgs of anthocyanins a day can reduce your inflammation by about 18%. To get your daily dose of this mineral you can eat one cup of shredded cabbage, 18 red grapes, or a third of a cup of blueberries.
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Spice up your diet
Spices such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, clove, and black pepper have anti-inflammatory properties. Specifically, they contain curcumin which has been shown to reduce the production of a protein which makes your system work overtime.
However, the study which made this finding, used large quantities (1,500mg per day) to get their findings. Now this is about the equivalent of about 15 teaspoons of ground turmeric per day.
But the anti-inflammatory potential of these spices is still a good reason to liberally sprinkle them on your meals.
How Savory Living can help you use “food as medicine” to reduce inflammation and feel great!
Savory Living can help you feel great and stay strong with our unique anti-inflammatory curriculum. In this proven 12 session online program you will learn how to apply healthy eating and healthy cooking skills to activate an anti-inflammatory diet that will work for you!
Learn how to eat right for you to reduce inflammation and get the food skills to turn it into a delicious lifestyle that you love!
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