Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Inflammation is a very generalized term. Inflammation is typically an immune response mechanism. When the body notices that an area of the body needs some attention from the immune system, inflammatory substances are released in the area that draw attention to that area. This is what happens when you cut your skin for example.
Another primary cause of inflammation is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress emerges due to several factors. Some of the main contributors are poor diet, emotional stress, over-exercising or lack of exercise, chronic exposure to toxins/mold, underlying unaddressed infections, etc.
So what can we start doing about MANAGING the inflammation?! How do we turn that chronic inflammation producer off?
Food can be one of our greatest anti-inflammatory tools, or one of our biggest drivers of inflammation. That is why I also work to ‘clean up’ the diet first as it is also one of our biggest inputs daily. There are certain foods that can be more anti-inflammatory and some that can be more inflammatory. This helps you breakdown what to include more of, and what to remove for a bit:
What to Include MORE of:
🍳Lean Proteins
Ground Turkey, Salmon, Fish/Seafood of all kinds, Chicken breast, Eggs
🥑Healthy Fats
Avocado, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Nuts/Seeds, Nut butters
🥕Best RAW Veggies to include:
Carrots, celery, cucumbers, spinach, bok choy, bell peppers, romaine, cilantro, parsley, radishes, snap peas, and beets.
🥦 Best Veggies to COOK due to their raw outer cellulose layer (BONUS: steam or marinate with lemon/apple cider vinegar):
Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, onions, cabbage, watercress, Brussel sprouts, and asparagus.