10 Foods to Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation. In today’s increasingly health conscious world, it’s a word that’s dirtier than most four letter classics  — and with good reason. In the last few decades, it’s become evident that inflammation is at the root of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and some autoimmune diseases, as well as less severe, but still troublesome issues like skin issues and digestive problems.

The foods we eat have been shown to play a major role in both facilitating and fighting inflammation, and that’s what we’re going to focus on today: foods to reduce pesky, painful, and even dangerous inflammation. But first, we need to talk about the foods that can cause it.

Inflammatory Foods

Inflammatory foods are not only detrimental to your health, they’re detrimental to your hard-won fitness gains, wrecking your waistline and making it easier to pop a muffin-top instead of a six-pack.

Foods that put the ‘F’ in inflammation and fail are:

• Fried foods
• Red meat
• Soda (or any food with refined sugar)
• Refined Carbs (white bread)
• Margarine

Although the above mentioned may have taste on their side, we strongly encourage you to practice safe and irregular snacking when it comes to these less than ideal choices. You’ve been warned; you’re welcome.

10 Inflammation-Fighting Foods to Feast On

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a cheat sheet to help you eat better? Well, we got your back, check out our meal plan nutritional guide bundle to reduce inflammation by chowing down on these tasty but super healthy foods!

1. Berries: Bursting with flavor and antioxidants berries of any kind are anti-inflammatory, low in sugar and high in fiber.

2. Pineapples: Party like a pineapple with its bountiful supply of vitamin C and bromelain - an enzyme that helps with gut inflammation, digestion and improves immune function.

3. Avocados: Say hello to this superfood and its heart-loving monounsaturated fats and cancer-fighting carotenoids. All in this one tasty little anti-inflammatory fruit.

4. Tomatoes: Whip up some homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes and olive oil to maximize the effects of lycopene - a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties.

5. Mushrooms: Raw mushrooms are loaded with vitamins, including all the B’s, beta-glucan for a robust immune system and ergothioneine an antioxidant that reduces inflammation.

6. Broccoli: This cruciferous veggie has been proven to help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease with its anti-inflammatory antioxidants. So remember to eat your greens!

7. Turmeric: Turmeric has hit the health community running in recent years for its anti-inflammatory effects, thanks largely in part to curcumin. Mix turmeric with black pepper in your curry or salad dressing to see a reduction in inflammation associated with arthritis or other inflammatory diseases.

8. Dark Chocolate: Permission to eat chocolate, umm yes please sign us up; but there’s a catch, it’s gotta be 70% cocoa or higher to see any health benefits. Anything lower and you’ll notice the ingredient panel will begin with sugar, negating the healthful benefits of this delightful treat. Cocoa contains flavanols, a type of antioxidant responsible for helping to maintain artery health and reduce the risk of disease.

9. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): This healthy monounsaturated fat is an advocate for your best health, helping to keep diseases like brain cancer or heart disease away. EVOO’s resident antioxidant oleocanthal is such a powerful anti-inflammatory that its effectiveness is compared to ibuprofen. Like cocoa, stay clear of plain ole refined olive oil and buy the extra virgin olive oil to reap the benefits.

10. Fatty Fish: Make a meal out of a fatty fish like salmon, sardines or mackerel to help prevent diseases like heart or kidney. Rich in EPA and DHA, fatty fish’s long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are what give these fish the advantage over disease.