"Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food." --Hippocrates, The Father of Medicine

Anti-inflammation Nutrition

The “Good” List (Eat these foods.)

Lean meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, healthy fats, & a high quality Omega 3 fatty acid supplement.

Lean Meats
Great sources of lean animal protein include: lean cuts of poultry, fish (wild-caught fish that have both fins and scales have the least amount of contamination), and lean cuts of beef (red meat is inflammatory, but lean, all natural and grass fed is the best in smaller portions).


Veggies
Fresh, frozen, raw, cooked. Eat more veggies. Raw is better, so including a salad with lunch & dinner is a great way to incorporate more veggies in your diet. I like to make up a big salad for the week so it’s already prepared & easy to take along to the office. Another great tip is to use baby spinach instead of lettuce. It tastes great & is far superior in nutritional value.


Fruits
Apples make great easy-to-take-along snacks. I like to eat them with almond butter. It is better to eat fruit alone, i.e. in the early morning or as a snack. Frozen fruits are really convenient b/c they are already washed & often retain more nutrients than fresh fruits. I recommend organic.


Fats & Oils
Ω3 fatty acids are very powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Be sure to choose one that is pharmaceutical grade. Olive oil is another very healthy fat source that tastes great on salads.


A Better Food Guide

Notice the absence of grains
(even “whole” ones), pasta, rice, legumes, SUGAR.









The “Bad” List (Foods to Avoid)


Anything processed, sugar, fatty meats, legumes, inflammatory fruits & veggies.

Processed foods include basically anything that comes in a package and has ingredients you cannot pronounce. Also any type of bread, pasta, rice is processed.

Fatty meats: pretty self-explanatory, but esp. large amounts of red meat should be avoided when combating acute or chronic inflammation.

Keep fruit consumption to a minimum as it contains high levels of sugar.

The nightshade family of veggies (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers) may also contribute to inflammation esp. in those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Legumes & grains contain lectins which are highly inflammatory & should be avoided.


7 Benefits of Ω3 EFAs

1. Freedom from pain & inflammation.
2. Better brain function & higher intelligence.
3. Feeling better with much less depression.
4. Lower incidence of childhood disorders. (ADD/ADHD, dyslexiadyspraxia, OCD)
5. Superior Cardio-vascular health.
6. Protection from heart attack and stroke.
7. Reduction of breast, colon, and prostate cancers.