Inflammation – hard to calculate, but possible to limit and diminish. Inflammation can accompany more serious health concerns the likes of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer or Alzheimers. Our diet plays a major role in contributing towards increasing or decreasing the amount of inflammation going on inside of us.
Pro-inflammatory foods might include: bacon, white bread, buns, rolls, bagels, butter, candy, some cereals, chips, fried food, fruit juices, ice cream and whole dairy, soda, etc. *unless 100% whole grain and high fiber.
Anti-inflammatory foods include: Acai, amaranth, anchovies, arugula, artichokes, asparagus, avocado, bananas, beans, bean sprouts, beets, berries, cauliflower, celery, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, non-fat dairy, eggplant, endive, grapes, grapefruit, herring, honeydew, kale, lemons, lentils, mackerel, mango, millet, mushroom, mustard greens, nectarines, nuts – raw, okra, olive oil, onions, oranges, papaya, parsnips, pears, peas, peaches, peppers, persimmons, pineapple, pomegranate, plums, poultry (no skin), prunes, pumpkin, quinoa, rhubarb, rutabaga, salmon, sardines, scallions, seeds, spices, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, trout, tuna, turnips, water chestnuts, watermelon, wild game and yams. It’s easy to remember ant-inflammatory foods if you think by way of simple, clean or all-natural eating – evidenced in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and spices; the antithesis being that processed foods are generally inflammation inducers.
To combat inflammation, many people turn to non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs, which suppress the symptoms, but which are not always effective in eliminating the cause. Ultimately, to reduce and eliminate inflammation one must maintain a healthy lifestyle, one including proper nutrition. The healthy lifestyle pursuit is one that chiropractors encourage their patients to adopt, caring about the whole as well as the pieces that comprise each of us.