Most people are inflamed most of the time. They have become so accustomed to it, that they have forgotten what it feels like to be “normal” or the way their body should look and feel if it were healthy.
Inflammation wreaks havoc on the body. It can even be the catalyst for or cause of:
- Weight loss plateaus
- Joint pain
- Heart attacks
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinson’s
- Autoimmune conditions
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- IBS, leaky gut, and other digestive issues
- MS
- Reduced brain volume
- Autism
- Tendonitis
- General discomfort
- Gas and/or Bloating
- and more
Once someone has beat their inflammation cycle, they report that it’s like having a new lease on life. Their energy skyrockets and stays consistent. Brain fog goes away. Most types of pain disappear. Sickness is rare and even chronic disease and major illness vanish forever.
Eating the right foods is the first and most important step. This step should be a lifetime commitment too because falling off the wagon and eating inflammatory foods again will put them right back in that horrible condition.
I mention this specifically because many people start the anti-inflammation lifestyle and of course, start to feel better. Then, as they move further away from the pain that got them started down that path, they don’t see the need anymore, so they (consciously and subconsciously) let those old habits and foods creep back in.
The worst culprits that cause inflammation are:
- Trans fats (most commonly found in man-made fats and processed vegetable and seed oils).
- Sugars (in its many forms)
- Excess omega 6 fats
- Starchy foods (especially refined carbohydrates)
- Most processed foods (usually found in a bag or box)
- Processed meats and traditionally-raised animals and animal products
- High fructose corn syrup
- Excessive alcohol
- Genetically modified foods
- Non-organic foods (animal and vegetable) due to high levels of fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, etc.
Obviously, the solution is to avoid the foods above like the plague and replace them with the low-inflammatory foods below.
Strive to find organic sources whenever possible, but there are plenty of organic foods that are highly inflammatory, so be sure to research it for yourself. There are several apps that can help you determine the inflammatory factor of different foods. The list below should give you a good start though and if you only ate from this list for a while, you would rapidly and drastically reduce your inflammation. And if weight loss is your goal, this list would be the fastest way to achieve that goal as well.
Plus, eating only from this list is really all your body would need to thrive and become optimally healthy anyway! It really is that simple.
The top foods that reduce inflammation are:
- Fermented vegetables (i.e. sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.), nourish certain gut flora that manufacture special anti-inflammation compounds.
- Green vegetables – because of their powerful antioxidants and flavonoids.
- Sardines (or Alaskan salmon if you aren’t the sardine type) because of the high omega-3 content, which is the best anti-inflammatory fat.
- Apple Cider Vinegar (for a great recipe, click here to see the BAIT video).
- Grass-fed meat and wild game meat – because of their high omega-3 content and CLA fat, which are the top two anti-inflammatory fats.
- Avocados – because of their unique type of fat and low fructose levels.
- Bone broth – because of its easily absorbable minerals, chondroitin, and glucosamine.
- Coconut oil – because of its specific type of fat and antioxidants. This is why PJs fitness chocolate is an anti-inflammatory food as well as a potent fat burner!
- Prebiotic foods -mainly high fiber veggies and resistant starches like cassava flour as one example.
- Certain spices and seasonings, such as turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, and ginger – because of their ability to break down toxins and boost the immune system, as well as their ability to nourish specific gut bacteria that release anti-inflammation compounds.
