I’m not saying that we should rejoice over being inflamed, but simply that inflammation is not the enemy- but the indicator that something is wrong in the body.

When infection, toxins, parasites or viruses enter into our bodies, our bodies try to fight them off and thus become inflamed.  Even if the body gets rid of the invader, it keeps a higher level of inflammation as a general rule ‘just in case’.

In addition to this perpetual collecting of inflammation, the standard American diet is full of things like coffee, chocolate, dairy, sugar, potatoes, corn, peanuts, and wheat, all of which are difficult for the body to digest and create even more inflammation!

So, here’s a short list of foods and helpful hints to help stave off some of that extra inflammation hanging around… Really, the more your diet is based on these foods, the better off you’ll be!

1. Drink water!  Lots of it.  Be consistently hydrated.  This is foremost in all of the reports and books on reducing inflammation.
2. Increase your Omega 3 rich foods: walnuts, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds as well as vegetables in general.
3. One of the reasons inflammation occurs is from a rapid rise in blood sugar, which causes biochemical changes in the cell.  Good (complex) carbohydrates, which are low on the glycemic index and therefore don’t spike your blood sugar include: apples, apsaragus, beans, broccoli, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, green beans, honeydew melon, kiwi, leafy greens, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, spinach, strawberries.
4. Eat lots of foods high in anti-oxidants such as most forms of berries, raw cacao (chocolate) and leafy green vegetables. Many herbs and foods such as turmeric, oregano, garlic, green tea, blueberries, and ginger contain bioflavonoids and polyphenols that limit free radical production.