How to Follow an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

How to Follow an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Inflammation often gets a bad rap, and while inflammation itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's essential to know the reason why your body is becoming inflamed in the first place. Simply put, inflammation is your body's way of protecting itself. When a part of your body is introduced to a foreign object, bacteria or irritant, inflammation occurs as a response to your body trying to fight against the harmful irritant. It's important to note that inflammation doesn't just happen once an annoyance has begun causing harm to your system. Instead, your body becomes inflamed and sends out an alert the second that irritant (i.e. splinters, food-borne bacteria, polluted air, chemicals) enters it. Now, you may be wondering, "If inflammation is your body's way of protecting itself, what's the problem?" While a bit of inflammation is harmless, chronic inflammation can have damaging consequences long term. By adopting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and diet, you can reduce chronic inflammation and even prevent it from starting in the first place. The best part? You don't have to wait months to see results. Small daily changes to your diet can help clear up the inflammation you're experiencing seemingly overnight. This being said, if you find a diet or food that significantly helps reduce overall inflammation, it's essential to stick with it, as inflammation can come back just as quickly as it left. Ready to reduce your overall inflammation levels and begin an anti-inflammatory diet? Keep scrolling as our Bob's Red Mill food experts teach you how to adopt an anti-inflammatory lifestyle in the tastiest way possible.

Eat More Salads

Mediterranean Farro Salad When looking to reduce inflammation, leafy greens are where it's at. Though salads are often labeled as boring, they don't have to be! Keep a bag of leafy greens on hand to enjoy for lunch or as a side to a healthy dinner dish. Including greens like kale, spinach, arugula and lettuce in your daily meals is one of the most beneficial diet habits you can adopt. Overflowing with antioxidants and nutrients, leafy greens present several anti-inflammatory benefits that help reduce inflammation and prevent free radicals from wreaking havoc on your immune system. Recipe of Choice: Mediterranean Farro Salad

Eat Regularly

By indulging in smaller, more frequent meals and snacking often, you can help adequately fuel your body to keep it running as it should. When sifting through snack options, be sure to choose whole food combos rich in protein and fiber. Raw vegetables, apples and peanut butter, and hummus are all excellent snacking options that will work to keep your blood sugar at normal levels. Not only will this help keep your hunger at bay, but it can also contribute to more consistent moods and less irritability. Recipe of Choice: After School Oaty Snack Bars

Get an Adequate Amount of Sleep

Instead of watching that extra episode on Netflix, or scrolling on your phone before bed, try to get some rest. Sleep is an essential part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Not only does it give your mind a break, but it allows your body to rest and repair itself. When following an anti-inflammatory diet, 7-8 hours of sleep for adults is considered the sweet spot. Too little sleep can trigger inflammation and increase your risk of developing symptoms.

Keep Your Body Moving

To keep inflammation at bay, it's important that you exercise regularly. As soon as you begin exercising and moving your muscles, your body releases a protein called Interleukin 6. While you might not have heard of this protein before, it's a superstar when it comes to fighting inflammation. IL-6 has several anti-inflammatory effects, including lowering the levels of inflammation-causing factors in the body. This being said, don't panic if you missed your daily workout. While regular exercise is ideal, we understand that sometimes there's not enough time in the day for full-blown training. On days when you can't get to the gym, set aside a few minutes to be active. A quick walk on your lunch break, taking the stairs when you can, or taking your dog for a stroll around the neighborhood when you get home are all excellent ways to increase your daily amount of exercise.

Spice Things up in The Kitchen

Coconut Ginger Muffins When first starting an anti-inflammatory diet, many individuals believe that it's best to steer clear of spicy foods. While spicy foods might seem like they would aggravate inflammation, they do the opposite. Incorporating more spices like garlic, rosemary, cumin, ginger and cinnamon into your diet is a great way to boost your dish's flavor while decreasing overall inflammation. Recipe of Choice: Coconut Ginger Muffins

Skip the Alcohol

If you're struggling with chronic inflammation, then you're going to want to ditch the alcohol, at least until you get your digestive system back on track. Cutting out alcohol for a while can help the body calm down and reduce any existing inflammation that may be lurking around. Instead of a nightly glass of wine, reach for a green juice, water with lemon or get creative and whip up a delicious mocktail! Recipe of Choice: Orange Pineapple Protein Smoothie with Tumeric Powder

Drink More Green Tea

Carob Chia See Bubble Tea If you're a fan of coffee and drink more than a cup of it a day, it may be time to trade in that second cup for a glass of green tea instead. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits, and drinking it regularly can help keep you out of the danger zone. Sip on green tea for a midday boost of energy, or wind down with a decaffeinated variety before bed. Your body is sure to thank you! Recipe of Choice: Carob Chia See Bubble Tea

Choose Digestion-Friendly Foods

Gut health plays a vital role in how you feel overall. If your gut biome is off-balance, then you might want to begin researching more probiotic-rich foods to add to your diet. Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha and miso are naturally packed with probiotics that will keep your digestive health working at top-notch. Additionally, cutting out processed foods, especially those containing added sugars and trans fat, will support the pre-existing good bacteria, boosting your overall digestive health and reducing inflammation long term. Recipe of Choice: Frozen Protein Yogurt Bites

Get Checked for Food Allergies

Many individuals struggling with chronic inflammation have several food allergies that they may be unaware of. If you're experiencing high inflammation levels, we recommend speaking to a professional about getting tested for food allergies. While foods like dairy, gluten and nuts are not usually inflammatory, they can be if the individual has an allergy or intolerance to them. If you take a food allergy test and find out you're sensitive to specific ingredients, it's best to cut those foods out for a few weeks and examine how you feel. Most individuals notice a significant drop in inflammation and overall improved gut health. Recipe of Choice: Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes Fluffy gluten free pancakes with strawberries topping  

Take Time to De-Stress

While consuming healthy, whole foods is an excellent way to keep inflammation levels low; it's not the only thing you should be paying attention to. If your stress levels are regularly high and out of control, your gut health will likely follow. Reduce overall inflammation by learning how to manage and cope with stress factors when they appear in your life. Yoga, meditation, walking and taking time for yourself are all excellent ways to boost your mental and physical health at the same time.

Know What's in Your Food

When deciding on which recipe to make at the start of the week, choose those that use mainly whole food ingredients. Additives, preservatives, chemicals and other ingredients commonly added to processed foods can increase inflammation levels, leaving your stomach and your wallet regretting the purchase. This is especially so if your gut flora is already off-balance. When you purchase pre-made convenient food, take a glance at the ingredient list before buying and choose those as minimally processed as possible. Purchase of Choice: Bob's Bars Remember, while a little bit of inflammation is your bodys way of protecting itself, chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on your system and result in unwanted symptoms. By reading this article, we hope you've learned beneficial tips on controlling and reversing chronic inflammation and how to follow an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. As with every diet, it's vital that you reach out to a health expert before beginning. If you're experiencing health issues, please meet with your health provider to discuss the lifestyle changes you should make that meet your unique anti-inflammatory needs. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we wish you the best on your anti-inflammatory journey! Have an anti-inflammatory tip you'd like to share? We'd love to hear more about it. Share how you battle inflammation in the comments below!
Bob's Red Mill
May 03 2021

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