INFLAMMATION

Posted on by winderlks

My first question for me personally was , is there a correlation between inflammation and swelling? When I walk for a long period of time, my hands swell. (even faster if the weather is hot) This is a temporary swelling that I’m sure has more to do with my hands hanging down for a long period of time. There is no pain involved and it goes away quickly. This kind of swelling can be caused by changes in Blood Flow or temperature. If pain is involved, then there are many other causes for the swelling that you need to talk to your Dr. about. Inflammation: a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful. This is what I want to address in the blog today and just throw out a few thoughts you may not be aware of. Food can and does affect inflammation and you may have to ask yourself, do I live with inflammation and the pain that goes with it, or do I make some nutritional changes? Only YOU can answer that question…

FOODS THAT INCREASE INFLAMMATION….

  1. fast foods

2) processed foods like frozen meals, bacon, beef jerky, canned meats, salami, hot dogs, smoked meats

3) Fried foods….French fries, doughnuts, fried chicken, mozzarella sticks, egg rolls, potato chips and pretzels.

4) Sugared beverages.. soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, sports drinks

5) Margarine, shortening, and oils other than extra virgin olive oil

6) white breads, pasta, white rice, crackers, flour tortillas, biscuits.

BEST ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

  1. Orange and Yellow fruits and veggies
  2. Berries.. strawberries, blueberries ,raspberries, blackberries
  3. Fatty fish…Salmon.. sardines,. herring, mackerel, anchovies
  4. Broccoli and other cruciferous veggies, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and Kale
  5. Avocado
  6. Green tea
  7. Peppers..Bell and chili peppers
  8. Mushrooms…lightly cook or eat raw
  9. Grapes
  10. Turmeric (can’t get enough in food, you need a supplement)
  11. Extra virgin olive oil
  12. Dark chocolate and cocoa 70% and higher
  13. tomatoes (cooking them in olive oil maximizes anti-inflammatory benefits)
  14. Cherries..both sweet and tart….2.5 cups per day

One little caveat to this list….. In one book I found tomatoes help and in another, they hinder. Because my one source was so clear on how to get the best benefits of an anti-inflammatory by way of cooking instructions, I tend to believe this. If you LOVE Tomatoes and suffer from inflammation, you might want to try taking them out of your diet for couple weeks and see if you feel any different. These are just ideas to consider and do not take the place of your Dr’s recommendations for you. Finding the right foods for you takes time and patience but over all is a healthy option.