Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay
By Elizabeth Meyer, RD, LRD
I woke up this morning and couldn’t move my neck. Can’t turn my head. This is a problem. While trying to figure out what I did to deserve this (Wrong pillow? Just being 38?) I’m trying to figure out how to fix it. It has me wondering what is so mad in my body. And really. How can I fix it? Now.
This led me to a rabbit hole down the internet. Now we’re going to learn about inflammation and diet. You’re welcome everyone!!
But here’s the thing, if you deal with (or have a family history or, family member dealing with) heart disease, cancer, diabetes (raising my hand over here), arthritis, depression, or Alzheimer’s, you might want to hear me out. These conditions go along with chronic inflammation. This doesn’t help my neck, but likely something I should pay attention to since I already have diabetes and the thought of Alzheimer’s is scary.
Studies have shown that food is the best way to fight inflammation.
No one wants to deal with any of the diseases listed above; we want to be healthy. We don’t want to deal with anything that is a hassle, really. If we can help prevent these things with food, why wouldn’t we? It seems so easy, until you’re craving something that may not fall into the MyPlate model. Foods that cause inflammation are some of the same foods that put us at risk for diabetes and heart disease which is a bit of a double whammy.
Extra sugar. Not good for us. Pop and candy aren’t necessary for a healthy diet. Are they yummy treats to have on occasion? HECK YES. Do I eat candy? Yes. I do prefer diet pop over regular, but I’ll never try to tell you I’m getting health benefits from it. I still drink plenty of water.
Fried foods. These, too, increase our risk for inflammation. You won’t find fried foods on any list of foods with health benefits. So again, these are “sometimes foods.”
There are more reasons than inflammation to avoid eating these foods too frequently. Weight gain, high blood pressure, we all know the list goes on. The point is, when you eat good foods your body needs, you feel better. You just do. You might not even notice you weren’t feeling good until you make some of these changes.
Foods to include to fight inflammation (and diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancers, and all the other negative health issues) shouldn’t surprise you. It’s heavy on fruits and veggies, especially the green leafy veggies, tomatoes, and berries. Toss in some healthy fats whether from oils and nuts or fatty fish. Oddly, or not so oddly, it mirrors the Mediterranean Diet; a very old and very well studied diet that benefits us. The great thing about the diet is that you are just rearranging what you’re already eating. Start with more fruits, veggies and whole grains. Meat is a yes on this, just smaller portions than what we’re used to (or what we want). Include healthy fats; think olive oil, canola oil, adding some nuts to your snack mix or your salad. And yes, we’re including alcohol in moderation! Don’t worry if that’s not your thing, you don’t need it to follow the diet, just add some dark blue/purple fruits and veggies for those extra antioxidants.
Almost anyone can benefit from this style of eating. And though it won’t help my current neck situation, its worth paying attention to for long term health. Its hard to know what’s going on inside our bodies, so eating the right foods is a good place to reassure you’re taking the right steps to take care of yourself and those around you!
Elizabeth Meyer is a licensed registered dietitian. Her posts appear monthly on OYT.
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