Have you been exercising regularly, yet you are having trouble losing that muffin top or tire around the waist? You’ve cut calories, stopped eating after 8 pm and still nothing. Before I studied nutrition, I was dealing with so many health problems my head was spinning.
Now, this is something you might not know about me, but I love to research – especially ingredients in products and foods. What I didn’t know then was the food that I was eating day in and day out was the biggest culprit when it came to my health issues. I discovered my body was incapable of shedding weight because of the many inflammatory foods that cause chronic inflammation.
What is Chronic Inflammation?
Inflammation refers to your body’s process of fighting against things that harm it, such as infections, injuries, and toxins, in an attempt to heal itself. When the body detects an “invader” in the body, it responds with inflammation to protect itself. When we consume certain types of food, you guessed it, our body thinks it’s an invader and goes into attack mode and sends inflammation to the rescue constantly. Even while our body’s system is functioning properly – the result of chronic inflammation can eventually start to damage the cells, tissues, and organs.
Where to Start
Enough of the doom and gloom, there is something we can do to reverse this chronic inflammation! And we start with food. I’m not saying you have to live without these foods forever, but definitely avoid consuming them on a regular daily basis.
This is not a full list, but here are the main culprits of inflammation :
- high fructose corn syrup
- processed meats
- sugary drinks
- trans fats, found in fried foods
- white bread
- white pasta
- gluten
- soybean oil and vegetable oil
- processed snack foods, such as chips and crackers
- desserts, such as cookies, candy, and ice cream
- excess alcohol
This might seem pretty restrictive, but I found what worked better is if I found healthier options to swap rather than completely exclude them from my diet. So, for example, rather than a sandwich (with gluten), swap out the bread for gluten-free bread or even better yet, wrap a sandwich in a large collard leaf.
As a little bonus, I came up with a few foods that you should consume for their anti-inflammatory properties:
- dark leafy greens
- blueberries, blackberries, and cherries
- dark red grapes
- nutrition-dense vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower
- beans and lentils
- green tea
- red wine, in moderation
- avocado and coconut
- olives
- extra virgin olive oil
- walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, and almonds
- cold water fish, including salmon and sardines
- turmeric and cinnamon
- dark chocolate
- spices and herbs
Turkey Wraps
Serves 2
4 romaine OR collard green leaves
1-2 slices of nitrate-free organic turkey
1 apple sliced
1 avocado sliced
1 cup sprouts
sea salt and black pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon
Place your romaine or collard leaves flat onto a plate. Divide the remaining ingredients between the leaves. Top with a squeeze of lemon and garnish with grated carrot.
To Your Health,
Patti
