inflammatory foods

InsuAlright, so whats the big deal about inflammatory foods? Even if you don't have an inflammatory bowel disease or difficulty with autoimmune diseases, this applies to you. And if you do have those, this REALLY applies to you.

Inflammation causes water retention, weight gain, joint pain, fatigue, thyroid problems, digestive problems, cardiac disease, cancers. It effects every system in your body.  So what foods cause inflammation? Great question. 

You can have an allergic response to foods. Most common allergies are dairy, gluten, peanuts/tree nuts, egg, shellfish and soy. If you need tested for allergies, talk to your primary care provider. A lot of times you can decide if you have some degree of allergy or sensitivity to a food by eliminating that food from your diet and seeing how you do. Any time you eat something you're allergic to there's a cascade reaction within your body that will present itself in various ways depending on the severity of your allergy or sensitivity and which body system is most affected.

A true food allergy is different than a sensitivity to a food. However, just because you're not allergic to a food doesn't mean that your body can digest it well. If you're consuming foods that you are sensitive to you are setting yourself up for a "leaky gut" which causes more toxins to enter your bloodstream. Those toxins stimulate your immune system and worsen any autoimmune or inflammatory process. 

Everyone's body has an inflammatory response when insulin is secreted. The more insulin, the more inflammation. Insulin is secreted to help your body use glucose for energy. You eat sugar, insulin is secreted to go grab that sugar and take it to your muscles and brain. Any leftover glucose is taken to your liver to be converted to fat. This is why when people start working with me as their health coach I immediately start their focus on eating more vegetables, clean protein and fibrous carbohydrates and simultaneously tell them to decrease how much refined sugar they consume. 

The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the better your body can fight the inflammation and oxidative stress caused by inflammation. Second, drink plenty of water. You should be drinking enough water that your pee is clear.  Third, make sure you're exercising. Next, prioritize sleep and stress management. If you're doing all these things well, you're well on your way to combating inflammation.