Just when you thought that you’ve gotten your body on track and are living a healthy lifestyle you start to notice that those last few pounds are impossibly hard to lose and you’re experiencing more unexplained aches or pains. Could the culprit be inflammation? Inflammation can cause anything as minor as swelling and as serious are arthritis and diabetes. So it might be time to assess your eating habits to see which foods could be causing your body to go into overdrive.
Curbing inflammation-inducing foods can improve your overall health and prevent chronic inflammation which is scary because it has been linked to serious diseases. Keep reading for a list of foods that cause inflammation and let’s start thinking about how you can reduce and even eliminate these culprits from your diet.
- Hydrogenated and trans fats found in margarine and shortenings – found in bakery items and fried foods.
- Sugar and processed sugars. Try replacing sweets with naturally sweet choices like dates, honey and fresh fruit.
- Alcohol as it is high in sugar and should be consumed in moderation.
- Synthetic sweeteners like Splenda, Nutrasweet, Aspartame and Saccharin.
- Dairy products. Packed with antibiotics, hormones and a host of additives; yogurt, ice cream, cheese and butter should be eaten sparingly.
- Meat and poultry are known for causing inflammation, while diets high in cold water fish and greens help to cleanse the body. No need to become a vegetarian, but try to limit your intake of meats and up your veggies consumption.
- Replace iodized salt with natural sea salt or unrefined salt with no additives.
- Wheat & gluten. Highly inflammatory and often genetically modified, wheat intake should be moderate and can be replaced with items like quinoa, almond flour and millet.
- Look for the “3 P’s” – processed, packaged and prepared. Foods like this include sugars, salts and other hidden ingredients known for causing inflammation.
When you think about it, understanding what you’re putting in your body is half the battle and you should always talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes. Have you tried eliminating any of these inflammatory foods from your diet? Did you experience positive results?
