Eating well can be extremely expen$ive, but its vital for healthy vitals!
But when you are living with autoimmune disease and other inflammatory conditions limiting (avoiding all together for many) pro-inflammatory foods and consuming anti-inflammatory foods is vital for good vitals!
Get in the habit of smart shopping for foods to help control internal inflammation. Strictly following an anti-inflammatory diet will improve your overall health and by being a little adventurous, you can introduce foods into your diet and regular grocery runs that can help combat inflammation if you slip up here and there.
Say no to these foods:
The painfully obvious no-no’s:
- Red Meats, lunch meats, hot dogs, sausage, high fat meats
- Junk foods, fast food, deep fried foods, highly processed foods
- Gluten (quinoa and buckwheat are great alternative)
- Sugar- white sugar, pastries, soft drinks, candy, anything pre-sweetened really
- The truth is that sweeteners like Splenda and Agave really aren’t much better. They still slow the body’s white blood cell activity so just say no to sugar
The less obvious and somewhat surprising no-no’s:
- Dairy, eggs, cheeses. Yeah, frozen yogurts, ice cream and butter do count
- Potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant
- Peanuts (Make the switch to organic nut butters like almond or cashew butter for nice punch of protein.)
- Alcohol, duh. Drink in moderation if you must… everyone NEEDS a glass of wine every now and then.
Say Yes to these foods:
- Omega 3 fatty acids, cold water fish
- Green leafy vegetables, bok choy, broccoli, celery
- Red onions and beets
- Legumes, seeds (chia seeds and flax seeds) and whole grains
- Whole fresh fruit and berries (they are so rich in antioxidants- especially blueberries)
- Pineapple
- Coconut oil and bone broth
- Turmeric and ginger
Here are some immediate, super easy replacements to begin incorporating into your kitchen:
Changing your diet truly is a lifestyle change. It takes some trial and error and is a big undertaking, but you can fight inflammation naturally.
- Instead of vegetable oil, use olive oil or canola oil
- Instead of milk, try coconut or soy milk
- Instead of red meats, opt for lean poultry, fish or seafood
It may take a while to get the hang of it, but there are tons of resources out there and most grocery stores have organic sections now, so start exploring!
