Giselle Bundchen, Tom Brady, Penelope Cruz and other celebrities are big fans of anti-inflammatory diets because it helps them stay fit and makes their skin look radiant. The types of food that you eat, all of the refined sugars, grains, and saturated fats can trigger an inflammatory immune response, which is why it’s so important to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.
Our everyday habits, like eating out all the time, eating fast-food or junk food is what causes inflammation linked to various diseases. The average American is not eating enough fruits and vegetables which are packed with antioxidants that help reduce inflammation.
What does inflammation do to your body?
Arteries–>causes chronic inflammation, which can lead to heart disease
Brain–>inflammation in the brain can lead to anxiety and depression
Joints–> causes swelling and pain
Gut–>inflammation throws off the balance of helpful bacteria and causes damage to the lining of the intestines
Skin–>inflammation causes redness, hives, and breakouts
All of this contributes to serious conditions and diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, food sensitivities, allergies, autoimmune diseases, obesity and even cancers.
What can you do to fight inflammation?
One of the things that we can learn from celebrities is the way they eat. Most of them are motivated to stay fit and healthy because their jobs require it and for the rest of us our motivation should be living the healthiest life you can to avoid deloping diseases caused by inflammation.
10 best foods to fight inflammation
- Berries
- Dark leafy greens
- Fatty fish
- Garlic and onions
- Green tea
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Nuts
- Oranges
- Cherries
There are many different types of anti-inflammatory diets and one of the best is the Mediterranean diet which consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and olive oil. The Nurses’ Health Study has found that people that follow a Mediterranean diet have lower levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in their blood compared to those who don’t.
If you don’t like dieting, the best thing you can do is simply add more of the good stuff to your plate. Aim for half or two-thirds of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, limit the sweet drinks including juices, instead drink green tea, eat more fatty fish like salmon, eat less flour and eat more grains like brown rice and quinoa, and lastly limit saturated fats and use more olive oil or coconut oil when cooking your meals. Making small changes can lead to a healthier you, but it may also help you lose weight and get clearer skin.