What You Should—and Shouldn’t—Eat
We know that inflammation is at the heart of many conditions, including cardiovascular, autoimmune and neurological diseases, and even cancer. There are varied reasons people develop inflammatory conditions, but research has shown that poor diet can literally feed disease. Highly refined foods are pro-inflammatory—they can change the balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome and turn on inflammatory genes in your cells, producing simmering levels of chronic inflammation that damage the body over time. You can experience the effects of these foods even in the short term. Think about when you’re traveling and aren’t able to maintain your healthy at-home diet—it doesn’t take long for you to feel off.
Conversely, it doesn’t take long to feel the positive impact of eating anti-inflammatory foods. Example: We know that for some people, the achiness and stiffness from a condition like arthritis may be lessened when they eat whole rather than highly processed foods.
There’s no one anti-inflammatory diet. Rather, it’s a shift in balance—far fewer pro-inflammatory foods and far more anti-inflammatory foods. Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, an expert on plant-based nutrition and sustainability, explains how to get started…
The Western diet in general is considered pro-inflammatory because it includes all the foods mentioned in this article, often at every meal. Every time you eat meals rich in these foods, you miss an opportunity to eat anti-inflammatory foods.
Highly processed and ultra-processed foods. These typically are high-carbohydrate foods made with refined flour and sugar, such as commercially prepared and packaged baked goods, including cookies, cakes and other dessert foods, candy, and sugary soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks. Surprising: This category includes many gluten-free products, which might not cause damage to your body from gluten if you have celiac disease but could increase inflammation due to other ingredients, such as refined, low-fiber and low-nutrient wheat substitutes.
Refined grains. Think of all the “white” foods—pasta, white rice and white bread. They are highly glycemic because they’re rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a spike in blood sugar—a hallmark of inflammatory foods. Consistently elevated blood glucose levels are linked with insulin resistance and inflammation.
Processed meat. That charcuterie plate has been linked with higher inflammation. Bacon, sausage, salami and other smoked meats fall into this group.
Red meat and animal fats. Foods high in saturated fat are associated with higher levels of inflammation and high blood cholesterol levels. These foods include butter and most of the cheeses on the dairy side of that charcuterie plate.
Palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil. These are plant-based oils, but they all are high in saturated fat. Unfortunately, the packaged-food industry has widely replaced now-banned trans-fat (or partially hydrogenated oils) with these choices because they have functionality in baked goods. Coconut oil has been considered healthy for home cooking, but that’s a myth—it’s pro-inflammatory. Use it only in moderation.
The following foods form the core of the Mediterranean diet, the most researched and recommended of all the healthful diets, but many other traditional eating patterns can be good for you as well. Look within the roots of your own culture—it’s only after industrialization that people began to move away from their traditional diets to the unhealthy Western one. You might consider the Nordic diet, which focuses on locally grown fruits and vegetables, fish and canola oil (it’s not a region that produces olives)…or the Japanese diet, which emphasizes fish and soybean-derived foods, seasonal vegetables and low-fat cooking methods.
Whole grains. Grains in their natural form are great because the fiber that they retain is anti-inflammatory. Fiber feeds your gut microbiome, prompting the creation of anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids. Whether bulgur, barley, buckwheat, wheat berries, sorghum, rye berries, quinoa, farro, amaranth or teff, cook up a large batch that you can enjoy over the course of a few days, from a hot or cold breakfast to a hearty side dish. Many whole grains also can be bought in flour form. Bonus: Many ancient grains, such as sorghum, teff, millet and quinoa, are naturally gluten-free.
Whole fruits and vegetables. Eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables over the course of each week. Each vegetable and fruit has its own phytochemicals that act as anti-inflammatory compounds, so you want a broad assortment of them.
Plant-based proteins. These include pulses (legumes, lentils, chickpeas, dried peas), soy foods, nuts (almonds, walnuts) and seeds (hemp, chia, flax). They all offer important types of fiber, and many nuts and seeds also have anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish. Make fatty fish your animal protein of choice for its omega-3s. Skinless chicken and turkey are neither pro- nor anti-inflammatory so you can eat them a few times a week.
Extra-virgin olive oil. This healthy, primarily monounsaturated fat is loaded with polyphenols, plant nutrients that are particularly anti-inflammatory. Many studies have shown that just a tablespoon a day can cut risk for heart disease, cancer and dementia.
Take stock of your diet, and see where the gaps are. The more you cook at home, the healthier your meals can be. Here’s how to shop smarter and make it easier to choose to eat anti-inflammatory foods.
Set aside time each weekend for meal planning. You don’t have to come up with elaborate menus—just take a look at your fridge and pantry, and make a shopping list that emphasizes anti-inflammatory foods. Supplement shelf staples such as whole-grain pasta, canned beans and brown rice with seasonal fresh produce so you will have many choices. Double the quantities in anti-inflammatory diet recipes to get twice the meals every time you cook.
Add fruits and vegetables to every meal. Only 9% of Americans meet their vegetable needs…and only 12% for fruit. This move alone will bring a huge nutrient boost.
Make one change at every meal. If you want a burger, skip the bun or replace the fries with a sweet potato or a salad. Replace sweet drinks with unsweetened plain tea and coffee or water. If you’re running late and have no choice but to eat a fast-food breakfast sandwich, blunt your body’s inflammatory response by eating it with a side of fresh fruit, preferably berries.
Keep track of your daily saturated fat intake. For the average person, about 20 grams of saturated fat is the daily limit. Read labels whenever you buy packaged foods—even those marked “whole grain”—to make better choices that prioritize mono- or polyunsaturated fats. And keep a running list of saturated fat grams as you eat them so you can stay within the limit.
Research the best options for premade food. Check out nearby supermarkets and even convenience stores to find those that offer freshly prepared and healthy foods when you need them, like a quinoa salad instead of mac and cheese.
You’ll reap the benefits of these changes within a matter of weeks. Your levels of blood cholesterol, blood glucose and C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation in the body, all may improve with diet changes.
