Most Americans eat the Standard American Diet (SAD). Unfortunately this diet is full of packaged foods, fast foods, and denatured foods. What does that mean? This means that while the food is tasty and plentiful, it may not have enough nutrition to keep you healthy, and it may be contributing to the disease process. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21139124/
Inflammation is the body’s way of protecting itself. When you come into contact with a pathogen, the body will mount an immune response which includes inflammation: fever, swelling, rash, pus, pain and heat. This discomfort will alert you to the fact that you have hurt yourself, or that you are sick. This is a good thing. However, when inflammation is unchecked and becomes chronic, things happen at the cellular level.
- Cholesterol starts to rise, especially the LDL
- Weight gain, especially around the belly
- Unexpected ‘allergic’ reactions
- Blood work starts to shift in a negative way.
The most inflammatory foods are:
- Saturated fats (fats that are solid at room temperature)
- Sugar
- High fructose corn syrup
- Refined Grains
- Hydrogenated Oils
- Trans-fats (packaged and fast foods)
Good anti-inflammatory foods:
- Fiber—40 g per day
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Antioxidants—
- Folic acid,
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Selenium
- Vitamin E
- Omega 3 foods—clean, wild caught, organic
- Vegetables and Fruits which are organic and consumed with little or no processing.
Change your diet; change your health!
Until next time,
Dr. Polly
