Inflammatory Foods

Inflammation can cause a slew of health related problems and eating a diet high in inflammatory foods can make matters worse. Here are some foods you should eat in moderation as they are known to cause inflammation:

Sugar- Excess sugar helps cause health issues like obesity, diabetes and inflammation, so be sure to have sweets and anything containing sugar in moderation.
Feed-lot raised, red and processed meat- Much of our meat comes from non-organic farms where the livestock eat more corn and soy than the animals would naturally. Too much of these ingredients can lead to inflammation so be sure to opt for grass fed and organic meat products. Red and processed meat have been linked to rectal and colon cancer. Eat red meat (lamb, beef, pork) and processed meat (ham, sausage, salami) in moderation.
Trans fats- Read the ingredients’ list on all your foods and look for any ingredients containing the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”. If you see these words in the ingredients, avoid eating this product.
Dairy products- Many people cannot digest lactose (found in milk and milk products) and ingestion can result in abdominal discomfort and inflammation among other things. If you are going to have milk products, try kefir or yogurt which have live probiotics which give you good bacteria and make your gut happy.
Alcohol- Women should not exceed 1 serving of alcohol per day and men should not have more than 2 servings. Regular drinking and overconsumption has been linked to inflammation in the esophagus, larynx, and liver.
Artificial foods- It has been found that artificial ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame can induce an inflammatory response. Stick to natural, whole foods and skip boxed or packaged foods to avoid eating artificial ingredients.
Refined grains- White breads, pastas, crackers, etc. are “refined” meaning they do not yield the fiber and vitamins that are in a whole grain. These grains readily turn into sugar in the body and can cause inflammation.