Foods Fight Inflammation

Chronic Inflammation 

Many people suffer from chronic inflammation, a condition where the body’s immune system doesn’t shut off for some reason and begins to burn out of control, like a fire that can’t be extinguished easily. Chronic inflammation can impede a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living as well as participate in recreational/fitness activities.  

Chronic inflammation occurs when the immune cells can’t find an injury or illness to repair so they attack healthy cells resulting in damage to tissues and organs. This damage has been linked to a number of diseases and disorders, including asthma, ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, allergies, some types of cancer, and even Alzheimer’s.

Control Inflammation with Nutrition

There are ways to nutritionally work to control inflammation. One way is to include healthful fats, such as olives and avocados and their oils into your diet. Cooking with olive oil and avocado oil is a good way to help control inflammation on a daily basis. 

Another way to use food to control inflammation is to snack on raw nuts and seeds (if you diet allows you to eat nuts). Nuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease, lower LDL cholesterol, and help control inflammation. Six of the best nuts to eat for these health benefits include: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, and hazelnuts.You can follow the 1-2-3 Rule for almonds to figure out a serving: 23 almonds is 100 calories. A general serving size rule rule for nuts is a serving is a fist full. 

One way I combine the healthy fats with raw nuts and seeds is in a salad. I top my salad with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits and make a dressing using balsamic and avocado or olive oil.  This salad is made from organic greens from my garden.

Disclaimer: “Portions of this post were provided by New Hope Network. I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people.”  Source: Silent Fire: How to Extinguish Chronic Inflammation by Lisa Truesdale