Is the anti inflammatory diet the secret to a long + healthy life?

Did you know that three out of every five deaths worldwide today are caused by chronic inflammatory diseases? Yes, that’s right. It’s a scary statistic and it’s even more frightening when you realise that these diseases and deaths are completely preventable.

The major degenerative ailments involving chronic inflammation are heart disorders, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity and respiratory diseases. The current situation is so bad that The World Health Organization considers these diseases the greatest threat to human health.

Of course, humans aren’t meant to live forever, but ending your days with one of these conditions can be not only painful but expensive too. More importantly, they tend to involve extended periods of poor life quality that impacts not just those with the disease but loved ones too.

Top 5 natural anti inflammatory strategies

Reducing inflammation is critical if you want to maintain good health, well into your old age and prevent the onset of chronic inflammatory diseases. The best way to do this naturally is to adopt diet and lifestyle changes that can positively bring down inflammation in your body.

There are 5 things you can start doing right now to help drive down inflammation and improve your overall health. These are:

1. Eat a healthy diet. A diet that includes plenty of anti inflammatory foods and that excludes highly processed ones will absolutely restore balance and help reduce your inflammation. In most cases you’ll start to see the results very quickly.
2. Lose weight. Obesity is a major cause of inflammation in the body, so if you are overweight then it’s advised to bring your weight back into the healthy range to fight inflammation.
3. Increase your physical activity. Scientific studies clearly show the benefits of exercise in lowering inflammatory molecules in the body.
4. Improve your sleep. Poor sleep patterns relating to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep or frequent wake ups during the night can all impact inflammation. For sleep advice, check out our sleep tips to beat insomnia.
5. Reduce your stress. Yep, easier said than done but the reality is that if you’re under extreme pressure then the stress hormones circulating in your body are causing inflammation. In turn, those hormones will thwart any efforts you make to lose weight or improve your sleep! Get more info on combating stress here or tips on meditation here.

What to eat on an anti inflammatory diet plan

If you’re after a natural anti inflammatory, don’t visit the pharmacy, hit the supermarket instead! That’s because natural, healthy wholefoods contain many potent compounds that reduce inflammation in the body.

The key foods to include in your anti inflammatory diet are vegetables and fruits – the more colourful the better as these contain powerful antioxidants; seafood + fish – rich source of anti inflammatory omega 3’s; nuts, seeds+ olive oil – for the healthy fats; herbs + spices – full of potent antioxidants; coffee, green tea + dark chocolate – enjoy in moderation for their polyphenol and flavanol content.

What NOT to eat

To reduce inflammation in your body, you’ll need to say goodbye to the pro-inflammatory foods that otherwise will undo all your good work. These include processed foods or fast foods – these are foods that have been modified from their original state and the more highly processed, the worse they are for your health. That’s because most of them contain unnatural additives, preservatives, trans fats, sugar and refined carbs which should also be eliminated from your anti inflammatory foods menu. Also avoid processed meats (such as ham, salami and bacon) and go easy on the alcohol (a small serving occasionally is fine but higher amounts will cause inflammation).

Inflammation and weight gain

Did you know that if you're suffering from inflammation, it's more likely that your body will stubornly hold onto weight, regardless of how well you eat and how much exercise you do? This situation is all too familiar as you age and as your hormone levels change. Declining oestrogen (women) and testosterone (men) is likely to naturally drive up inflammation and cause your body to hold onto fat, particularly around your middle. The key to losing weight is to get your inflammation down and you can do this by specifically eating a diet rich in anti inflammatory foods.

Our tips for reducing inflammation to assist weight loss are to eat a diet:

• Of all natural foods. Avoid processed foods that contain artificial colours, flavours, additives and preservatives (as these ingredients are pro-inflammatory).
• Full of healthy wholefoods packed with nutrients to fuel your body and help push down inflammation.
• High in anti inflammatory foods, such as colourful vegetables, seafood, herbs, spices and healthy fats.
• That is calorie restricted, with smaller portion sizes to encourage weight loss.
• With plenty of protein to supress hunger.
• High in fibre to build a healthy gut microbiome that helps lower inflammation.
• That includes intermittent fasting, as fasting can reduce inflammation. It also promotes fat burning, improved blood sugars and cholesterol.

In addition, make sure you incorporate exercise, reduce your stress and assess your toxin exposure – all these aspects will help accelerate your weight loss results and reduce your inflammation faster.

When you reduce your inflammation, your overall health will pick up and you should notice improvements in any inflammatory symptoms. Look for signs of increased energy, improved radiance of skin, more positive mood and outlook, reduced body pain, more settled stomach and overall feelings of wellbeing. You’ll also be helping to reduce your risk of acquiring debilitating inflammatory conditions in the future.

A solution for the over 40's

If you're over 40 and following the above principles sounds too hard, Dietlicious has an easy solution!

With all the buzz around anti inflammatory foods, we have designed a new Fit + Fab After 40 plan that boasts a menu full of foods that will reduce inflammation, balance hormones and help you lose weight at the same time. You’ll love the convenience of having your entire week’s food home delivered. You can stay on track with your diet and free up time to spend on other things. It couldn’t be easier!

Check out the Fit + Fab After 40 Plan here