Inflammation is hot in the research world right now with respect to its role in chronic pain, depression, headaches, dementia, heart disease, diabetes, endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as just taking anti-inflammatory medications (they can wreak havoc on your stomach by the way!) - we've got to think further, or simpler, than that. Diet can change inflammatory patterns in the body - from C-reactive protein, to interluken-6 and tumor necrosis factor alfa - we can see blood changes depending on our diet and the inflammation levels in our bodies. Here are some things we can do to reduce the inflammation in our diet and in our bodies: 1. eat a lower glycemic diet, i.e. control your blood sugar levels using whole grains 2. eat more monounsaturated fats vs saturated fats, i.e. nut and plant based oils are helpful as compared to animal fats 3. eat lots of fruits & vegetables 4. eat fish regularly or supplement with a clean fish oil 5. work toward achieving a healthy weight 6. eat probiotic or fermented foods (I'm doing a make at home kombucha experiment right now!) 7. cook with spices such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, and cinnamon
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