Say Goodbye to Inflammation!

As I was figuring out what foods I could and couldn't eat I had a lot of inflammation in my gut. This is just what I learned about some common foods and inflammation.

Foods you should avoid when you have inflammation:

• Dairy causes inflammation, especially cheese and cow's milk. The casein in milk is an inflammatory protein and can trigger inflammation, stomach problems, skin rashes, hives, and even breathing difficulties.

• Processed Meats are inflammatory, especially foods like hot dogs, cold meat, sausage and bacon. Instead of processed meat have chicken, nuts, beans or legumes. Check out my Lentil Recipe! Lentils are an anti-inflammatory food, they keep your blood sugar stable and they are full of fibre and protein!

• Refined Sugars increase inflammation, overheating, redness and swelling.

• Fatty Red Meats like ground beef is high in saturated fat like.

• Alcohol makes the stomach produce more acid and causes irritation and inflammation in the stomach lining.

• Vegetable Oils like soy, sunflower, corn, safflower cause inflammation. Instead choose plant-based oils like Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil, Hemp oil or Walnut Oil.

• Artificial Food Additives like MSG (monosodium glutamate) and aspartame are commonly found in processed foods and should be avoided.

• Refined Carbohydrates are stripped of all nutrients and work against our bodies. Things like white bread and white rice have added sugar and refined white grains. Instead eat good carbohydrates like whole grains (quinoa, gluten-free oats, brown rice and wild rice), beans (legumes and Lima beans), fruits, vegetables, roots (turnips, rutabaga, beets).

• Tropical Fruits like bananas, oranges, mangoes, papayas and pineapple should be eaten in moderation.

• Trans Fats create inflammation. Make sure to read the packaging so that you can avoid hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (for example peanut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil). Margarine is high in trans fats, choose olive oil.

• Saturated Fats contain a high proportion of fatty acid molecules. Saturated Fats can be found in foods like whole milk, egg yolk, poultry skin, red meat, often in processed foods and baked goods.

• Refined grains like white bread, white pasta, pizza, and sugary cereal should be avoided. They quickly break down into sugar which causes inflammation.

• Fried Foods

TIP: Fresh fruit and vegetables are high in soluble fibre and will protect the gut from inflammation.

Please continue to follow your doctor's instructions! Everyone's bodies are different.