Ollis Chiropractic - Louisville

You may have heard about an “anti-inflammatory” diet, or that foods that are anti-inflammatory are good to eat.  This is because low-grade, persistent, systemic inflammation at the cellular level has been recently understood to be the underlying common denominator between many chronic disease processes that are common in western civilization.  The general idea is that if you can limit the amount of systemic inflammation that occurs in your body, you can better manage (and prevent) chronic disease, whether that be cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel disease, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer’s, etc.  Controlling systemic inflammation is accomplished by making the right lifestyle choices on a daily basis.

There are many ways we can fuel the flame of systemic inflammation in our bodies (poor sleep, stress, lack of exercise, cosmetics, etc.), but here we will just focus on diet.

Here are some top INFLAMMATORY foods to avoid:

• Many sugars (e.g. processed breads, pastas, candies, white sugar, white rice, high fructose corn syrup, etc.)

• Gluten-free products (though it may be a good alternative for someone momentarily, gluten-free products are often loaded with very carby rice ingredients)

• Soda and other sugar-containing beverages (e.g. coffee drinks, energy drinks, Gatorade, Poweraid, etc.)

• Coffee (more than 1 cup)

• Margarine

• Fried foods

• Fast food

• Processed meats

Here are some top ANTI-INFLAMMATORY foods to incorporate more of into your diet:

• Foods high in antioxidants (curcumin, turmeric, berries, green tea, herbal teas, walnuts, pecans, dark chocolate, green, leafy vegetables, etc.)

• Fruits (especially berries) in moderation

• A variety of different colored fruits and vegetables (“Eat the rainbow”)

• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, or mackerel, cod liver oil, chia seeds, ground flax seed)

• Olive oil

• A variety of herbs and spices

In many cases, it is also a good idea to supplement* the diet with anti-inflammatory, high-quality, whole-food supplements. These supplements contain a high concentration of various plants and/or herbs that have excellent anti-inflammatory effects on the body. 

You have to eat…it may as well be of benefit to you and be anti-inflammatory!

If you would like any more information on how to live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, please contact the Ollis Chiropractic team at [email protected] or 502-412-8580.
-Dr. Jared S. Ollis, DC

*All supplements and herbs on the market are “not created equal”.  The majority are of poor quality and not strong enough to properly address the therapeutic needs of the modern patient.  We partner with only high quality whole-food supplement and herb providers.  These supplements are only sold through health care providers and are available to you here at Ollis Chiropractic.