Denton County Living Well Magazine May/June 2017 | Page 42
Anti-Inflammatory vs.
Inflammatory Foods
D
o you need to be ready for
a certain event and fit in that
special dress you bought a
month ago?
Do you need to be bathing suit ready
because you are going to a special
destination to be kissed by the sun in
front of the beach?
The answer is to limit inflamma-
tory foods.
According to Dr. Frank Hu, a pro-
fessor at Harvard, if you choose
the right foods, you can reduce
inflammation and prevent condi-
tions like obesity and certain ill-
nesses such as diabetes and heart
disease. But if you make wrong
decisions, you may be dealing
with inflammation and promoting
degenerative diseases such as Al-
zheimer’s.
Inflammation is a normal process that
occurs in the body following an inju-
ry. Basically, the body releases a lot
of white blood cells as part of the im-
mune system’s response. There are dif-
ferent types of inflammation. There is
acute inflammation that involves pain,
redness, swelling (not all these symp-
toms need to occur at the same time,
all the time) and chronic inflammation
which can occur in the body for years,
such as arthritis. What happens is, our
bodies go into over activity mode. In
other words, our immune system keeps
working and working and working.
One of the best ways we can help
our bodies is to reduce the amount of
inflammatory foods we eat. By doing
By Julie Alvira, MD, MBA
this, we can be ready for those special
occasions I asked about earlier. The
dress, or the bathing suit. The party,
or the beach. The cruise, or the pool.
We can be ready anytime and for any-
thing and the best news is, by reduc-
ing foods that promote inflammation,
we will feel more energetic. It all starts
with creating better eating habits and
making them part of a new lifestyle.
Know your limits
Certain foods are not going to help
us with our health and can promote
inflammation such as: sugar, trans
and saturated fats, processed foods,
refined carbohydrates, gluten, sodas,
fried foods, certain types of dairy,
lard, shortening, emulsifiers and
many others. By reducing, limiting or
eliminating these many foods from
our diet we can help our energy lev-
els, wrinkles, lean body mass, muscle
tissue, metabolism and our overall
health. Also, we can help our mood in
terms of depression and anxiety. Hold
on––some mood disorders are fed by
certain foods? You bet! For example,
foods high in sugar make us feel really
good at first but later can disrupt blood
glucose levels. After the insulin boost,
they can make you feel fatigued and
tired. The same goes for some artificial
sweeteners and foods high in sodium.
They can make an individual irritated.
Plus, remember the “be ready for the
bathing suit anytime, anywhere”?
High sodium foods can also make
you bloated and promote water reten-
tion. Other foods block serotonin (neu-
rotransmitters) and can contribute
to mood swings and headaches. Al-
cohol, among many things, can ex-
acerbate symptoms associated with
depression. Remember moderation.
Let’s go shopping!
Where are we going to look for the
foods we need? The grocery store
or your favorite market. We should
shop for foods with fiber, nuts (es-
pecially almonds), seeds, tomatoes,
green leafy vegetables, and antiox-
idant fruits like strawberries, blueber-
ries, oranges, cherries, whole grains,
fatty fish, certain dairy, beets, garlic,
ginger, and many others.
Nowadays, popular add-ons like
turmeric are receiving big attention
and, of course, the antioxidants in
green tea and certain supplements.
Likewise, some of the foods men-
tioned above might affect you in
other ways in terms of sensitivity,
allergies, digestion process, etc. So
practice moderation and see what
works individually for you. Your
body and health will appreciate the
changes you make.
“It’s not a short-term diet. It’s a long-
term lifestyle change.”
Julie Alvira, M.D., MBA Healthcare Management. Health & Wellness
consulting. Corporate wellness. Addictions recovery coaching.
Personal trainer. Sports nutrition specialist. “I like to focus on
women and helping them get into a healthier lifestyle.” You can reach
Julie via [email protected] or www.ajbodysculpt.com.
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DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MAY/JUNE 2017