What is an Anti-inflammatory Diet and How Can it Heal You.
Dr. Valerie Girard, Santa Barbara Chiropractor
With over 30 years of chiropractic treatments and nutritional and dietary counseling for her Santa Barbara patients, Dr. Valerie Girard understands that following an anti-inflammation diet is essential for everyone’s optimum health. Inflammation in your body can lead to many kinds of chronic health issues, pain and swelling. Inflammation has been linked to alzheimer's disease, heart disease and cancer. Your goal is to reduce the amount of inflammation through a special diet and exercise. The diet has been clinically proven to reduce your body's inflammation and to accelerate the healing process after surgery.
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It is difficult to give up the foods we love the most. If you undertake the task of maintaining this diet for an extended period of time, you will feel better and lose weight. The diet does not have to be bland, rather, it can be delicious.
Read my book Recover Quickly From Surgery. It contains information as to how to change your diet and change your life, even if you are not facing surgery. It is based on the principles of the anti inflammatory diet.
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​Following the Anti Inflammatory Diet
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Eat larger portions of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables (never frozen, canned or processed) than meats or processed foods. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber, vitamins, minerals and enzymes in high density and are easily assimilated in the body. They also alkalize the body chemistry which in turn, reduced inflammation.
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Minimize your consumption of beef, lamb and pork. Choose organically grown meat products when available. Include organic chicken, turkey and wild caught fish as adjuncts to your vegetable dishes.
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Eat more dark, green, leafy vegetables such as chard, kale, spinach, arugula, broccoli and darker lettuce varieties, as well as cabbage and garlic, which all have been proven clinically to lower inflammation and fight cancer.
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Eat less starchy vegetables such as potatoes, rice and beans.
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Do not overcook your vegetables as they contain important enzymes needed for digestion. Once the enzymes are damaged from overcooking, it may become harder to digest food, thus leading to more inflammation.
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Drink green tea and pure, filtered water. You may add freshly squeezed organic lemon juice to some of your water.
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Reduce grains and meats to 20% of your diet. Increase organic fruits and vegetables to 80%.
Foods to Avoid for the Anti Inflammatory Diet
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Avoid Dairy products from cows. Instead, try rice milk, such as Rice Dream, Almond Milk or a coconut milk product. You may use small amounts of goat and sheep cheese as a condiment.
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Sugar, sucrose, corn sugar, maltose, dextrose, brown sugar
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Gluten containing products such as whole wheat, kamut, triticale, spelt, rye, barley and semolina flour. There may be some gluten in oats.
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Coffee, caffeine drinks, sodas and black tea.
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Alcohol
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Red meat, Pork, Lamb
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Eggs from chickens that are not raised naturally. Most eggs are derived from chickens raised with hormones, antibiotics and are not range fed.
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Salt and high sodium foods as it causes swelling from fluid retention.
Try this anti aging diet with your partner. It's a wonderful journey to take together.
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Fried foods, especially deep-fried, as the oils quickly go rancid.
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Desserts, muffins, candy, cake, sugary drinks, ice cream made with refined sugar, corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. This includes dextrose, saccharin, and aspartame.
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Foods with preservatives
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Corn products if you are sensitive to them
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Overly processed food
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Vegetables from the nightshade family(tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant if you have a sensitivity to them.
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Enjoy delicious anti-inflammatory recipes: Healthy with Style Food Blog