Tame The Flame

4 Ways to Heal Inflammation.

When we cut our fingers, break a bone, or experience an injury, our bodies are designed to heal through the process of inflammation. This is the bright side of inflammation—when our arsenal of cellular bodyguards leaps into action, focusing its flame of healing where it’s needed most.

Inflammation, however, has a darker side that causes trouble when it’s fueled by poor food choices. An unhealthy diet of processed foods feeds the fire of inflammation, which then burns out of control and paves the way for the development of chronic, life-altering illnesses like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, osteoporosis, and debilitating digestive difficulties. So how do you tame inflammation throughout your body and prevent these consequences? Smart food choices are a fantastic place to start. Try these food-based strategies to smother the inferno and let the cool-down begin.

Eat until gently satisfied. Practice the lost art of portion control. Overeating generates excess calories that are converted to body fat. That body fat becomes an inflammatory factory, pumping out molecules that keep the inflammatory fire burning (and not in a good way).

Retreat from sweets. Look for obvious and hidden sources of sugar and sweeteners and eliminate them. Detox your taste buds from the tsunami of added sugar, snack foods, and desserts. Realign and reconnect with the taste of nature-made sweetness found in fresh, seasonal fruit.

Prioritize plants. Consume plant-filled meals that are rich in bioactive compounds, which dampen inflammation. Boost your beans (red, white, black, and yellow), up your veggies and fruit (fresh or frozen), toss in some nuts and seeds, and add healthy oils (extra-virgin olive oil, grape seed, or coconut) to the mix for maximum benefit.