The Inflammation Free Diet - Fact or Fiction?

There are many facets to food - the most obvious being food is fuel and we need it for survival.  After meeting those basic needs, food takes on a variety of aspects.  Our day is shaped by mealtimes - breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We take pleasure in eating as our tastes are satisfied.  Food touches our senses and our emotions; sharing a meal with someone creates connection, childhood memories surface when we smell a particular dish in the oven, and guilt plagues us when we over indulge in that second piece of dessert.

In my estimation, there is also a big connection between what we eat and how good we feel.  Over the last couple of years, healthful eating has been a goal of mine.  It seems like every possible diet has been marketed and the secret to weight loss is as easy as giving up a whole food group or drinking only one type of fruit juice.  "Eat Local", "Certified Organic", and "No Trans Fats" are all touted as keys to good nutrition.  In my search for sound information on how to improve our eating habits, I often found the benefits of one school of thought cancelled by the cons of another.  What information could I trust and rely on?

Last January, I came across "The Inflammation Free Diet", a book written by Monica Reinagel with consulting Editor Julius Torelli, M.D.  The concepts are founded upon science and the use of IF (inflammation) ratings for foods makes it easy to adopt and implement this diet.  A few key points:

• Systemic Inflammation is cellular inflammation.  Cellular inflammation has been found to be a primary and preventable cause of serious diseases including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes to name a few.
• Prevention of excessive inflammation can be achieved by eating foods that are anti-inflammatory.
• Weight loss, slowing the signs of aging, and reducing the risk of serious disease are benefits of this holistic approach to nutrition.

OK - sounds good, right?  So, how do you implement it?  The idea is to balance or offset the foods that cause inflammation with foods that reduce inflammation.  No fad diet, no elimination of certain foods (who can truly give up sweets), no starvation.  Basically, eat foods that are better for you and if you choose to have something that is not so good, try and offset that with something better.  Here are some examples of how to make these choices: 

• Choose fresh fruits such as strawberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, blueberries and kiwi over fruits such as apples, pears and bananas.
• Dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes and vegetables with "heat" - e.g. chili peppers, onions, garlic, ginger are good choices over baked potatoes and corn on the cob.  (In general, all vegetables have great anti-inflammatory properties.)
• Fish that is high in Omega 3 is a good protein source.  This includes salmon, sardines, anchovies, cod, and herring.  In terms of beef, pork, lamp, chicken and turkey - beef is the least inflammatory while turkey is the most inflammatory.
• Most breads cause inflammation.  However, the least amount of inflammation is caused by whole grain and rye breads.
• Desserts also cause inflammation. Hooray for chocolate lovers - chocolate has anti-inflammatory properties so if you are going to indulge - choose premium chocolate ice cream over angel food cake!

The information in this post is a very basic overview of The Inflammation Free Diet and the use of IF Ratings to determine a meal plan.  (Note:  The IF Ratings integrate over twenty nutritional factors and IF Ratings can change as food is processed - e.g. raw vs. cooked.)  For more details and a better explanation of the science surrounding this school of thought, I suggest consulting the book "The Inflammation Free Diet Plan".  Other references concerning inflammation and diet can be found by searching high Omega 3 foods as well as foods that have a low glycemic index.

Here's to your health!