Anyone Have Success With An Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

When you exercise (especially with weight lifting) the muscles inflame. So why would you want to inhibit that? Doubt it works anyway. You can eat to reduce free radicals by diet, but I haven't seen any conclusive evidence by clinical study that an anti inflammation diet truly works.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

With all due respect, you may be very well educated in kickboxing and exercise, etc, but apparently you are not educated well enough in the area of nutrition to understand the damage that long term inflammation can do to the body. Temporary water retention in the muscles after a workout is necessary, or course, as well as temporary inflammation after any injury, to bring needed fluids to the injured area. However, when the inflammation remains and becomes chronic, it can cause a lot of damage to organs, joints and other tissues.

There is quite a lot of reputable research on the effects of long term inflammation in the body, and how adding or eliminating certain foods can help reduce chronic inflammation.

Please don't immediately dismiss ideas simply because they don't apply to you in your current situation. Thank you.

Muscles "inflame", when you exercise, huh? Sorry, no, they don't.

You are honestly going to say that in public, with all your "certifications" flying?

Look it up, or ask a nutritionist, or an actual physiology expert.

Then, after exhibiting an apalling lack of knowledge on the subject matter, you're going to say "Doubt that it works anyway"?? :

Your take on the subject is completely ill-informed, absolutely incorrect, and potentially harmful to anyone thinking you might know what you're talking about. Read this: (or one of the 20 similar papers available.

Pilon, Brad. "Inflammation Affects Your Ability to Build Muscle." Inflammation Theory | Inflammation, Chronic Inflammation, Muscle Building, Health. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. <http://www.inflammationtheory.com/#2>.

Muscles "inflame", when you exercise, huh? Sorry, no, they don't.

You are honestly going to say that in public, with all your "certifications" flying?

Look it up, or ask a nutritionist, or an actual physiology expert.

Then, after exhibiting an apalling lack of knowledge on the subject matter, you're going to say "Doubt that it works anyway"?? :

Your take on the subject is completely ill-informed, absolutely incorrect, and potentially harmful to anyone thinking you might know what you're talking about. Read this: (or one of the 20 similar papers available.

Pilon, Brad. "Inflammation Affects Your Ability to Build Muscle." Inflammation Theory | Inflammation, Chronic Inflammation, Muscle Building, Health. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. <http://www.inflammationtheory.com/#2>.

What? Sorry yes, they do. There is plenty of microinflammation occurring at the microscopic level unless you are working low enough intensity for it to be argued you are not exercising at all merely physically active, inflame is not a word I'd choose because it evokes thoughts of symptoms rather than signs but it's clumsy rather than wrong to say that. The Inflammatory response is a continuum from acute microinflammation right up to DOMS and chronic injury.

That Pilon link is not a research paper, it is an podcast. You would get a big fat fail if you presented that as evidence at degree level. Nutritionist is not a controlled term in many countries, there are nutritionists who are educated in their subject to the equivalent of a 17 year old, do you mean registered dietician?

This is basically the outline of the anti-inflammatory diet that we give out at the medical clinic I work at. I have seen great benefits from people that have a lot of pain while on this diet. In summary eat more plant based diet, with organic meat and vegetable when possible, and avoid anything processed.

PROTEIN goal: to get sufficient healthy source of protein to supply the amino acids that help to preserve and build muscle, and heal musculoskeletal tissues.
- for sedentary individuals: 0.8gm/kg
- when doing aerobic training that is moderate to vigorous: 1.2g/kg lean body weight
- when weight lifting to make body shaping: 1.4-1.6g/kg
- while healing from surgery 1-1.2g/kg
- for healing tendon or ligament from an injury 1.2g/kg of lean weight

- eat protein with each meal and snack
- limit or eliminate red meat unless it is free-range, grass-fed beef or lamb
- avoid charring/browning proteins/meats
- use organic meats or free-grange meat and poultry when possible
- use free range eggs but avoid browning the eggs
- avoid lunch meat that have nitrate or nitrites
- use walnut as protein source for snack and for omega 3 fatty acids
use mixed nuts and seeds
- nut butters, soy
- organic milk products
- for milk substitutes, you can use soy, rice, almond, or oat milk
- beans and grains as source of protein and fiber
- get at lest 1/3 - 1/4 of your daily protein need at breakfast
- minimize large fish such as tuna and swordfish because of mercury. Avoid farm raised salmon because of PCBs, river trout is usually okay

FAT goal: eat healthy fats and decrease unhealthy fats
- use coconut oil, canola, or olive oil for cooking
- make your own salad dressing with 2 parts flax oil, 4 parts extra virgin olive oil, and red wine or basalmic vinegar
- use sources of omega 3 : flax seed, chia seed, ocean salmon, walnut
- use a daily supplement of 1-4 g of high EPA/DHA fish oil purified to eliminate mercury, pesticides, etc
- use dry-roasted or raw nuts
- eliminate deep fried and breaded fried food
- avoid all partially hydrogenated oil and trans fats by reading labels
- decrease saturated fats (ice cream). Try to limit foods that have more than 6-8 grams of fat per serving

CARBOHYDRATE goals: limit non-nutritive carbs and use healthy complex carbs as an energy and vitamin source.
- have a daily intake of healthy and colorful fruits (berries, pomegranate, apples, pears, and citrus fruits) and veggies for fiber and beneficial phytochemicals to help your body quench free radicals and biotransform (detoxify) toxins
- eat healthy vegetables (organic when possible)
- eat other vegetables for their nutrients and fibers
- eat from the onion family daily
- consider juicing organic vegetables to improve your intake of phytochemicals
- limit cookies, cake, scones, muffins, potatoes, starches, sugars, rice, pasta, and breads unless you are training for a long aerobic event or do not have a weight management problem; in that case, use whole and sprouted grains in bread or boiled
- eat beans for soluble fibers and to limit colon inflammation
- use a bread that has at least 3-5 grams of protein and fiber per slice
- use whole grain sources for carbs suc has quinoa, millet, etc
- use a breakfast cereal that has at leat 8 grams of fiber and 4-10 grams of protein per cup

FOOD ADDITIVES
- try to avoid artificial coloring and diet beverages with aspartame
- minimize and avoid food containing ingredients that have MSG or hidden MSG.

STEPS FOR HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICES
- minimize partiall hydrogenated oil in processed foods ("no trans fats")
- minimize or avoid eating at fast food restaurants. At restaurants choose butter based toppings on the side, eliminate sour cream and cream based dishes. Choose salads (with oil and vinegar or vinaigrette), vegetables and avoid deep fried entrees.
- Minimize or avoid deep fried and breaded foods.
- Minimize sugar and starches
- increase healthy fruits such as apples and berries
- try to choose organic fruits and vegetables when your budget and the availability of these items allows.
- eat protein at every meal
- try to purchase free-range poultry and meat (if you are not vegetarian)
- try to choose low-fat, organic dairy products
- use good multivitamin mineral supplement at meals - minimum of 500mg calcium, magnesium 500 mg, and antioxidants (A,C,E, selenium)
- try some green tea daily
- minimize drinks with fructose and corn syrup
- choose veggie juices such as V8 or an organic version
-for fruit juice, choose one with a lot of phytonutrients and antioxidants
- if you are trying to lose weight, limit juices other than veggie juices to 4-6 ounces per day

(sorry I got lazy as I was typing the handout... I left some things out.. let me know if you have more questions).