Anti-Inflammatory Diets

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MarieRich
MarieRich Posts: 87 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
There are diet plan (lifestyle plans) designed to reduce inflammation, heart disease, etc. Who follows one of these? Does it work? What is the plan you use?

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  • starsandowls
    starsandowls Posts: 55 Member
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    I try to avoid inflammatory foods. It's not particularly exciting and has no fancy name. I just learned what foods are anti-inflammatory and which are more inflammatory, and I try to stick with the anti-inflammatory foods. nutritiondata.self.com (which is what all the MFP non-starred items seem to be based on) tells you how inflammatory a food is. Generally speaking, carbs and milk products are more inflammatory (but necessary for a well-balanced diet; moderation is a good thing), and things around the edge of the supermarket (fresh produce, meat, fish, and eggs) are less inflammatory. Note: this is generally speaking, not an invitation to point out all the inflammatory things that are around the edge of the supermarket. ;-)

    I eat a well balanced diet that's largely anti-inflammatory because when I eat well, I feel better. I have more energy and fewer miscellaneous aches and pains and grumpiness and days when I feel old and worn out. Possibly avoiding (more) cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. would be great, but mostly, it's about feeling better here and now.
  • MarieRich
    MarieRich Posts: 87 Member
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    I haven't even done much research on this yet. So a generally un-processed diet is best. That is what I am shooting for. Started taking Omega 3 as well.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I've got chronic inflammation so I asked my rheumatologist if I should be on one of those diets. He said no, they're bunk. *shrug*
  • starsandowls
    starsandowls Posts: 55 Member
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    Yes, unprocessed is generally better. A lot of processed foods have things in them that wouldn't be there if you made them yourself.

    I really have no idea how much I buy into the idea of silent inflammation and chronic inflammation as something that all stressed people have. I just know that I have more energy and vitality when I eat things that are anti-inflammatory. To be honest, I don't know that the "anti-inflammatory" label really means anything more than, "Healthy food, as close to the source as possible, without a lot of additives," which would be good for you anyway, without the label.
  • fast_stacie
    fast_stacie Posts: 38 Member
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    I've got chronic inflammation so I asked my rheumatologist if I should be on one of those diets. He said no, they're bunk. *shrug*

    A woman I work with did the Virgin Diet and figured out she extremely sensitive to gluten. She also has severe arthritis. Just from getting rid of foods that were causing major inflammation in her body, she lost about 25 pounds of inflammation in her body. She has gone off of all her pills that the rheumatologist had prescribed and she'd been on for years, but her rheumatologist refuses to believe it is her new anti-inflammatory diet. He says it must be something else!

    When she eats gluten, even a little bit, we can all tell, she is stiff and sore, and totally swollen up in the joints. I sometimes think that DRs want us to be dependent on drugs or at least want to be the ones who can claim that they cured us.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I've got chronic inflammation so I asked my rheumatologist if I should be on one of those diets. He said no, they're bunk. *shrug*

    A woman I work with did the Virgin Diet and figured out she extremely sensitive to gluten. She also has severe arthritis. Just from getting rid of foods that were causing major inflammation in her body, she lost about 25 pounds of inflammation in her body. She has gone off of all her pills that the rheumatologist had prescribed and she'd been on for years, but her rheumatologist refuses to believe it is her new anti-inflammatory diet. He says it must be something else!

    When she eats gluten, even a little bit, we can all tell, she is stiff and sore, and totally swollen up in the joints. I sometimes think that DRs want us to be dependent on drugs or at least want to be the ones who can claim that they cured us.

    I disagree. They're just going by the evidence and doing the best they can. Personal experience is important to us, but it's meaningless to them unless it makes sense to them scientifically.

    And the truth about autoimmune disorders is that they come and go. It's often hard to pinpoint the cause. For example, a few years ago I had a terrible rash and flare up. My rheumatologist at the time gave me Cellcept, and I got better. Awhile later I moved and went to a different rheumatologist. He told me that the Cellcept dosage I was on wasn't enough to make a difference. I didn't believe him and sat there arguing that those pills had made me better. But he asked me to test it by stopping them, so I did even though I was convinced I was right.

    I wasn't right. I couldn't tell any difference once I stopped taking them. It was either a coincidence, or placebo effect. Maybe some of each. We can't always trust our perception of cause and effect.

    In your friend's case it's possible she has a gluten sensitivity. I've done the gluten elimination thing just to be sure and it did me no good.
  • reesecup30
    reesecup30 Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm the anti inflammation thing any one know any health simple recipes let me know.
  • Solar_Cat
    Solar_Cat Posts: 188 Member
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    Just from getting rid of foods that were causing major inflammation in her body, she lost about 25 pounds of inflammation in her body.
    I don't mean to be snarky, but what does this mean? I didn't know inflammation could be measured in pounds. Is it fluid accumulation due to inflammation? Something else?
  • Ludka13
    Ludka13 Posts: 136 Member
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    Check this out: http://www.sjogrens.org/files/brochures/anti-inflammatory_diet.pdf

    Also try to find a copy of "Arthritis for Dummies" and/or "The Arthritis Cure". Since arthritis is an inflammatory condition both of these books have suggestions for reducing inflammation via diet. The big no-no is red meat because if contains arachadonic acid. I think egg yolks do as well IIRC. They also say eats lots of fish for the omega-3s.

    Other than that I think a lot of it is what you as an individual are sensitive too. Some people don't do well with gluten, others have no problem. I like to eat clean, I was eating clean 30 years ago before it was called that. Back then we were "health food nuts". We liked to eat fresh produce, whole grains and organic food, all of which are much easier to get these days.
  • lobbylobster
    lobbylobster Posts: 33 Member
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    I have an autoimmune disorder and a chronic knee problem that causes inflammation - three doctors and two physios have suggested eating a healthy, minimally processed diet, but all have agreed that there is no such thing as an anti-inflammatory diet. It's garbage spouted by people trying to exploit the sick.
    Switch to a healthier diet, include more fresh fruit and vege, cut out processed foods and start to move a little more and you will feel much better. There are no magic foods, and no demon foods that will increase the inflammation. Some people with autoimmune disease do find foods trigger symptoms (this may be due to the role of the gut in immunity), so if you're really concerned, try an exclusion diet to find personal triggers. It isn't a one size fits all thing.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Anti-Inflammatory Diets.. In the old days, we used to call it "eating healthy". :bigsmile:
    Just from getting rid of foods that were causing major inflammation in her body, she lost about 25 pounds of inflammation in her body.

    No surprise there. "Getting rid of foods" reduces one's calorie intake, which tends to cause weight loss. :wink:

    By the way, OP.. most of the studies seem to say that omega-3 pills aren't as effective as real food that's high in omega 3, particular fish.
  • YF92
    YF92 Posts: 2,893 Member
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    Go for a healthy diet, cut processed foods. Omega 3 fatty acid does a lot to combat inflammations of all kind and heart disease (only if source is good quality)
    The source is primarily fish. So include fish in your diet 3 times a week, and go for fresh whenever you can but make sure the source is reliable
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Eat real food. Cook from home when you can.
    Eat lots of fruits and veggies, esp various greens, also flax seed, chia seed, hemp seed (hemp is my new favorite).
    I stay away from milk but I am o.k with yogurt and cheese.
    Hubby and I do not have bread or wheat products in the house although he does eat some outside. We limit meat.

    If you are eating fish for the omega 3's you need to eat COLD water fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, anchovies,
    Walnuts also are a good source of omega 3's.
    Omega 3's are also added now to some peanut butter, mayonnaise, eggs --- check the front labels.
    Eat fruits and greens because they contain vit C -- an anti inflammatory
  • joepage612
    joepage612 Posts: 179 Member
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    1. a book by dr parricone is supposed to be good ive heard j=lo uses it to get great skin. I havent read it myself
    http://www.perriconemd.com/category/the+doctor/diets/the+28-day+diet.do

    2. this other website i use a lot it has all nutritional data and gives each food a quality rateng*** it also tells you the foods inflammation factor.***
    http://nutritiondata.self.com
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Eating a healthy balanced diet will help.

    Just limit or cut out (whichever is practical for you) Grains, simple sugars (as simple sugar is in a lot of healthy food, it's prolly best to limit your intake of this in processed foods) polyunsaturated fats, totally cut out man made trans fats!

    Eat food high in antioxidants.
  • charlieandcarol
    charlieandcarol Posts: 302 Member
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    In a similar vein as someone mentioned above about immune systems, gut bacteria and inflammation there were two episodes in the last 2 weeks on a respected science show here in Australia about our diet, our gut bacteria and possible relationships with all sorts of disease and health problems including obesity, diabetes, asthma and some auto-immune diseases. They were interesting to watch and really demonstrated that we still don't fully understand how human bodies work, they are so complex!

    Here are the links if you are interested:

    http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4067184.htm

    http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4070977.htm
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    I'm IN.

    No wait....
    The big no-no is red meat because if contains arachadonic acid. I think egg yolks do as well IIRC.
    I'm OUT

    I'll deal with the inflammation as long as I get to keep my steak and eggs.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    I'm IN.

    No wait....
    The big no-no is red meat because if contains arachadonic acid. I think egg yolks do as well IIRC.
    I'm OUT

    I'll deal with the inflammation as long as I get to keep my steak and eggs.

    Pst.........! red meat and eggs a no, no! FTS!

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