Anti inflammatory diet???

My dr called me yesterday and told me to start on anti inflammatory diet. Any suggestions on where to find good recipes?? Or do I just cut out all processed food and sugar?
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Replies

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i found it to be pointless. google has many different versions if you want to give it a try
    usually includes no dairy, gluten, or red meat. alcohol depends on the version.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member

    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Why do answers to this kind of question mostly talk about what to leave out? ;) To me, it makes more sense to talk about what to include in one's eating. ;)

    Besides good protein sources (some of which can be plants), and healthy fats (nuts, avocados, seeds, olive oil, etc.), eat plenty of nutritious, varied, colorful veggies and fruits. They're full of nice antioxidants and fiber. Five servings daily is good, more can be even better.

    In actual practice, the idea of an anti-inflammatory diet tends to get a little woo-y pretty fast: Lots of eye-roll-y nonsense on the web from the usual alt-health quacks, hard to sort from useful info. Mainly, focus on getting an overall nutritious, well-rounded diet at an appropriate calorie level, and keep foods that are calorie-dense but not nutrition-dense (cookies, cake, sugary drinks, alcohol) as "sometimes" foods, a small part of your eating, to be savored when calories are available and after all the major nutrition boxes are checked, or on the rare special occasion. Advice from mainstream national and international nutrition bodies (USDA, WHO, etc.) is mostly not stupid.

    One of the biggest things to do to combat system inflammation is simply to be at a healthy body weight. If you're overweight or obese, pick a calorie goal that will get you losing 1% of your body weight per week or less, and stick with it. Get some exercise, if you aren't already - that reduces system inflammation over time, too. Think about stress reduction, for bonus points.

    And consider getting a new doctor - one who sends you off to go on a potentially misunderstandable diet, with no guidance, isn't doing you many favors, IMO.
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    i found it to be pointless. google has many different versions if you want to give it a try
    usually includes no dairy, gluten, or red meat. alcohol depends on the version.

    The biggest issue is that different things cause inflammation in different people.

    For some it's an allergic or pseudo allergic reaction. for others it's metabolic. For others it's sensitivity or intolerance.

    Some Celiac are lactose intolerant. Others enjoy milk.
    Some lactose intolerant are also sensitive to the protein in red meat. Others not so much.

    etc, etc, etc. Additionally, some sensitivities are caused by changes in gut biome and cutting out the item. Others are alleviated by cutting out the item and allowing the gut biome to restore naturally. Sometimes the gut biome is devastated by antibiotics used to treat other chronic conditions.

    SOME Celiac have been successfully treated(cured?) by daily mega doses of bran.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited June 2018
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Wow, this is the second thread on page one in which doctors told patients to eat a certain way without providing specifics...and patients left the doctor without asking for specifics. Weird.

    One thing I have to give the VA, they are good with handouts.

    Bury you in paperwork. But you'll always have the answer somewhere in that book of takehome.

    There is something to be said positively for a system that requires you to take responsibility for your own care.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    I have an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation in just one of my eyes. My eye doctor told me to go paleo. Never mind that "paleo" isn't universally-defined, or that there aren't studies that clearly support dietary interventions in gene-related uveitis (except for people who have also been diagnosed as celiac). Just "go paleo." My point is that, while she probably was trying to help, my doctor doesn't know *kitten* about nutrition or fad diets.
    I have lupus, and when I feel a flare coming on, eating lots of fatty fish, flaxseed, and turmeric helps somewhat. For what it's worth fish oils are similar to compounds used to knock out the immune system in transplant patients - they are very anti-inflammatory. But is there any specific reason your doctor believes this way of eating would benefit you? Has he said why?

    And it's threads like this that cause some to claim that nobody wants to help. Incomplete information dropped with no context and no follow up. Except that without sufficient data we literally can't help no matter how much we may want to.

    As contrasted with a post like
    My doctor just told me I have SLE(Lupus) with Pulmonary and joint involvement. He suggested I look into anti-inflammatory diets. Does anyone have any suggestions for foods to eliminate or add?
    My dr called me yesterday and told me to start on anti inflammatory diet. Any suggestions on where to find good recipes?? Or do I just cut out all processed food and sugar?

    Almost exactly the same length of post, but useful information

    I only shared my experience to illustrate that doctors can sometimes/often make dietary recommendations based on little information. My doctor's recommendation was unsupported by the literature and was of no help to me; if I didn't already know that it was useless advice I would've absolutely asked follow-up questions. I certainly wasn't suggesting that "going paleo" is an appropriate dietary intervention for autoimmune disease, or any other disease. I apologize if it came across that way.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,110 Member
    Ask your doctor. There are different versions. I do autoimmune paleo off and on for hashimotos flare ups. For me it’s no grains, dairy, can sugar, or legumes - basically meat, fruit, tubers, and veggies are all I’ll eat but I do add in yogurt since it has no negative effect for me
  • Candyspun
    Candyspun Posts: 370 Member
    I find with trying eat a more anti inflammatory diet, it’s easier and more enjoyable to focus on eating anti inflammatory foods first, before taking out the inflammatory foods. I tried cutting the inflammatory foods out first; it was just miserable. Also, don’t be put off by how strict it looks. What matters most is what you’re doing the majority of the time, don’t put pressure on yourself to do it perfectly all the time.

    I have found it to be extremely helpful, and the best part is, you learn to listen to your body when it comes to food.

    Some people will swear they find gluten inflammatory, others can eat it with no problems, for example.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,110 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Why do answers to this kind of question mostly talk about what to leave out? ;) To me, it makes more sense to talk about what to include in one's eating. ;)

    Besides good protein sources (some of which can be plants), and healthy fats (nuts, avocados, seeds, olive oil, etc.), eat plenty of nutritious, varied, colorful veggies and fruits. They're full of nice antioxidants and fiber. Five servings daily is good, more can be even better.

    In actual practice, the idea of an anti-inflammatory diet tends to get a little woo-y pretty fast: Lots of eye-roll-y nonsense on the web from the usual alt-health quacks, hard to sort from useful info. Mainly, focus on getting an overall nutritious, well-rounded diet at an appropriate calorie level, and keep foods that are calorie-dense but not nutrition-dense (cookies, cake, sugary drinks, alcohol) as "sometimes" foods, a small part of your eating, to be savored when calories are available and after all the major nutrition boxes are checked, or on the rare special occasion. Advice from mainstream national and international nutrition bodies (USDA, WHO, etc.) is mostly not stupid.

    One of the biggest things to do to combat system inflammation is simply to be at a healthy body weight. If you're overweight or obese, pick a calorie goal that will get you losing 1% of your body weight per week or less, and stick with it. Get some exercise, if you aren't already - that reduces system inflammation over time, too. Think about stress reduction, for bonus points.

    And consider getting a new doctor - one who sends you off to go on a potentially misunderstandable diet, with no guidance, isn't doing you many favors, IMO.
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    i found it to be pointless. google has many different versions if you want to give it a try
    usually includes no dairy, gluten, or red meat. alcohol depends on the version.

    SOME Celiac have been successfully treated(cured?) by daily mega doses of bran.
    Not true, Celiac is an autoimmune disease. No amount of bran (?) or anything else will cure it. The only treatment is the gluten free diet.

    I was going to comment on that too. There is no food out there that stops an (auto)immune response from happening. Would be nice, but autoimmune diseases don't work that way.

    ETA that some foods are less inflammatory than others in some situations. High sugar and insulin are thought to be more inflammatory than low sugar(glucose) and insulin.

    While no diet cures an autoimmune disease there are ways of eating that reduce symptoms of many autoimmune conditions. I’ve never heard the bran thing before though
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    SCoil123 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Why do answers to this kind of question mostly talk about what to leave out? ;) To me, it makes more sense to talk about what to include in one's eating. ;)

    Besides good protein sources (some of which can be plants), and healthy fats (nuts, avocados, seeds, olive oil, etc.), eat plenty of nutritious, varied, colorful veggies and fruits. They're full of nice antioxidants and fiber. Five servings daily is good, more can be even better.

    In actual practice, the idea of an anti-inflammatory diet tends to get a little woo-y pretty fast: Lots of eye-roll-y nonsense on the web from the usual alt-health quacks, hard to sort from useful info. Mainly, focus on getting an overall nutritious, well-rounded diet at an appropriate calorie level, and keep foods that are calorie-dense but not nutrition-dense (cookies, cake, sugary drinks, alcohol) as "sometimes" foods, a small part of your eating, to be savored when calories are available and after all the major nutrition boxes are checked, or on the rare special occasion. Advice from mainstream national and international nutrition bodies (USDA, WHO, etc.) is mostly not stupid.

    One of the biggest things to do to combat system inflammation is simply to be at a healthy body weight. If you're overweight or obese, pick a calorie goal that will get you losing 1% of your body weight per week or less, and stick with it. Get some exercise, if you aren't already - that reduces system inflammation over time, too. Think about stress reduction, for bonus points.

    And consider getting a new doctor - one who sends you off to go on a potentially misunderstandable diet, with no guidance, isn't doing you many favors, IMO.
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    i found it to be pointless. google has many different versions if you want to give it a try
    usually includes no dairy, gluten, or red meat. alcohol depends on the version.

    SOME Celiac have been successfully treated(cured?) by daily mega doses of bran.
    Not true, Celiac is an autoimmune disease. No amount of bran (?) or anything else will cure it. The only treatment is the gluten free diet.

    I was going to comment on that too. There is no food out there that stops an (auto)immune response from happening. Would be nice, but autoimmune diseases don't work that way.

    ETA that some foods are less inflammatory than others in some situations. High sugar and insulin are thought to be more inflammatory than low sugar(glucose) and insulin.

    While no diet cures an autoimmune disease there are ways of eating that reduce symptoms of many autoimmune conditions. I’ve never heard the bran thing before though

    I’ve tried all sorts of diets, (low carb, keto, whole30), but the thing that works for me is the doctor that knows his stuff. I wish the food I eat or don’t eat was the answer, but alas.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    SCoil123 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Why do answers to this kind of question mostly talk about what to leave out? ;) To me, it makes more sense to talk about what to include in one's eating. ;)

    Besides good protein sources (some of which can be plants), and healthy fats (nuts, avocados, seeds, olive oil, etc.), eat plenty of nutritious, varied, colorful veggies and fruits. They're full of nice antioxidants and fiber. Five servings daily is good, more can be even better.

    In actual practice, the idea of an anti-inflammatory diet tends to get a little woo-y pretty fast: Lots of eye-roll-y nonsense on the web from the usual alt-health quacks, hard to sort from useful info. Mainly, focus on getting an overall nutritious, well-rounded diet at an appropriate calorie level, and keep foods that are calorie-dense but not nutrition-dense (cookies, cake, sugary drinks, alcohol) as "sometimes" foods, a small part of your eating, to be savored when calories are available and after all the major nutrition boxes are checked, or on the rare special occasion. Advice from mainstream national and international nutrition bodies (USDA, WHO, etc.) is mostly not stupid.

    One of the biggest things to do to combat system inflammation is simply to be at a healthy body weight. If you're overweight or obese, pick a calorie goal that will get you losing 1% of your body weight per week or less, and stick with it. Get some exercise, if you aren't already - that reduces system inflammation over time, too. Think about stress reduction, for bonus points.

    And consider getting a new doctor - one who sends you off to go on a potentially misunderstandable diet, with no guidance, isn't doing you many favors, IMO.
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    i found it to be pointless. google has many different versions if you want to give it a try
    usually includes no dairy, gluten, or red meat. alcohol depends on the version.

    SOME Celiac have been successfully treated(cured?) by daily mega doses of bran.
    Not true, Celiac is an autoimmune disease. No amount of bran (?) or anything else will cure it. The only treatment is the gluten free diet.

    I was going to comment on that too. There is no food out there that stops an (auto)immune response from happening. Would be nice, but autoimmune diseases don't work that way.

    ETA that some foods are less inflammatory than others in some situations. High sugar and insulin are thought to be more inflammatory than low sugar(glucose) and insulin.

    While no diet cures an autoimmune disease there are ways of eating that reduce symptoms of many autoimmune conditions. I’ve never heard the bran thing before though

    I’ve tried all sorts of diets, (low carb, keto, whole30), but the thing that works for me is the doctor that knows his stuff. I wish the food I eat or don’t eat was the answer, but alas.

    Me too. I hate people saying I would be cured if I ate a certain way. It implies that you are not trying hard enough. No diet has cured my Crohn's and gastroparesis. I have tried everything (except pseudoscience stuff) with no relief from my symptoms. I still has many symptoms on TPN and iv nutrition which goes directly to your heart and bypasses the GI tract completely.

    It sucks. Only if.........
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    Most docotors are not the best for giving this info. Can you ask for a referral for an RD?
    I don't follow an anti immflammotory diet, but have had results with lower carb and more protein. Within the same caloried allotment if I have more carbs i fell like im bloated, yes including my joints (knee and back mainly). I would play around with your diet and see what works for you.
  • Candyspun
    Candyspun Posts: 370 Member
    OP, I came back to say a few more things that came to mind. Amazon and book depository have lots of books/cookbooks on the subject.

    It will take a lot of trial and error to find what works for you, personally. I have found personally, that exercise is my most powerful anti inflammatory. That reduces all of my endo pain and joint pain by 80%. I choose exercises that challenge me, but don’t cause more harm.

    Turmeric has been very helpful for me, but I avoid it when I’m menstruating, because it can thin the blood. Home fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kim chi have had an extremely positive effect on my entire body. It has especially helped my endo pain, because it clears out my bowels (sorry for tmi). This is important for me, because with all the growths in that area, the more space being used by my bowels, the more pain I have in the pelvis.

    Also, I love to include bone broth. I wasn’t sure how much of it would be pseudoscience, but was desperate enough to try, and I love broth anyway. It has been nothing short of amazing for my joints. It’s been incredible for me.

    Overall, try some anti inflammatory foods, and take time to observe how your body responds. Ditto for eliminating things.

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited June 2018
    What kind of inflammation is your doctor wanting you to avoid? Any anti-inflammatory diet is usually condition-specific. Did they mean low FODMAP? Did they mean celiac-friendly? Do you have a food range intolerance like nightshades? Do you have GERD? Are you allergic to something? What type of inflammation are you experiencing?