Combating Inflammation? You might be thinking “What on Earth is she talking about?!” I’m talking about two things: acute inflammation, which is inflammation you probably know you’re suffering from, and chronic inflammation (“What?!”). The symptoms of chronic inflammation are generally pretty subtle. You might not even realize they are symptoms.

Things like fatigue, fever, mouth sores, rashes, abdominal pain, and chest pain can all be symptoms of chronic inflammation. The chronic inflammation symptoms can range from mild to severe, and might last months to years!

If you’re thinking, “Wait, yes! I think I do have chronic inflammation!” Fear not. Changing your eating habits could help.  I’m not saying that you should stop taking your meds – they’re important, too – but many experts believe that adopting an anti-inflammatory diet may improve your symptoms. Adjusting your diet isn’t a magic cure; your rheumatoid arthritis isn’t going to disappear, but your diet choices may help to reduce the number or intensity of flare-ups you suffer from. Not to mention that everything on this diet is healthy, so it could prevent you from having to deal with other issues.

I can hear you thinking, “Ugh. Healthy stuff. Great.” Most of it’s actually pretty tasty & some of the other things (those things you might be thinking are not the tastiest things in the world) are easy to sub in for things already on your menu. I mean, if you pop a little kale into your salad, you probably won’t even notice. While you’re at it, throw some fruit into your side salad … super yum! Basically, it’s all the stuff you know you should be eating anyway … fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins (like beans and nuts), fatty fish, and fresh herbs and spices.

Here’s a list of things to start noshing on to get you started, and some things to avoid to prevent further inflammation:

Anti-inflammatory foods

Almonds

Anchovies

Avocado

Beans

Beetroot

Bell peppers

Blackberries

Blueberries

Broccoli

Cherries

Chia seeds (yes, you can eat them!)

Chili peppers

Collard greens

Dark chocolate (>70%cocoa)

Extra virgin olive oil

Garlic

Ginger

Grapes

Green tea

Herring

Kale

Mackerel

Oranges

Pineapples

Raspberries

Salmon

Sardines

Spinach

Strawberries

Tomatoes

Tuna steaks (not tunafish)

Turmeric

Walnuts

Inflammation foods to avoid

 Fried foods

Sodas

Refined carbs 

Lard & margarine

Processed meats

Gulph Mills Chiropractic Center 

600 West Dekalb Pike ● Suite 201 ●  King of Prussia, PA 19406 ● (484) 751-5037 ● www.gulphmillschiro.com