Become Your Best Self with Anti-Inflammatory Diet by Louise Steen | ExpatWomanFood.com
 
 

Become Your Best Self with Anti-Inflammatory Diet by Louise Steen

Do you know the feeling of not exactly being sick, but not feeling 100 percent either?

Posted on

12 October 2015

Posted by

ewfood

Are you tired in the morning even after a good night’s sleep, lacking energy, having headaches, muscle pains, poor digestion, difficulty sleeping, and problems losing weight?

 
This feeling of not being your best self is aggravating and frustrating – and should not be part your every day.  The reason can, of course, be rooted in many things. A busy life, the physical and emotional changes you have as an expat, or maybe staying up all night with children. But the explanation can also be found in your diet.
 

Some food causes inflammation

Inflammation is a natural part of your immune system’s response reacting against harmful matters. Your immune system is from nature programmed to reacts to bacteria, viruses, and other harmful evils to protect you. For most of us, the word ‘inflammation’ is connected to the outside of your body - bruising, acne or a sore throat, typically accompanied by redness, heat, swelling and pain. 
 
But there is also another type of inflammation – the type of reaction you have inside your body. With indistinguishable symptoms, that might give you an undefined feeling of not being completely well. 
 
A large proportion food available today is no longer food – it is not clean natural food, but products packed in boxes with long shelf life made from ingredients. It’s turned into ‘food-like substances’. Chemicals are added to improve the products, such as flavors, colors, trans fats, and preservatives. It might taste and look good – but your body does not recognize it as food because it’s unnatural. Your body recognizes it as harmful – and triggers a range of anti-inflammatory attacks inside your body. Your immune system ‘light a fire’ inside your body with redness, heat, swelling and pain. Inflammations can be the reason you feel uncomfortable and not the best version of yourself.
 

Besides from the chemical additives and industrialized food, these are what you need to watch out for:

  • Cheap vegetable oils, such as soybean, corn and canola oils contain lots of omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty oils. Omega 6 has been shown to be harmful when it comes to inflammation
  • Poor quality meat has more omega-6 than omega-3 because of the animal feed. Grain fed beef for example triggers inflammation more so you should rather go for the organic grass fed beef.
  • Sugar, white bread, white pasta and other refined carbohydrates are major causes of inflammation. This type of food gives you high blood sugar levels, causing inflammation in your veins leading to arteriosclerosis and blood cloths.
  • Insulin is what you need to absorb glucose. But if you eat a poor diet, neglect your exercise and pack on too many pounds you produce too much insulin that increases inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory diet

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is easy! It is all about knowing which foods fight the existing inflammation and what prevents it.
 
Following ‘old fashioned’ dietary advice will prevent and fight inflammation; Lose weight, eat less meat and more raw and gently cooked vegetables, eat whole grain and unrefined food with lots of fiber. Eat lots of the good quality fatty acids, from coconut, avocado, nuts, flax seeds, and fat fish. It gives you omega-3 fats and is consequently preventing inflammation.
 
Fresh unprocessed food contains much of the good stuff that will boost your immune system, such as vitamin C, natural vitamin E, organic selenium, B12, B6, folic acid, magnesium, and zinc. 
 
Your new start is only one baby step away. Good food will make you feel great! It only takes one baby step to start the positive process and the chances are that if you start feeling better, you will be hungry for more.
 

Anti-Inflammatory Tea Recipe

Anti-inflammatory tea can reduce inflammation in your tissue. The taste is amazing and it’s easy to make. Drink one to two cups every day to get the optimal effect
 
WHAT YOU NEED (to make two cups of tea)
2 teaspoons freshly chopped ginger
Half teaspoon Sri Lankan cinnamon
Half teaspoon turmeric  
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons manuka honey or another type of real honey
2 cups of warm water, 80 degrees Celsius
 
Mix the ingredients in a cup and add the hot water, stir, leave for 2-3 minutes and drink as tea.
Using organic ingredients will give you the optimal effect and prevent you from getting unnecessary chemicals.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR: 
Louise is a healthy eating advocate and writes on her blog MyHealthyDxb. She tries to educate her readers on how to lead a healthy life with her blog posts, healthy restaurants review and other food related healthy eating topics. Check her blog out for more healthy tips and recipes!

 
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