Anti-Inflammatory On-the-Go

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ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ON-THE-GO

Can we reduce inflammation without losing our minds?

By Sarah Citrin

Inflammation - we've all heard of it, but what do we actually do about it? As usual when it comes to staying healthy, what we eat has a lot to do with it. But can we be conscious anti-inflammatory eaters without upending our entire lifestyles? My answer is yes.

Like most people, I'm too busy for complicated diets. I'm also too busy for backaches and digestive issues. My compromise has been to be conscious of what affects the inflammation in my body and give it the old 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time I am conscious (but not obsessive) about keeping inflammatory foods out of my system and intentionally adding antiinflammatory foods into my diet. I am a dirty cheater 20 percent of the time. Even as someone with a diagnosed problem with inflammation, this works.

I have found that fighting inflammation is about the sum of what you eat over a long period, and not about the one time you cheated. If you never make room for cheating, you may be more likely to binge the bad stuff when you do let yourself loose, which most nutritionists agree is more harmful. I like to consider what I eat in a week as opposed to what I eat in one meal.

Basically, I keep two questions in the back of my mind at all times: what causes inflammation and what helps relieve it? Let's break that down.

What Causes Inflammation?

Many things. Inflammation is one of your body's natural defense mechanisms, and it goes way beyond food. Doctors are starting to find that some foods common to the American lifestyle cause this defense mechanism to trigger way more than is healthy. Where does this inflammation happen? Typically in our joints and digestive systems. Which foods are the culprits? They probably won't surprise you.

Diets high in fried foods, animal fats, sugar, and gluten tend to cause an overactive inflammatory response. Yes, even if you don't have a gluten allergy, more and more studies are showing that too much gluten generally adds to the inflammation in your body. When I talk about the 80/20 rule, this is what I'm cheating on. It's not that I have cut the culprits out completely, but being conscious of the fact that they are adding to the problem is so important.

So, what relieves this overactive inflammation?

There are actually foods that help your body calm its inflammatory response, and you don't have to eat them exclusively to see the benefits. My goal is to get five meals of mostly anti-inflammatory foods in a week. I'll highlight a few of my favorite options, but I think the easiest way to do it is to eat a diet rich in fiber and color.

Berries

Not only are berries possibly the most delicious antiinflammatory options, but they're also some of the best. They don't just help calm the inflammation you are dealing with now, they help prevent future inflammation by promoting better responses in your body. In Austin, you can even pick your own berries at Berry Pickins at The Old Thyme Store.

Leafy Greens and Broccoli

Leafy greens and broccoli are great because they add fiber to your diet and keep your gut bacteria happy. Your gut houses both good bacteria and bad bacteria. Your whole body uses the good bacteria in your gut to regulate every organ system you can think of. What happens when the ratio of good-to-bad is out of whack? You guessed it, inflammation. The bad bacteria tend to thrive on those culprit foods I said to stay away from, and the good bacteria is bolstered by foods like leafy greens and broccoli.

Omega 3's

Foods high in omega 3's like fatty fish (think salmon), avocado, walnuts, and chia seeds are great to keep in your diet. We don't totally understand why yet, but in clinical trials, people who keep omega 3's in their diets have a calmer inflammatory response than those who don't. I sneak chia seeds into my yogurt and try to eat salmon every other week. And yes, avocados. Here is your permission to eat avocado toast whenever you want!

Probiotics

If you're like me, the inflammation in your body doesn't just cause vague ickiness. When I cheat too much, the next day is full of joint pain, acid reflux, and brain fog. All things I very much do not have time for. What is my quick fix to take the edge off? A probiotic supplement called Blue Majik. The good people over at Juiceland Smoothies turned me onto it, and I'm a believer. It is a special version of the good bacteria Spirulina that contains something called phycocyanin, which is clinically proven to relieve some of the physical discomfort associated with inflammation, especially in your joints.

You can add Blue Majik to any of their smoothies or take it in their Blue Dream Shot.

It seems like more people every year are dealing with the inflammatory effects of the modern American lifestyle. The good news is we do not have to upend our entire lives to reduce inflammation. There are plenty of simple and delicious ways to sneak antiinflammatory foods into our already busy lives. In Austin, there are even easy, on-the-go options to reduce inflammation in a pinch. If you are experiencing the symptoms of inflammation, don't be daunted. You can help yourself a long way by focusing on these anti-inflammatory foods (80 percent of the time).