- Brain and Body Wellness Center
Inflammatory Foods to Avoid
The food you eat can be either the most powerful nourishment or gradual and potent form of poison for your body and your brain.
The Inflammatory foods are major players in the development of much of the disease, pain and suffering because inflammation is at the root cause of most chronic health issues.
With so much conflicting dietary advice out there, you may wonder what foods you need to eliminate and what diet to follow to reduce inflammation. To eliminate chronic inflammation, you need to eliminate this inflammatory foods from your life:
Gluten - gluten is a protein found in a variety of grains, including wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is especially dangerous and must be completely eliminated by people with Celiac disease or gluten allergy. More common, however, is gluten sensitivity which may cause a low-level chronic inflammation, a leaky gut and variety of other symptoms. Eliminating gluten may lower your inflammation levels and improve your health.
Refined Carbohydrates - most baked goods including white bread, bagels, crackers, pasta, flour tortillas, and breakfast cereal are made with refined wheat flour. In addition to possibly being full of gluten and high in sugar, refined wheat flours are stripped of nutrients and slow-digesting fiber. Therefore, your body breaks them down way too quickly leading to blood sugar spikes, inflammation, and health issues.
Sugar - is one of the most inflammatory foods, yet, refined sugar is everywhere from candy, baked goods, pastries, sodas, sugary drinks, sweetened coffee and tea, pasta sauces, meat, condiments, and more. When you eat too much sugar, your body cannot process it quickly enough so as a result it releases pro-inflammatory messengers called cytokines.Too much sugar may damage your immune system and lead to blood sugar issues.
Processed Conventional Meat - eating healthy meat is extremely important for your health. However, conventional non organic processed meat, such as deli meat and cured meat are highly processed, full of hormones, additives, and other unhealthy ingredients.They are highly inflammatory and dangerous to your health.
Conventionally Raised Meat and Dairy - meat that is not organic and animals are not treated by the highest standards is full of hormones, antibiotics, toxic pesticides and GMOs and is highly inflammatory. Dairy used to be a part of a healthy human diet unfortunately, conventional dairy is not from pasture-raised animals and not organic. It is unhealthy for your gut microbiome and highly inflammatory.
Farm-Raised Fish and Seafood - fish and seafood are healthy sources of anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids and protein. However, farm-raised fish are raised under unhealthy conditions, often given antibiotics, and fed unhealthy diets. In general farm-raised fish and seafood have more inflammatory Omega 6 fatty acids, higher toxic chemical exposure, and less protein than wild-caught fish.
Trans Fats - known as a Partially Hydrogenated Oils. There are two types of trans fats in foods: naturally-occurring and artificial trans fats. Naturally occurring trans fats are made in the gut of some animals and can be found in small quantities in milk and meat products.The real bad ones are artificial trans fats that are produced by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to solidify them. They are the primary source of trans fatty acids in processed foods. Partially hydrogenated oils are highly inflammatory and can increase your risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and strokes. Not even the FDA recognizes them as safe.
Vegetable and Seed Oil - it is vital to understand the importance of a healthy Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio to control inflammation. Highly processed vegetable oils, such as corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, and peanut oil are high in omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6 is not bad when balanced with anti-inflammatory omega 3. Some nutrient-dense foods, such as almonds, cashews, and other nuts have small amounts of omega 6 in them. A diet high in omega 6 fatty acids is extremely inflammatory and may contribute to the development of disease and pain.
Artificial Sweeteners- you already know that refined sugar is not your friend. However, you need to also watch out for artificial sweeteners. They can accelerate aging, inflame your brain and contribute to digestive disorders. Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K), Sucralose(Splenda), and other artificial sweeteners may add a sweet flavor to your food, but they are not healthy. They are highly inflammatory, have a neurotoxic effect on your brain and may lead to mood disorders and brain-related cancer.
Additives and Preservatives - If you look carefully at the ingredients of some processed foods you will find various food additives and preservatives. These ingredients have no nutritional value and are used to enhance flavor, texture, or color, or to extend shelf life. They are frequently inflammatory and harmful to your health. For example:
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) used at fast food restaurants, is often added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats to enhance the flavor. MSG has been associated with metabolic syndrome, weight gain, and many other health conditions.
Sodium nitrate, a preservative that's used in some processed meats, such as bacon and luncheon meats, may lead to inflammation, heart disease and cancer.
Other food additives and preservatives associated with inflammation, allergic reactions, and some cancers include: high fructose corn syrup, guar gum, sodium benzoate, trans fats, artificial flavoring and artificial coloring such as Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5 and
Artificial Sweeteners- you already know that refined sugar is not your friend. However, you need to also watch out for artificial sweeteners. They can accelerate aging, inflame your brain and contribute to digestive disorders.
Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K), MSG, Sucralose (Splenda), and other artificial sweeteners may add a sweet flavor to your food, but they are not healthy. They are highly inflammatory, have a neuro-toxic effect on your brain and may lead to mood disorders and brain-related cancer.
The truth is that eating healthy is actually fairly simple. Once you understand what foods can damage and what foods can protect your health, you can eat a nutrient dense food as you are healing your body and protecting your brain with every bite.
For more information about "Amino Acid (Neurotransmitter) Therapy” program its effectiveness or to start the program please contact Brain And Body Wellness Center at 972-248-0780