Nutrition Advancement is our name, inflammation is our game! We have known for years now the inflammation seems to be at the root cause of most all our health ailments. There are certain foods that are the main culprits of inflammation. They are:
Sugar – we all know sugar isn’t great for us but sugar, all kinds whether maple syrup or GMO beet sugar all create some inflammation. That’s right, unless it says ‘cane sugar’ on the label the sugar is genetically modified sugar from sugar beets. Another thing we know is that genetically modified foods seem to create inflammation in the esophagus and stomach lining by themselves. The first thing to address sugar is to keep it to desserts. Processed foods now contain sugar in just about everything. Watch your ingredient labels, buy whole foods, cook from scratch and keep sugars in dessert foods to limit your intake. Choose dried fruit in place of candy and end meals with fruit to signal to the brain the meal is over.
Saturated fat – With a few exceptions such as tropical oils including coconut oil, saturated fats are from animal foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cow’s milk and anything made from cow’s milk. Try decreasing your intake of saturated fats by choosing leaner and healthier animal products such as wild salmon and poultry. Watch out for processed foods, milk and cheese which are common in our food supply and are a hidden source of saturated fats.
Trans fat – Trans fats are where we chemically change the structure of unsaturated fats to make them more desirable in food products. The trans fats actually increase the tastiness of food and extend the shelf life. A win-win for the food company’s but a bad combination in our bodies. Trans fats are also associated with increased risks for cardiovascular diseases. A trans fat is changed into a molecule that can no longer really fit through the door of a cell. So what happens to a trans fat? It keeps circulating in the blood. We get older and have scratches on the inside of our arterial wall and the trans fats stick really nicely building up a big spot on the inside of the artery causing plaque. To look out for trans fats watch for any hydrogenated oils.
Refined Carbohydrates – Refined carbohydrates are any grains that are not whole grains. The food ingredient may say enriched and this means it is refined. Brown rice is the whole grain, white rice is the refined grain or refined carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are only in plant foods just like saturated fats are mainly in animal foods. Carbohydrates are all grains (whether whole grain or refined grains), fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. Oils can be from animals or plants and are not considered a carbohydrate since they are extracted from the animal or plant. Oils in their natural forms, for instance flaxseeds, are carbohydrates. Limit your use of refined carbohydrates by focusing on fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains – especially limiting white flour.
Check back for more on the list of common inflammatory foods!
