Another blog post from Ann Arbor chiropractor Mike Tannenbaum, D.C.

Is there is such a thing as an anti-inflammatory diet? Yes, there is, and to improve your health this is the diet you should probably be following. An anti-inflammatory diet is one that uses foods that limit or reduce the body’s inflammatory response to its environment. This diet is extremely important to the body’s health. An anti-inflammatory diet has been shown to produce many health benefits – such as less joint and muscle pain; improved health of the body’s organs, systems, and tissues; and an increased life expectancy.

Lifestyles vary greatly, and some people have more exposure to those things that cause inflammation of the body. Things such as smoking cigarettes, as well as consuming high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and highly processed foods, all create an inflammatory response. There are numerous other substances that cause an inflammatory response. Obviously, an anti-inflammatory diet doesn’t include these substances. An anti-inflammatory diet uses foods that are more or less “inflammatory neutral” or that even decrease the inflammatory response. The foods in an anti-inflammatory diet generally include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins (like beans and nuts), fatty fish, and fresh herbs and spices.

An anti-inflammatory diet can not only be very healthful, but very tasty as well. There are many foods that can be consumed in the diet. Listed below are some of them.

• Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, etc.)

• Olive oil

• Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, etc.)

• Lentils

• Whole grains

• Fruits (blueberries, strawberries, cherries, oranges, etc.)

• Turmeric

• Sweet potatoes

• Shitake mushrooms

• Soy

• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.)

• Curry

• Cumin

• Fresh herbs

• Chia seeds

• Quinoa

• Beets

• Broccoli

• Chicken

• Pineapple

• Cauliflower

• Chickpeas

• Carrots

• Celery

• Coconut oil

• Ginger

• Raw oats

If you struggle to put meals together with the above list of foods, there are many anti-inflammatory meal plans that can be found on reputable sites on the internet. With this in mind, I’m sure there are plenty of anti-inflammatory foods and meals that you will enjoy consuming, leading to a healthier you.

If you have any questions about this blog post, chiropractic, back pain, neck pain, or headaches, I can be reached at my Ann Arbor office at [email protected].