Top 10 Foods to Eat to Fight Inflammation + Meal Ideas

An unhealthy diet is the #1 contributor of inflammation. The good part is that you have control over what you choose to eat and drink, which is a powerful thing.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is often a silent, but extremely important factor in the development of chronic disease. Inflammation promotes dis-ease of all kinds, including weight gain, bloating, pain, fatigue, arthritis, anxiety, depression, thyroid dysfunction, brain fog, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and more. There are numerous factors that contribute to inflammation, which I’ll touch on next time.

My Top 10 Inflammatory foods To Remove From Your Diet:

1. Refined sugars of all kinds
2. White flour and refined carbohydrates
3. Refined oils like canola, soybean, safflower, corn and most sunflower
4. Trans-fats from fried foods, mono- and diglycerides found in processed foods
5. Gluten
6. Alcohol
7. Conventional dairy products like non-organic milk, butter and cheese and processed dairy
8. Fruit juice, especially from concentrate
9. MSG, seen as monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, natural flavours
10. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame, splenda, sucrulose, acesulfame k

My Top 10 Foods to Fight Inflammation:

1. Berries like raspberries and goji berries
2. Broccoli and cauliflower
3. Dark leafy greens
4. Avocados
5. Coconut oil
6. Grass-fed meats like beef
7. Green tea which is high in the antioxidant EGCG
8. Turmeric
9. Garlic
10. Apple cider vinegar

Remember that organic foods will also be much more anti-inflammatory than non-organic, so purchase whenever possible, but do the best you can!

Anti-Inflammatory Meal Ideas:

Here are a few anti-inflammatory meal that I love to eat on a regular basis. You do not need to follow the amounts of foods listed, this is just a guide. 

The key here is balancing your meals with fat, protein and fibre and getting a variety of colours and flavours!

Morning drink: filtered water and warm lemon water or organic green tea (decaf if needed)

Meal 1 – Breakfast

Anti-Inflammatory Berry Coconut Smoothie

• 1/2-1 cup organic frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 large handful organic spinach
• 1 tbsp raw flaxseeds (ground)
• 1 tbsp hemp hearts
• 1 scoop vegan, paleo or collagen protein
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1/2-1 cup filtered water

Meal 2 – Lunch 

Mixed Greens Salad with Chicken & Avocado

• 2-3 cups organic mixed greens
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 organic chicken breast
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• Dressing: blend 1/2 cup cold-pressed olive oil, pinch Himalayan salt, pepper, 1 tbsp oregano, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar-free dijon mustard & 1 garlic clove. 

*Add raw honey or stevia to sweeten

Meal 3 – Dinner

Grass-Fed Beef & Quinoa Bowl

• Organic, grass-fed/finished beef seasoned with Himalayan salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and cooked in avocado oil
• A few cups of non-starchy veggies like roasted broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus
• 1/2 cup quinoa or sweet potatoes with 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• Season with salt, pepper, sugar-free hot sauce and fresh cilantro or basil
• A few olives or macadamia nuts

Dessert Option

Berries & Cream

• 1 cup fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
• A couple tablespoons coconut cream (put your can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight then use the hardened cream at the top
• Stevia to taste

If you’re looking for support or would like more information on the type of diet and supplements that are right for you, reach out to us! Our Registered Holistic Nutritionists are ready to help! We also offer 1-on-1 personalized Nutrition Coaching, Functional Medicine Testing, as well as meal plans and diet-specific recipe books to get you started!

Asher Kleiber

Registered Holistic Nutritionist™

www.flourishnaturalwellness.com