Inflammation can be helpful to our bodies when it occurs as the result of an injury our body is trying to heal. It may also occur if we’re trying to fight off an infection.

When we live with high levels of stress, we’re inactive for long periods of time, or we’re eating too many unhealthy foods, inflammation becomes a chronic condition that can lead to disease (e.g. heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc).

A few of the main foods that cause inflammation include:

refined and processed carbohydrates, fried foods, sugar (which is hidden in many of our drinks and foods), processed meats and trans fats.

Fortunately, there are also many foods that decrease inflammation.

Some of the Best Anti-Inflammatory foods are:

• Berries (e.g., strawberries, blueberries, etc.), Cherries and Grapes

  These fruits are loaded with vitamins, anti-oxidants and phytonutrients which help decrease inflammation and improve your immune system.

• Broccoli, Mushrooms and Peppers

  Within the broccoli family are other cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and kale). Again, all of these vegetables are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that fight inflammation. They are also very low in calories.

• Salmon and other fatty fish

  Fatty fish (e.g., sardines, mackerel, herring) are loaded with Omega-3 fats which help to reduce inflammation.

• Avocados and Tomatoes

  Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fats and are high in potassium, magnesium and fiber. Tomatoes also contain potassium, Vitamin C and lycopene (a very strong anti-inflammatory antioxidant).

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  Another one of the healthiest monounsaturated fats for our bodies with significant anti-inflammatory effects.

• Green Tea (again loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties)

• Turmeric

  One of the main component of turmeric is curcumin, which has been associated with many anti-inflammatory benefits.

• Dark Chocolate

  Yes, we saved the best for last. The flavanols in cocoa are anti-inflammatory though for best results, we need to chose chocolate that is at least 70% dark.

  Final Note:

  While there are certainly many foods our taste buds might be a little disappointed to give up to decrease inflammation, there are also many great tasting foods in our anti-inflammatory list. The more of these foods we choose on a regular basis, the happier our hearts, brains, and most of the other organs and cells of our body will be.

  Sometimes we forget about all the good we can do for our overall health and instead allow our taste buds to rule our choices. I can’t help but think of our taste buds as a somewhat spoiled child that could benefit from a time-out!