The Anti-Inflammatory Diet
By My Fit Foods‘ Meg McCall, B.S., M.S. Candidate in Human Nutrition, Corporate Nutritionist
There is a silent killer out there affecting all of us and this smoldering fire is the true root cause of most chronic disease today. Inflammation is the root cause of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disease, and obesity. Think of inflammation as a slow burning fire and poor lifestyle, lack of movement, junk food, and obesity is adding gasoline to the flame.
Inflammation is a normal and beneficial process when used by the body appropriately. It’s the work horse of our immune system that uses chemicals and hormones to fight invaders like bacteria and viruses. So, although we need inflammatory mechanisms to make our immune system work, when this process gets out of hand, we are actually causing rapid damage to the body. Think free radicals, and think aging faster with chronic disease rearing its ugly head.
So, how can we lower inflammation and help ourselves also lose weight? Inflammatory signals slow down the metabolism and cause the body to be in an alarm state—think water retention, fat storage, and belly fat.
Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation:
- Being obese or overweight
- Eating a poor diet
- An existing heart condition
- A family history of heart disease
- Diabetes that’s poorly controlled
- A sedentary lifestyle (no, or very little, exercise)
- Smoking
- Long-term infections
- Gum disease
The only real cure for chronic inflammation includes three tenets:
- THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET
The 21 Day Challenge IS an Anti-Inflammatory Diet. We choose lean proteins, low glycemic index carbohydrates, healthy clean oils, antioxidant rich fruits, vegetables, and spices—all of which control insulin and radically lower inflammatory hormones. The kinds of oils you eat are imperatively important—think Trans Fats—your biggest douse of gasoline to the fire. Think sugar and white flour—adding fuel to the flame. This is why people lose weight so easily on our program—from 6 to 15 pounds in 21 Days.
- SUPPLEMENTS THAT FIGHT INFLAMMATION
- FISH OIL is your number one fighter of inflammatory hormones and can literally turn them off. In one six month study, subjects receiving just 1.5 gram a day of EPA % DHA omega-3 lowered their CRP by almost 40%.
- The Daily Fit Pack has every nutrient that you can think of that will lower your inflammation level, boost your thyroid, and naturally nourish your energy levels. The antioxidants present in these vitamins and herbs are like water to fire. They include:
CURCUMIN
RESVERATROL
VITAMIN D3
MAGNESIUM
B-12
NAC
ROSEMARY
ALPHA LOPOIC ACID
CINNAMON
- LIFESTYLE REMEDIES:
- Get daily sunlight if possible to improve your Vitamin D3 status.
- Get moving! Exercise at your own capacity and do it daily if possible.
- Lower your chemical burden. Cut out fragrance where you can.
- Get 8 hours of sleep. Nothing turns up the heat for inflammation worse than lack of sleep.
- Have fun and laugh—endorphins lower inflammatory chemicals.
Remember that the My Fit Foods 21 Day Challenge truly is your ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET just waiting to serve you. Get with one of our Nutrition Coaches and make it happen!
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