DIET TIPS FOR CONTROLLING INFLAMMATION

The last three posts have been about inflammation which is a huge problem for many people.  Read the previous posts if you need more information.  This article regards some dietary changes you may need to make in your life to stave off or slow down inflammation.

• Eat Greens:  Green leafy vegetables are rich in magnesium, a mineral about 60% of us don't consume enough of.  There is a lot of evidence that people with high inflammatory markers have low magnesium levels.
• Up Your Consumption of Soy:  The FDA has indicated that eating 25 grams of soy protein daily helps to reduce your risk of inflammation-driven cardiovascular disease.  (If you have a hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer or endometriosis, check with your doctor before increasing the amount of soy in your diet.)
• Balance the omega fats in your diet.  We Americans tend to eat too many inflammation-promoting omega-6 fats (found in such vegetable oils as sunflower and corn and the processed foods made with them) and not enough inflammation-soothing omega-3 fats (found in salmon, tuna, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola and olive oil). According to Dr. Chilton (referrenced in the previous posts), a diet high in omega-6s and low in omega-3s increases inflammation in the body.  Dr. Cannon (referenced in previous posts) says, "If you eat 1 healthy source of omega-3 fatty acids every day, you'll be doing good things for inflammation."  You need 1 to 4 grams of omega-3s daily to boost the number of proteins in the body that quell inflammation and also reduce the level of proteins that promote inflammation.