During my journey from chronic illness to wellness it dawned on me that if more people understood what an important role they play in their own health, they could change the quality of their life forever. We have so much more control than we realize and it starts with eating clean, whole, and nourishing foods. Eating healthfully is not what you think; it’s not about deprivation. It’s about living a clean life and removing the toxins in your environment and foods that affect our bodies. Inflammation is hot topic these days because it’s the root cause of unwanted symptoms and health issues. When our immune system is imbalanced, inflammation can lead to chronic health issues. It can be caused by stress, mold, pesticides, mercury, hidden parasites, bacteria and viruses, as well as by eating inflammatory foods, all of which lack nutrients that our body needs on a daily basis to function optimally.
The best way to protect yourself from (and decrease) inflammation in your body is by eating a clean diet filled with one-ingredient, anti-inflammatory foods that are full of fibre, antioxidants, and phytonutrients such as Lycopene. Lycopene is actually found in tomatoes and is probably something you already use in a variety of dishes—but you can get very creative with it as well. This incredible antioxidant provides benefits for our skin from the inside out, so you can obtain both health and beauty benefits. Some foods you can start to incorporate in your daily meals and snacks include raw walnuts, dark leafy greens, fresh ginger, turmeric, blueberries, garlic, fresh rosemary, and cruciferous veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower.
Other ways to decrease inflammation are exercising on a daily basis, taking probiotics that feed the good bacteria in your gut, managing the way you react to your stress, and identifying what trigger foods are harming your health with an elimination diet.
Many people are starting to experience hidden sensitivities to the foods they eat, which is causing inflammation and serious health issues. Food sensitivities can occur a few hours after eating the problem food or up to a few days later and they manifest in symptoms such as acne, eczema, sinus issues, headaches, bloating, weight gain, muscle and/or joint pain, brain fog, exhaustion and water retention.
Take control of your health!
Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP is the Nutrition Ambassador at Lycored. She currently has a popular wellness blog The Healthy Apple, and authored the cookbook Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body.
