What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
Acute inflammation, often experienced as redness, warmth, pain, and swelling can be absolutely necessary in the event of injury or infection and is the body’s natural way of defending and healing itself. When inflammation becomes routine and chronic systemically, however, we usually do not experience any symptoms until much of the damage has already been done. Acute inflammation can be viewed as vital for healing, while chronic inflammation is often considered a silent killer. Every organ system can be affected by chronic inflammation, which rears its ugly head in hundreds of seemingly unrelated diseases including the development of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, neurological degeneration, and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or Crohn’s disease. Chronic inflammation can be caused by a variety of concurrent factors such as a poor diet (highly processed/refined, excessive caloric intake), poor water quality, toxins in the products that we put on our bodies or clean our houses with, pesticides and chemicals in the foods we eat, and poor lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, lack of sleep, and not exercising. All of these toxins build up in the body and can cause physiological stress and oxidative damage leading to DNA destruction, poor insulin regulation (i.e., chronically elevated insulin and cortisol levels which can lead to metabolic syndrome), and a leaky gut.
“My eyes were opened to a whole new realm of possibilities where medicine is concerned—I then started to question, if food could heal my migraines, what else could it heal? And this, my friends, is where it all began.”
Leaky gut syndrome is caused by repeated damage to the intestinal lining wherein the microvilli become unable to properly carry out their functions. Microvilli are the tiny cellular protrusions that increase the surface area of the cells to increase the absorption and processing of the nutrients and enzymes ingested. When they cannot function properly this can cause increased gut permeability, which causes the nutrients that would have normally been absorbed and used for body functions to leak into the bloodstream. The body then initiates an autoimmune attack on these “foreign invaders” and responds with inflammation similar to an allergic response. If left unchecked, this process of inflammation only increases over time and begins to manifest itself in the symptoms that we typically associate with chronic disease.
Unfortunately, Western medicine struggles in the management of, let alone the cure for, the autoimmune process. The traditional approach is to squelch the natural immune response with immunosuppressive agents and steroids, both of which merely mask symptoms and cover up the underlying issue. This simply allows the underlying process causing the disease to continue on and the damaged tissue continues to regenerate. Unless the actual root of the inflammation is addressed, the body reinvents more symptoms and manifests in other diseases, the inevitable is only postponed and you have potentially done more harm to the body in the process. This is why it is of utmost importance to heal the gut with proper nutrition and start tackling chronic inflammation from the root.
What is an anti-inflammatory diet and how do I get started?
An anti-inflammatory diet consists of whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean meats, whole grains, and legumes. Although specific needs may vary with the individual it often excludes the following: gluten (including products containing wheat, kamut, rye, spelt); all dairy; dried and canned fruits; corn, nightshades (i.e. tomatoes, peppers, eggplant); soy products; peanuts; eggs; all grain-fed and processed beef, pork, and poultry; most beverages except water and herbal teas; and most condiments, sauces, and sweeteners. For most people I recommend if you’re going to sweeten something, use natural and unprocessed sweeteners such as pure local honey and grade B maple syrup in small amounts, and in cases where sugar needs to be completely avoided (e.g. Candida) I suggest pure monk fruit or stevia. This type of dietary shift works to give the gut a break, decreasing the body’s toxic load, and subsequently regulating the insulin response. This helps to relieve chronic inflammation and slowly begins to heal and restore the body from the chronic health conditions listed above.
In my own personal experience, my gut was in such terrible condition that my doctor recommended that I adhere to my elimination diet for about 4-6 months before I began reintroducing foods. After about 4 very strict months I was able to try reintroducing foods to test for sensitivity by eating two to three servings of that particular food in a day, then waiting for a couple of days and monitoring my body for any undesirable response. It is important not to reintroduce multiple foods at one time, and it is recommended that you wait about three days before adding the next food. I have found however, that many people who are looking for relief from their symptoms and are considering elimination diets do not think that they could possibly abstain from their favorite foods for 6 months. You will likely need strict avoidance of inflammatory foods for a minimum 2-3 weeks to see any improvement in your symptoms so please don’t give up before then, but I typically recommend a period of time no less than 3 months to really see results. Hang in there, because I promise it’s worth it.
What are some of the possible physical or emotional manifestations of a change in diet?
As the body begins to detox from the build-up of toxins, the immune system kicks into gear to clean out the debris. This can manifest in cold-like symptoms as the body sends in the reinforcements and secretes mucous to flush out the waste, a process that should be considered as adjustments by the body to keep itself whole and functioning. Depending on your situation, you may experience general fatigue; pains and aches; fever, chills, and coughs; abnormal sweating or frequent urination; skin eruptions and unusual body odors; diarrhea or constipation; irritability; and other “minor transitory symptoms” such as restless dreams, hair loss, and feeling cold (1). It is important to understand the possibility of experiencing such symptoms and I encourage you not to get discouraged and quit because you feel crummy. They don’t last forever. Keep going.
My doctor warned me over 6 years ago as I began my anti-Candida elimination diet that I may experience flu-like symptoms and colds as the fungus died off, and that I should be encouraged that that was a sign of my healthy body fighting back against the yeast. My headaches had to get a lot worse before they could get better. I began to see patches of eczema on my hands. In the 4 months that I remained on the strictest part of my elimination diet I got sick with a head cold 6 times, more frequently than I ever had before. I had to learn about new cold remedies and herbal teas. It is certainly difficult not to cave, especially when you’re feeling bad and are craving your comfort foods. But if you can stick with it, it is so very worth it.
Once my die-off symptoms cleared, I began to feel better than I ever had before. My daily migraines were GONE. The allergies and asthma that I had experienced since I was a kid were GONE. I realized that I had actually been living with a minor stomach-ache after meals basically my entire life and I didn’t know that wasn’t normal until it no longer ached. My eyes were opened to a whole new realm of possibilities where medicine is concerned—I then started to question, if food could heal my migraines, what else could it heal? And this, my friends, is where it all began.
1. Colbin A. Food and Healing. New York, NY: Random House Publishing; 1986.