Pondering the Health Issue - Inflammation

I have been reading a lot recently about inflammation and it's effect on our health. Apparently chronic inflammation actually leads to other serious health issues. An example would be arthritis (chronic inflammation) can bring on early Alzheimer's or heart disease. How many times have you had an ache or pain somewhere that is relentless and you end up feeling tired or in pain all over? Doctors think that by reducing inflammation in your body you actually can delay or remove the threat of having some of the more serious health issues (heart disease, diabetes, etc.).

There are several anti-inflammatory diets on the market but basically this is how you eat (This is specifically from Web Md but I have seen this on several web sites):

1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Some of the sites specifically mention Green, Orange and Yellow Veggies.
2. Minimize saturated and trans fats. There is talk on the Internet specifically about Omega-6 fatty acids and the need to decrease them. I think I need a blog on that.
3. Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil supplements and walnuts. Try having Tuna (albacore) for lunch and remember to talk to your Doctor before starting any supplements.
4. Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white rice. Again avoid the starches that have no good nutritional value in them.
5. Eat plenty of whole grains such as brown rice and Bulgar wheat.  There is so much good in whole grains you just have to look.  I think I need a blog on whole wheat and whole grains.
6. Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. This means no hot dogs, processed meats or salami. And watch your red meats. I recently read to get the lean meats you need to look for the words 'loin' or 'round' in the title of the meat. Actually these are usually the cheaper cuts of beef and pork.
7. Avoid refined foods and processed foods. Back to my donuts . . .
8. Spice it up. Ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory effect. Cinnamon is also on this list.

You know the more that I look at this diet the more it reminds me of the 'how to eat if you want to avoid cancer' diet I talked about last month in a blog. Seems to me if you watch what you eat. Eat more whole foods rather than processed stuff. Watch your fats and salt then you will have it made.

Just one more bit of information that I found - believe it or not flossing your teeth can help to curb inflammation. When you have stuff trapped between your teeth it can actually cause an inflammatory reaction in your body. So get in there and floss.  Enjoy!