Maintain a healthy lifestyle
A diet rich in food variety is indispensable for vitality and health, and it has a healing effect on illnesses. A fat-protein diet, formed by making use of the interactions between different nutrients, should be followed. This diet is a way of eating rich in nourishing components and essential fatty acids, rather than harmful foods containing additives. Essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through food. In this way, refined foods, refined sugar, and white flour are completely eliminated from the diet.
In addition to healthy eating, you should also give importance to a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise outdoors, adequate rest, and reduced stress are indispensable for a healthy life. All of these are necessary to prevent today's illnesses, which stem from inflammatory processes such as diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and Parkinson's disease.
Rules of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- Limit your omega-6 intake by reducing your consumption of processed products such as red meat and sausage.
- A vegetarian diet should be your priority.
- Reduce packaged products and foods containing sugar and white flour.
- Prefer oils containing plant-based omega-3.
- Lose excess weight by reducing your consumption of simple carbohydrates.
- Consume plenty of fiber-rich foods.
- Satisfy your need for sweets with fresh fruit and a moderate amount of honey.
- If your needs increase, use capsules containing NADH, Q10, and EPA and DHA obtained from algae oil.
- Consume fresh fruits and vegetables in a balanced and rotating way, as they contain antioxidants, minerals, and trace elements.
- Use steaming methods to minimize nutrient losses.
- Limit harmful substances such as caffeine and alcohol, and avoid nicotine as much as possible.
- For a healthy life, exercise regularly in fresh air, at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes.
- Get enough rest and sleep 7-8 hours a day.
Develop Positive Eating Habits
- You should eat at least 400 grams of as varied a selection of organic vegetables as possible every day.
- Make sure Brussels sprouts and white cabbage are always on your table.
- Vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, onion, garlic, green beans, peas, spinach, carrots, potatoes, avocado, peppers, and tomatoes are rich in the micronutrients that are vitamins and minerals. Colorful foods always have anti-inflammatory properties. These foods should make up at least half of your daily diet.
- Organic lemons, consumed together with their peel, are one of the most effective foods. They help eliminate vascular deposits, prevent cancer, slow inflammation, and prevent the progression of Alzheimer's plaques.
- Wheat and wheat products are not very well tolerated by the body. When wheat is removed from the diet, many chronic conditions disappear.
- To meet your daily omega-3 needs, consume 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil or 2-3 tablespoons of flaxseed every day.
- Use spices such as turmeric, black pepper, and ginger.
- Eat oily fish 2-3 times a week. If this is not sufficient, supplement with fish oil that does not contain heavy metals.
- Diversify your vegetable consumption with smoothies.
Avoid Negative Eating Habits
Corn oil, sunflower oil, and vegetable oils with unspecified contents contain omega-6, which triggers inflammation.
Reduce your sugar consumption as much as possible. Sweets, chocolates, lemonade, ready-made fruit juices, and white bread contain sugar. High blood sugar and insulin resistance increase inflammation and cholesterol levels, and lead to fatty liver and many typical "age-related diseases." However, this doesn't mean a person needs to eliminate sugar from their life entirely. For example, since cacao prevents inflammation, you can enjoy dark chocolate with a cacao content of 70% or higher on a daily basis.
Avoid fast food and ready-made meals. The worst part of today's eating habits is that processed foods are low in micronutrients and anti-inflammatory substances.
Alcohol causes inflammation in the liver. Limit your alcohol consumption.
Red meat triggers inflammation, fish prevents inflammation, and poultry is neutral in terms of inflammation. Red meat contains fatty acids that trigger inflammation. Factory-farmed meat obtained through the food industry has a high glyphosate content (the main substance in the herbicide used to kill weeds). If you want to eat red meat, choose organic options.
Milk consumption increases inflammation in adults because it leads to acidity. In children who are still growing, if possible, consume organic milk obtained from cows or goats fed on grass or hay, instead of ready-made milk.
Many people cannot digest wheat. If you suspect you have a gluten intolerance, you should stop consuming wheat for a while. As an alternative, you can prefer buckwheat, quinoa, and legume flours, and make bread from these. If celiac disease is suspected, a doctor must be consulted, otherwise serious illnesses can develop.
In conclusion: Chronic inflammatory processes trigger disease!
Since most of today's illnesses stem from inflammation, an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle are important for health.
For more information on this and similar topics, you can benefit from my book "The Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Guide."
Hüseyin Nazlıkul