Another day, I stabbed my finger with a cat’s insulin needle. Mildly freaking out, and wondering if I would turn into a Catwoman, I watched my finger turn red and swollen, with throbbing pain radiating from the tiny puncture.
In pathology classes, we call it “the five cardinal signs of inflammation”: swelling, redness, pain, heat, and loss of function. If you’ve ever been a child, you’ve likely seen inflammation many times —on scraped knees, twisted ankles, or bruises from a bike fall.
Although inflammation got a bad rep in the past years, its acute form is actually good for us. When we cut a finger or catch a virus, our immune system recruits its defenses to the place of injury, isolates it from the rest of the body, and works tirelessly to heal it ASAP. Then it moves on with its life, normally within a couple of days or weeks.
Acute inflammation has been around for millennia, and we should thank it for repeatedly saving our lives.
However, its evil brother — chronic inflammation — is a more recent phenomenon.
During chronic inflammation, the immune reaction doesn’t resolve. The immune system ends up working overtime for months or even years, gradually getting confused and overwhelmed. Eventually, it can stop doing its job correctly (like not removing cancerous cells promptly or “over-repairing” the blood vessels with plaque buildup). If it goes into overdrive, an autoimmune condition can emerge. All top killers like diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and such are classified as chronic inflammatory conditions.
But even before the situation gets to a diagnosis, a background “white noise” of low-grade chronic inflammation appears familiar to many of us.
Depending on the affected area, for some people chronic inflammation will manifest as constant digestive discomfort, while for others it may look like fatigue and brain fog. Endless food sensitivities, all the bothersome “itises” (as in sinusitis, tonsillitis, arthritis, etc.), and even weight gain are strongly linked to chronic inflammation.
To summarize, here’s what inflammation means and the difference between chronic and acute inflammation:
Inflammation is the body’s defense against harmful stimuli like pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It comes in two forms:
- Acute Inflammation: A short-term response to injury or infection.
- Chronic Inflammation: Long-lasting inflammation that can persist for months or years and is linked to various diseases.
Key Diet-Related Contributors:
- Blood Sugar Imbalances: Excessive sugar and simple carbohydrates, low fiber, and more.
- Excess Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs): These form through high-temperature cooking methods like frying and grilling. Animal products cooked at high temperatures are the highest AGE contributors.
- Exposure to Allergens: Repeated consumption of foods that cause sensitivities or allergies.
- Microbiome Imbalances: Diets low in fiber, void in fermented foods, and/or high in inflammatory foods all contribute to such imbalances.
- Autoimmune Triggers: Foods that cause immune system flare-ups (such as gluten in Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, due to similarities in molecular structure with thyroid cells).
- Oxidized Fats: Trans fats, poor-quality fats, and improperly stored unsaturated fats (like olive oil, flaxseeds, etc.) all contribute to inflammation.
Dietary tips to reduce chronic inflammation:
1. Reduce AGEs:
AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products) play a big role in chronic inflammation. These compounds are found in foods cooked at high temperatures or produced in the body. According to the most recent studies on AGEs, healthy individuals consume around 15,000 Ku AGEs a day. To put it into perspective, 3 pieces of fried bacon contain ~90,000 Ku AGEs, while a tomato has only ~23 Ku.
You can access the study with the full list of foods here.
To reduce AGEs in your diet:
- Choose cooking methods like steaming, boiling, or light sautéing.
- Meats cooked with high and dry heat form the most AGEs, while vegetables cooked in the same way (grilling, roasting) form negligible amounts. If you are a fan of these caramelized flavors, try to get most of them from your veggies and not from meats.
- Use acidic marinades to lower AGE formation in cooked animal foods.
- Include a variety of fresh vegetables and whole plant foods to get as much anti-inflammatory nutrients as possible. Anti-inflammatory nutrients such as antioxidants help counteract the negative effects of AGEs.
2. Double down on Anti-Inflammatory Foods:
Incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your diet can help combat chronic inflammation. These foods are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, which also support healthy gut bacteria.
Some of the best Anti-Inflammatory Foods are:
- Seeds: Flax, chia, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower
- Herbs: Cilantro, dill, parsley, basil
- Green Leafy Vegetables
- Beans and Legumes
- Spices: Cinnamon, fennel, coriander
- Roots: Turmeric, ginger
- Alliums: Garlic, green onions, leeks
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Berries, Pomegranate
- Cruciferous Vegetables
- Sea Vegetables
- Red and Purple Fruits and Vegetables
- Ancient Grains
- Fermented Foods
3. Identify and work on overcoming common mental roadblocks:
Anti-inflammatory eating is simple, yet for many it’s not easy due to these common roadblocks:
- Don’t know how to prepare
- Don’t know how to eat a significant amount
- Don’t like the flavors
- Don’t have time to prepare
- Don’t have a habit of incorporating
- Don’t know proper storage techniques – food goes bad
- Don’t know how to eat a variety/aren’t aware of some foods at all
Here are some practical tips to help you incorporate these foods into your routine:
– Storage Tips: Learn how to properly store herbs and other perishables to extend their shelf life.
– Recipe Ideas: Try new dressing recipes or get creative with vegetable preparation.
– Meal Planning: Plan your shopping around seasonal vegetables and prepare them ahead of time.
While diet plays a significant role in managing chronic inflammation, lifestyle factors are just as important. Many modern habits contribute to inflammation, keeping the body in a state of constant stress.
Key Lifestyle Factors That Increase Chronic Inflammation:
- Lack of Sleep: Poor sleep quality or not enough sleep can disrupt the body’s natural healing processes. Sleep is essential for immune regulation, and chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to elevated inflammatory markers.
- Chronic Stress: Long-term emotional or psychological stress triggers the release of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone. While cortisol is meant to reduce inflammation in short bursts, prolonged exposure to cortisol can have the opposite effect, increasing inflammation and weakening the immune system.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: Physical inactivity can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and overall inflammation in the body.
- Exposure to Environmental Toxins: Air pollution, heavy metals, and chemicals in everyday products (like cleaning supplies, plastics, and personal care items) can create oxidative stress in the body, which contributes to chronic inflammation.
- Smoking and Excessive Alcohol Consumption: Smoking introduces toxins into the body that cause damage to cells, while excessive alcohol can lead to liver inflammation, increased gut permeability (leaky gut), and imbalanced blood sugar levels.
Conclusion:
By addressing these lifestyle factors and making small, consistent changes, you can reduce the risk of chronic inflammation and its harmful effects on your health. Understanding the mechanisms of inflammation and tweaking your diet to be more anti-inflammatory are great starting points if you want to reduce or avoid chronic inflammation.
About the Author:
Olesia Guts is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.), Certified Habit Coach, and French-trained Chef with expertise in nutrition for metabolic health, gut health, and strategies for building stress resilience. She has extensive experience as a holistic chef catering to individuals with allergies and special dietary needs.
PS. If you are ready to take your health to the next level, I have a few spots left in one of my one-on-one programs – you can check them out here or book a free discovery session with me below.
