You have undoubtedly heard that inflammation is a contributing factor in many chronic disease states and that management of whole body inflammation is therefore critical to overall health. Major culprits of inflammation include stresses in our lives; lack of sleep, emotional stress, and poor diet.   Chronic inflammation can put you at greater risk for heart disease, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders and skin problems. Additionally, you may have heard that exercise creates an inflammatory response in the body.   Extended and intense exercise leads to a release of hormones like cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, which cause inflammation and an immune response to repair muscle and promote recovery.

So how can you best minimize inflammation during and following training so as to optimize your recovery?  First, whatever your event is, ensure you are following a training plan which incorporates aerobic and non-aerobic exercise as well as rest days (which are crucial to recovery and decreasing inflammation).  Second, including the right balance of dietary fat and more anti-inflammatory foods in your daily diet is your first step towards managing inflammation and will also lead to better performance and proper recovery.

So what can you do...?

1. Saturated fats and trans fats are pro-inflammatory, meaning they induce a state of inflammation. This is yet another reason why you should avoid fried foods, high-fat and processed meats and other packaged foods.  On the flip side, healthy, monounsaturated fats have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects.  So be sure to choose more fish, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds to combat inflammation.

2. Research also shows that foods high in antioxidants reduce inflammation.  Increase the variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet to get the most antioxidant power.  Good choices include berries, melon, peppers, carrots and leafy green vegetables.

3. Adequate protein intake is essential to rebuilding muscles post-exercise. To that end, including easily assimilated lean protein post exercise will also help reduce inflammation.  Lean meats, fish, whole grains, lentils and beans are all anti-inflammatory and promote muscle recovery.

The Bottom Line:

Whether you want to promote faster recovery following your next intense workout, improve your overall health, or help speed your recovery time following an injury, try incorporating some of these anti-inflammatory foods in your daily diet.  For more information on how to best adjust your current diet to both meet your overall needs, and create an anti-inflammatory state in your body, call us today to schedule an appointment with one of our Registered Dietitians at Nutrition Energy!  Call us before July 15th, and tell us you read our "beat inflammation" article when you call, and receive 10% off the initial evaluation consultation fee.