Cut It Out: 10 Ways to Avoid Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is one of those core health issues we love to talk about. Like acidity, inflammation is a health issue that underlies so many others - once you learn about this one factor and it's connection to your health, it feels revelatory! Nutritionist JJ Virgin has her finger to the pulse of this crucial health issue. In her book, The Virgin Diet, she lays out the big picture of just how inflammation effects our on-going health and the simple changes we can make - especially to our diets - to remedy this. Read her list and find ways to make adjustments for your health! Inflammation comes in two flavors, if you will. Acute inflammation is when you stub your toe. The resulting flare-up actually benefits long-term healing. Chronic inflammation, though less dramatic, over time leads to damage and disorder in the body. Acute inflammation hurts, but chronic inflammation kills. In fact, it's connected with nearly every disease on the planet, from obesity to diabetes to heart disease. What causes inflammation? The abundance of omega-6 fatty acids in our diet: vegetable oils, grain-fed meats, and wheat bread are full of them. Food intolerances can also create inflammation. And so can sugar. The best way to fight inflammation is to pull highly reactive foods (I discuss the top 7 in The Virgin Diet; ironically, some of them are deemed "healthy") and eat plenty of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, walnuts, chia and flax seeds are all healthy sources of omega 3s. I also recommend supplementing with a high-quality professional fish oil, especially if you're not eating wild-caught fish three or four times a week.



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