Reduce | Dr. Sam

Foods to eat

Vitamin C and other antioxidants

Fruits and vegetables

Vitamin supplements, including bone-building calcium and Vitamin K, tissue-repairing Vitamin C, pain-relieving Vitamin E, folic acid, and more.

Ginger, curry powder, olive oil, grapes, garlic, celery, blueberries, tomatoes, eggplant, and tea are all foods that help subdue inflammation.

Drink more water. When you don't drink enough water, your inflammation can worsen.

Consume healthy fats - Researchers say Omega-3 fatty acids suppress the body's inflammatory response. You can get Omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water, oily fish like salmon and herring, as well as from flax, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Eat breakfast - A recent study claims a high-fat, high-carbohydrate breakfast is more than empty calories. It can also send your body into an inflammation tailspin. When researchers fed study subjects an egg muffin and hash browns, the participants' blood tests indicated high levels of inflammation for up to four hours after eating. Repeating that cycle day after day can overwhelm the blood vessels with chronic inflammation, a contributor to diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.

Eat turmeric (one of the spices used in yellow curry), ginger, or red pepper. All are natural anti-inflammatories. As a matter of fact, the active ingredient in some arthritis pain relievers is capsaicin - hot peppers!

Foods to avoid

Avoid most fast foods, high-fat salad dressings, and soft drinks.
Avoid heavy caffeine and alcohol because they contain diuretics that cause the body to lose more water.
Avoid foods that "spike" blood sugar, which can spur inflammation - including white potatoes, white rice, white bread, sugar, and highly processed cereals. Research at Harvard showed that women who ate these foods with the highest glycemic load had nearly twice as much inflammation as those who didn't consume such foods.
Avoid unhealthy fats - While Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation, their cousins, Omega-6 fatty acids, can have the opposite effect. Sources of Omega-6 fats include corn oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. Opt for olive oil instead.