wellness

Chronic inflammation is the cause of many serious illnesses, ranging from heart disease to different kinds of cancer and Alzheimer's disease. It can serve as the body's way of healing itself, but when it starts occurring for no reason and persists when it doesn't need to, it can cause great damage and illness to the body. Things like stress, lack of exercise, and exposure to toxins can easily lead to chronic inflammation. It's even as simple as genetic predisposition. One thing to take into consideration to fight chronic inflammation is dietary habits. Specific foods can influence the inflammatory process and play a big role in whether it is contained or not. Experts have reported on what is known as The Anti-Inflammatory Diet. It's not a diet for the intention of losing weight like most diets are, but rather a diet that is for controlling the inflammation process in your body. These foods are based on scientific knowledge and are proven to help aid and maintain optimum health. In addition, this diet will also help with providing energy, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, and more. Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., has constructed some diet tips for those who are interested in taking on this new lifestyle change. Read more about Dr. Weil's insight on the next page... Dr. Weil has included insight on various aspects of your daily intake, from calories to fiber, to vitamins and minerals. Right now, we'll get down to the essentials: carbs, fats, and protein. And don't forget water! "General Tips: Aim for variety. Include as much fresh food as possible. Minimize your consumption of processed foods and fast food. Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Caloric Intake: Most adults need to consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day. Women and smaller and less active people need fewer calories. Men and bigger and more active people need more calories. If you are eating the appropriate number of calories for your level of activity, your weight should not fluctuate greatly. The distribution of calories you take in should be as follows: 40 to 50 percent from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat, and 20 to 30 percent from protein. Try to include carbohydrates, fat, and protein at each meal. Carbohydrates: On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, adult women should consume between 160 to 200 grams of carbohydrates a day. Adult men should consume between 240 to 300 grams of carbohydrates a day. The majority of this should be in the form of less-refined, less-processed foods with a low glycemic load. Reduce your consumption of foods made with wheat flour and sugar, especially bread and most packaged snack foods (including chips and pretzels). Eat more whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat, in which the grain is intact or in a few large pieces. These are preferable to whole wheat flour products, which have roughly the same glycemic index as white flour products. Eat more beans, winter squashes, and sweet potatoes. Cook pasta al dente and eat it in moderation. Avoid products made with high fructose corn syrup. Fat: On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, 600 calories can come from fat – that is, about 67 grams. This should be in a ratio of 1:2:1 of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat. Reduce your intake of saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, high-fat cheese, unskinned chicken and fatty meats, and products made with palm kernel oil. Use extra-virgin olive oil as a main cooking oil. If you want a neutral tasting oil, use expeller-pressed, organic canola oil. Organic, high-oleic, expeller pressed versions of sunflower and safflower oil are also acceptable. Avoid regular safflower and sunflower oils, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and mixed vegetable oils. Strictly avoid margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products listing them as ingredients. Strictly avoid all products made with partially hydrogenated oils of any kind. Include in your diet avocados and nuts, especially walnuts, cashews, almonds, and nut butters made from these nuts. For omega-3 fatty acids, eat salmon (preferably fresh or frozen wild or canned sockeye), sardines packed in water or olive oil, herring, and black cod (sablefish, butterfish); omega-3 fortified eggs; hemp seeds and flaxseeds (preferably freshly ground); or take a fish oil supplement (look for products that provide both EPA and DHA, in a convenient daily dosage of two to three grams). Protein: On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, your daily intake of protein should be between 80 and 120 grams. Eat less protein if you have liver or kidney problems, allergies, or autoimmune disease. Decrease your consumption of animal protein except for fish and high quality natural cheese and yogurt. Eat more vegetable protein, especially from beans in general and soybeans in particular. Become familiar with the range of whole-soy foods available and find ones you like. Water: Drink pure water, or drinks that are mostly water (tea, very diluted fruit juice, sparkling water with lemon) throughout the day. Use bottled water or get a home water purifier if your tap water tastes of chlorine or other contaminants, or if you live in an area where the water is known or suspected to be contaminated." Be sure to visit his website to read more on the diet. Please SHARE this article to help spread awareness on how to beat chronic inflammation!

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