If you are looking to minimize all inflammation in the body, this is our ultimate guide to a short-term Anti-Inflammatory diet that will do so. Because that diet is incredibly strict, I only follow it during a “cleansing” period (2 weeks to 6 weeks) when I am looking to minimize all inflammation. After this cleansing period, I will reintroduce other foods to create a more balanced, long-term, customized version of the anti-inflammatory diet. The goal is creating a happy medium between minimizing inflammation and getting a balanced variety of nutrients to optimize overall health. Below you will find the guide to my own customized, anti-inflammatory diet…
Remember, this site is about helping you master you, so remember your goal is to tailor a diet to your body. Once you’ve gone through an anti-inflammatory cleansing period, pay close attention to how your body feels when reintroducing foods. You will begin to learn how certain foods affect you personally. Take note: What makes you feel sluggish or too full? What foods seem to digest slowly, causing longer periods in between hunger? What causes skin irritation? What foods make you feel energized & light? This reintroduction process allows you to hone your diet, creating one that is optimal for your body. The diet below is an example that may work well for you, or you may need to make small adjustments…
My Long-Term Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Foods I Eat with Abundance: I try to eat organic foods whenever possible to avoid any chemicals, hormones, antibiotics or additives.
Meats & Fish: wild-caught, fresh water fish and cold-water fish with low-mercury content, chicken, turkey
Fruits: fruits low on the glycemic index, such as apples, apricots, avocados, berries, cherries, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, peaches, pears, plums
Vegetables: avocado, anise, artichoke, arugula, asparagus, basil, beets, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chives, cilantro, cucumber, dandelion greens, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, parsley, radish, rhubarb, shallots, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, water chestnuts, watercress, yams, zucchini
Fermented Foods: Fermented foods provide good bacteria to the gut, which is essential for a strong immune system and overall health of the body’s digestive system. Fermented foods include kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled ginger, plain (no sugar added) coconut yogurt, and kombucha.
Noodles: brown shirataki yam noodles
Herbs & Spices: basil, black pepper, cilantro, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mint, oregano, parsley rosemary, sage, sea salt, turmeric, thyme
Other: apple cider vinegar, herbal teas, olive oil, coconut oil, olives
Foods I Eat with Moderation: These are the foods I eat thoughtfully, making sure to eat in a balanced way, and with a bit more moderation than those above. To give you a bit more detail, I have noted approximately how often I will include them in my diet…
Fruits: Bananas (1-3x /week), Pineapple, Mango, Grapes (2x/month), Dried Fruits and Watermelon (3-4x/year)
Meats & Fish: Wild Salmon (2x/week), Tuna (1x/month if any)
Sweeteners: Agave Nectar, Honey, Coconut Syrup or Maple Syrup (1-2x/week) **I usually sweeten smoothies with a banana or goji berries and avoid sweeteners if I can.
Grains: oats (3-4x/week), quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, rice (2x/week)
Noodles: brown rice noodles (1-2x/week)
Dairy & Eggs: Eggs, Goat or Sheep’s Dairy (2x/week)
Nightshades: Goji Berries (2-3x/week). Tomatoes, Peppers, Chilis (2-3x/month), Potatoes (2-3x/year)
Beans & Legumes: black beans, lentils, white beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans (1-2x/week)
Nuts & Seeds: brazil nuts (1 nut/day for selenium), walnuts, flax seeds & chia seeds (3-4x/week in oatmeal or smoothies), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds (1-2x/week), sesame seeds (2x/month), cashews (1x/month)
Soy: edamame, miso, tempeh, tofu (1x/month if any)
Fungi: mushrooms (1-2x/month)
Other: raw cacao powder (2-3x/week in smoothies), hemp hearts (3-4x per week in oatmeal or smoothies)
Drinks: Alcohol (1-2x/month if any…In reality, I drink alcohol maybe 2-3x per year), Black Tea or Coffee (1-2x/month if any)
Spices: cayenne pepper, chilis (chili powder) (2-3x/month)
Foods I Avoid: Foods I don’t eat regularly, only indulging on the rare occasion.
Avoid all pre-packaged or processed foods that may contain chemicals, sulfites/sulfates, sweeteners, or any other additives. Avoid all non-organic produce other than avocado.
Sugars: all processed sugar, candy, sucrose
Fruits: canned fruits
Meats & Fish: high mercury fish (except occasionally tuna), bottom-feeders, and shell fish. I also tend to not eat any beef due to the saturated fat, as well as environmental concerns to do with carbon emissions.
Dairy & Eggs: cow’s dairy, margarine, mayonnaise, whey
Grains: barley, corn, wheat, wheat germ
Gluten-containing compounds: barbecue sauces, binders, bouillon, brewers, yeast, cold cuts, condiments, emulsifiers, fillers, gum, hot dogs, hydrolyzed plant and vegetable protein, ketchup, soy sauce, lunch meats, malt & malt flavoring, malt vinegar, matzo, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, nondairy creamer, processed salad dressings, seitan, spice mixtures, stabilizers, teriyaki sauce, textured vegetable protein
Beans & Legumes: soybeans
Nuts & Seeds: almonds, pistachios, peanuts
Soy: edamame, miso, soy protein, soy sauce
Drinks: soda, and any high-sugar drinks/juices
