Inflammation Ain't So Swell

We hear a lot about how detrimental inflammation is to our health.  Dr. Oz's You on a Diet and Dr. Galland's The Fat Resistance Diet are GREAT resources to get a better understanding of how our bodies physiologically respond to inflammation at a cellular level. 

From a weight loss stand-point, it is clear that there are certain foods that cause cellular inflammation.  Equivalently, there are foods that can help fight inflammation and subsequently give our metabolism a lift which we KNOW is vital to weight loss.

So here is Dr. Galland's list of 40 Super Foods from page 8 of his book.  He states, "These foods will help fast-track your weight loss by healing your inflammation and restoring your sensitivity to leptin." 

A change in weight loss philosophy for you might be...instead of worrying about what NOT to eat, pay more attention to what you SHOULD eat.  Start eating better and your body will respond and start to "ask" for these foods. 

Here's another way to think about it.  One of the most pivotal steps in life-long weight management is eating healthy 90% of the time. If you break out the math, we eat five times a day (3 meals + 2 snacks).  Multiply that by seven days a week and we eat about 35 times a week (snackers take heed!)  So 90% of 35 is is 31.5.  We need to eat healthy foods that energize our body every time we eat except three and a half times a week.  PLAN, PREPARE, PERSEVERE 

Here's our magic pill #3...nutritious food makes you feel and perform better.  Aha!

BEVERAGES (unsweetened)

Blueberry juice

Cherry juice

Green Tea

Pomegranate juice

Vegetable juice 

NUTS AND SEEDS (fresh, unsalted, not roasted)

Almonds

Flaxseeds

Sesame seeds

Walnuts

FRUIT (fresh)

Apples

Blueberries

Cherries

Grapefruit

Oranges

Pomegranates

VEGETABLES

Arugula

Bell Peppers

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrots

Leeks

Onions

Romaine lettuce

Scallions

Shiitake mushrooms

Spinach

Tomatoes

HERBS AND SPICES

Basil

Black pepper

Cardamom

Chives

Cilantro

Cinnamon

Cloves

Garlic

Ginger

Parsley

Turmeric

FISH

Flounder

Salmon

Sole Tilapia

OTHER

Egg whites

Yogurt (plain, nonfat)