EASY GUIDE TO

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
FOODS
Medical Disclaimer
The material provided within this book is for information purposes only and in no way
supersedes any prior advice given by a medical practitioner or therapist.

Should you follow any of the information provided, you are choosing to do so of your
own free will, without coercion and in the full knowledge that the material has not been
personally designed for you. Should you suffer from a medical condition of any kind or
suspect that following any of the suggestions in this book may cause you a medical
problem of any kind whatsoever that you should speak to a qualified medical practitioner
for advice.

Image credits:
Front Cover and Cherries: boule13@123RF.com; Introduction page: ocusfocus@123RF.
com; oily fish: costasz @123RF.com; Asian mushrooms: Panya Piyaprakongsri@123RF.
com;

© Copyright 2018 Blue Phoenix Health & Fitness and

it’s licensors

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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
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Below I have included the key principles that work for nutrition for health and fat loss. If
anything you read, see or hear deviates from any of the six principles below, chances are
you can dismiss it immediately as a short term fad diet. This is a way of eating that will
enable you to achieve both fast and permanent results in a way that is 100% sustainable.
You see this change has to be permanent so it has to be both straightforward and above all
enjoyable. The good news is that my recipe book will show you how quick, easy and tasty
eating this way is.

Follow these principles

and you will get results...
n (calorie deficit)
1. Eating fewer calories than you bur
ause they are rich in
2. Eat more vegetables and fruits bec
amins and minerals)
antioxidants and micro-nutrients (vit
maintenance
3. Eat plenty of protein for repair and
full (protein satisfies
of lean tissue, and to keep you feeling
cronutrient)
the appetite more than any other ma
fish, nuts, avocados,
4. Eat enough healthy fats from oily
are an essential part
coconut and olive oils (healthy fats
of a balanced diet)
detoxify the body,
5. Drink plenty of water to naturally
d so it can function
keeping the brain and body hydrate
nt towards this
properly (green and herbal teas cou
water intake)
al sweeteners
6. Limit processed foods and artifici
and preservatives
nce the benefits that
Now go and learn, cook, and experie
my recipes have to offer – enjoy!

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Easy guide to
anti-inflammatory foods
INTRODUCTION

Inflammation: What it is, why it matters and how to eat better.

Having an inflammatory response is
normal after an injury and when the
body is under attack. Inflammation is
part of the body’s immune response.
If an area of the body gets damaged,
the body sends healing white cells to
help. This over perfusion causes redness
and swelling which causes pressure on
nerve endings and thus pain is felt.
If this didn’t occur then healing wouldn’t
happen.

This immune response is important and those who have a suppressed immune response
(such as people undergoing cancer treatment) won’t fight off infection in the same way as a
healthy person would.

Problems start with inflammation when it becomes chronic (i.e. goes on for a long time).
This occurs with repeated over-working of areas of the body and infections that don’t clear
up. Chronic inflammatory diseases are those such as asthma, Crohn’s disease and arthritis.
Chronic inflammation has been thought to play a part in developing cancer, Alzheimer’s
disease, rheumatic arthritis and other long term conditions.

Some foods have been shown to make inflammation worse while others can help ease
chronic inflammation. What we want to avoid is exacerbating any inflammation in the body
so that the pain is reduced and we feel better. Acute inflammation can cause fever and
general unease.

So now that we know that inflammation is a normal (and good) response to injury, we need
to consider how to minimise the associated pain and tissue damage and to prevent a chronic
condition occurring. You won’t be surprised to know that the foods best avoided are refined
carbs, fried foods, sugary drinks, processed foods and trans fats (1).

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So, what should we eat to ease inflammatory pain?
Basically it’s a Mediterranean type of diet with a few extra additions.

Go for a healthy diet, low in sugar and full of fresh vegetables.

An ideal meal might look something like this:

Oily fish, preferably those that are ‘wild’ (not farmed) or organically grown beef.

Plenty of green leafy vegetables

Avocado

Sweet potato

Asian mushrooms

Nuts, especially walnuts, almonds or

cashews

Cooked with garlic and ginger,

cinnamon and turmeric

Some flaxseed or chia seeds added

Finish up with apples (particularly the

peel), cherries, blueberries or grapes

Drink plenty of green tea.

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Here’s the science behind this way of eating...
Avocados
As well as magnesium, potassium and omega 3, avocados are rich in a constituent called
Persenone A (broadly speaking, antioxidant) which suppresses two chemicals that cause
inflammation in the body. An NCBI study (2) suggests that persenone A in avocados has the
ability to prevent inflammation-associated diseases including cancer.

Oily fish
A study undertaken by Harvard university
(3) identified a new class of fats in the
human body, called resolvins, which they
showed can control inflammation.

They do this both by stopping

inflammatory cells moving to other sites
of inflammation and preventing the
turning on of other inflammatory cells.
Resolvins are made from the omega-3
fatty acids, found in high concentration
in oily fish (as well as avocados!)

Organic, grass fed beef

Nowadays, most cows are fed high-calorie corn and grain to fatten them up and get them to
market quickly. Corn and grain are high in omega-6 which is inflammatory to humans. The
meat from leaner cattle grazing on grass have higher levels of vital nutrients – vitamin E and
omega-3s. And as we know, omega 3 is an effective anti-inflammatory.

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Green leafy vegetables
Leafy greens are packed with antioxidants that can help restore health at the cellular level,
an array of vitamins, and powerful anti-inflammatory flavonoids. One cup of spinach, for
example, is loaded with double your daily recommended dose of vitamin K, which helps
protect cells against oxidative stress (4).

Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radical activity and
antioxidants. Too many free radicals can lead to chronic diseases such as Rheumatoid
arthritis, cancer, diabetes, cardiac disease and stroke. There is a reason why your parents
always told you to ‘eat your greens’.

Sweet potatoes
Sweet potato is a good source of complex carbohydrate, beta-carotene, manganese, vitamin
B6 and C as well as dietary fibre. Working together, these nutrients are powerful antioxidants
that help to reverse inflammation in the body. Choose those that are grown as naturally as
possible, free of chemicals and pesticides.

Asian mushrooms
In a study by Elsayed et al (5), it was
found that Asian mushrooms were
biofactories for production of natural
anti-inflammatory metabolites. Worth
using but they need to be naturally
grown and non-farmed. These might be
an ingredient for very special times!

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Nuts
Nuts, particularly walnuts, almonds and cashews, are full of the polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats but contain very little unhealthy saturated fat. As a result, nuts have
major anti-inflammatory effects (6).

The vitamin E in nuts is useful in the protection of the body from excess free radicals and
hence a reduction in inflammation (7).

Garlic
Made from organosulfur compounds which have both anti-inflammatory and immune
boosting properties (8). Garlic needs to be crushed in order to extract these compounds,
so avoid using it whole in your cooking.

Cinnamon
Contains antioxidants such as polyphenols that protect your body from oxidative damage
caused by free radicals.

Ginger
A popular spice, ginger is high in
gingerol, a substance with powerful
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
properties.

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Turmeric
The main component of turmeric is Curcumin. Curcumin is highly anti-inflammatory.
In fact, it’s so powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs,
without the side effects. It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of your
cells and turns on genes related to inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play a major role in
many chronic diseases (9). Curcumin fights inflammation at a molecular level. It is worth
noting that turmeric is fat soluble and is absorbed 2000% better if mixed with black pepper.
Definitely something to bear in mind when cooking with it.

Flaxseed and chia seeds.

These have a high volume of omega 3. Chia seeds are nutrient dense and high in
antioxidants and hence have an anti-inflammatory effect (amongst many other health
benefits). Just a teaspoon added to a meal will be beneficial. Stir flaxseed or chia seeds into
your cooking or sprinkle on your porridge. They are also a great addition to smoothies.

Apples
Apples, particularly the peel, are great
in the battle against inflammation. The
Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology reported in 2011
that ‘research shows oral ingestion of
apple polyphenols suppresses T cell
activation to prevent colitis in mice’. (10).

This study is the first demonstrating a role for T cells in polyphenol-mediated protection
against autoimmune disease possibly leading to treatments for people with disorders
from bowel inflammation, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and colitis-associated
colorectal cancer’. So keep up that ‘apple a day’ habit.

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Cherries
The positive effects of cherries can
be attributed to anthocyanins – plant
pigments that have powerful antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory properties.
Anthocyanins are found in red and
purple fruits, including raspberries and
blueberries, but cherries, especially tart
cherries, contain higher levels.

Blueberries
A great source of antioxidants, blueberries are high in phytonutrients that reduce
anti-inflammatory damage against diseases such as cancer and dementia.

Grapes
A great source of resveratrol a polyphenol which has great anti-inflammatory properties.

Green tea
The flavonoids in green tea are strongly anti-inflammatory, so great to drink throughout
the day.

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So there you have all the ingredients for a great meal that will help
cut down on inflammation in the body.

The science behind the benefits of these foods is compelling. Many people experiencing
inflammation reach for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) such as Brufen and
Naproxen. These drugs can cause unpleasant side effects, ranging from nausea to stomach
ulcers. NSAIDs can give rise to abdominal pain and heartburn as well as predisposing you to
bleed from the ulcers the drugs have caused. How much better to eat healthy wholesome
foods.

The body’s inflammatory response is necessary and important. Eating a healthy diet rich in
omega 3s will help to stop that inflammation from dragging on and giving rise to chronic
conditions.

Keeping away from simple carbs and processed foods leaves space for fresh ingredients.

References:
1. Harvard Health https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
2. Kim in NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11193428
3. Harvard University https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fish/
4. Axe on Runtastic https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/anti-inflammatory-foods/
5. Elsayed in NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258329/
6. Harvard Women’s Health Watch https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/nuts-a-healthy-treat
7. Traber 2015 cited in https://nuts.com/healthy-eating/anti-inflammatory-diet
8. Schafer NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3915757/
9. Jurenka NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19594223
10. Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology cited in
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412131923.htm

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