Healthy Menu Planning: Incorporating Anti-Inflammatory Foods into Your Diet

As the medical research community continues to discover more about inflammation and the role it plays in disease management, they’ve also come to better understand how it impacts aging. Studies seem to indicate a link between inflammation in the body and a variety of health issues. These are believed to include osteoarthritis, depression, multiple sclerosis, lupus, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, diabetes, and even some types of cancer.

By reducing the presence of inflammation, experts believe we may be able to decrease our risk for illness or better manage diseases already present in the body. It can also help promote more successful aging and pain management. That’s because inflammation is a driver of many types of pain.

Researchers believe nutrition could be one way to manage inflammation. This requires avoiding the foods thought to increase inflammation and consuming more of those that reduce it. Here are a few tips to help you plan anti-inflammatory menus.

Avoiding Foods That Increase Inflammation

Most people don’t know which foods help beat inflammation and which ones increase it. So, let’s start by talking about the foods known to ramp up inflammation in the body. Here are a few of the most common ones:

• Processed meats
• Baked goods
• Red meat
• Deep-fried foods
• Sodas and other sugary drinks
• White-flour pastas and breads

For many people, these foods are a part of their daily diet. By eliminating or reducing the amount of them you consume, you may be able to avoid or delay the onset of some diseases.

Eating an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

In contrast to the foods outlined above, these choices might reduce inflammation in your body:

• Salmon: With a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids along with vitamins B12 and D, salmon is another good inflammation fighter. But people often struggle with preparing it so the flavor is more appealing. If you need ideas, try one of these healthy salmon recipes.
• Blueberries: This popular superfood is rich in an anti-inflammatory agent called quercetin. Whether you add them to your morning oatmeal, your lunchtime salad, or a fruit smoothie, try making blueberries a routine part of your diet.
• Leafy greens: Most of us know eating our greens is good for us. When it comes to reducing inflammation, leafy green vegetables should be a dietary staple. You can toss a little chopped spinach into tuna salad, add fresh kale to a bowl of soup, or swap lettuce for bread in your sandwich.
• Pineapple: This popular citrus fruit is also a hardworking one. It’s packed with good nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B1, potassium, manganese, and a digestive enzyme known as bromelain. Together, these ingredients help boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. It’s a great natural sweetener to try with chicken dishes, salads, and smoothies.
• Bone broth: Don’t let the trendiness of bone broth put you off of the benefits it offers. Nutritionists recommend it to patients because it contains inflammation-fighting ingredients like glucosamine and collagen. If you aren’t excited about the lengthy process of making it yourself, you can find it at most local grocery stores or online through companies like Brodo and Kettle & Fire.
• Walnuts: Nuts often have a bad reputation because they can be high in fats. But in the case of walnuts, those are healthy fats. Just a quarter cup of them contains all the omega-3 fatty acids you need in a day to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, inflammation, diabetes, and more.
• Beets: This root vegetable is another superfood. The betalain found in beets has anti-inflammatory properties. You can roast them in the oven, blend them to make a healthy dip, or just slice them up to add to salads.

Transitioning to menus that include more anti-inflammatory foods might be a process. It will also take time to fully implement. If it feels too overwhelming to tackle these changes all at once, try making a few at a time.

The Heritage Difference

At Heritage Senior Communities, we are committed to providing a higher level of care and hospitality. We call it the Heritage Difference. Among the seven service standards that make Heritage different is our dining program. Every day, residents enjoy meals that are both nutritious and delicious. If you are considering making a move to a senior living community, we hope you will visit one of our locations in Michigan or Indiana for a personal tour!