Inflammatory Foods and You

Inflammatory Foods and You. What is inflammation? And how does food affect it?

Inflammatory Foods and You and how it affects us. How does your body react to foods? How not eating certain foods can make you feel better. This is part one in a series called the Inflammation Series.

Note: There are affiliate links in this article. Each affiliate link I share is for a product that I support and believe in 100%. They do not cost you a dime more to purchase through my link but I may receive a small commission. Which helps me keep this site going and able to continue bringing you quality content.

This article is not giving medical advice it is for information only and from personal experience.

We eat food every day. And we all know about food allergies and food sensitivities.  Did you know that even though you don’t always show the typical symptoms of food allergies and sensitivities your food can be causing inflammation in your body?

Therefore, diet is one of the most important aspects of staying healthy and controlling your weight and inflammation.  What you eat can make you feel energetic and good or it can cause your body to become inflamed and depressed.  Not all foods are created equal.  Inflammatory foods cause inflammation and discomfort and may also lead to long term health issues.

Inflammation What is it?

There are foods that cause inflammation in the body and that cause chronic pain, exacerbate or trigger some underlying conditions that you may have.  Food plays a very important role in every living creatures life.  Just like chocolate is not good for dogs, there are some foods that we should avoid if at all possible. 

What exactly is inflammation?

According to the American Heritage Medical Dictionary:

A localized protective reaction of tissue to irritation, injury, or infection, characterized by pain,  redness,  swelling,  and sometimes loss of function.

(THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® STEDMAN’S MEDICAL DICTIONARY COPYRIGHT © 2002, 2001, 1995 BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. PUBLISHED BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. )

The American Heritage Science Dictionary states:

“The reaction of a part of the body to injury or infection, characterized by swelling,  heat, redness, and pain.  The process includes increased blood flow with an influx of white blood cells and other chemical substances that facilitate healing.”

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® SCIENCE DICTIONARY COPYRIGHT © 2011. PUBLISHED BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT PUBLISHING COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

What causes inflammation?

Inflammation is caused by injury or infection.

Now, let’s get into what really causes inflammation. Inflammation like stated above can be caused by an injury or an infection and we all know what those are. You fall and land on your elbow it swells and becomes tender. Well, that is an example of inflammation. You get stung by a bee and you swell up around the sting site.

Why does your body do this? According to Web MD:

Inflammation is a process by which the body’s white blood cells and substances they produce protect us from infection with foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses.

https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/about-inflammation#1

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Some other great articles to read:

• Using Delivery Food Services – the Restaurant Ones
• Meal Delivery Service – Meal Prep & Covid-19
• Stress and Weight Gain
• It’s the New Year, New You with Meal Prep
• Happy Holidays Keto Style

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How can food cause Inflammation?

Just like the example above about dogs not being able to eat chocolate. There are some things us humans are really not meant to eat. Things that our body just does not need. I mean really, would you give your dog or cat something that could make them sick. Then, why would you do it to yourself?

I actually, know the answer to that. It is because we were taught all our lives that certain foods are good for us. We were taught by our doctors, our teachers, and parents. But, really did they know that things could cause the harm it does. No, not really. Because they had been taught the same things.

But as science advance and we learn more and more about our bodies we learn that a lot of the things such as these foods cause inflammation:

• Wheat
• Sugar
• Vegetable Oil
• Night Shade Vegetables
• Artificial Trans Fats
• Meats that contain Antibiotics

Inflammatory Foods and You and the Reason’s Why the Affect you the Way they Do?

Wheat

Wheat has been modified by science to increase the production of it to feed the masses. And as the years have gone by we have seen numerous amount of people become sensitive or completely allergic to it. Diseases such as Celiac Disease are on the rise.

A study published in (2016) from Columbia University Medical Center found that some people develop a systemic immune reaction and intestinal cell damage after eating wheat, even though tests have established that they do not have celiac disease.

Armin Aledini et al, “Intestinal cell damage and systemic immune activation in individuals reporting sensitivity to wheat in the absence of coeliac disease.” Gut, July 25, 2016, doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-311964

The more quickly your body digests glucose-containing foods, like these carbs, the faster your blood sugar levels can spike. and then spikes your insulin levels which are a compound associated with a pro-inflammatory response.

The  Journal of Nutrition study found:

that a diet high in refined grains showed a greater concentration of the inflammatory marker, PAI-1, in the blood.

J Nutr. 2010 Mar; 140(3): 587–594. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.116640

I myself am gluten intolerant and have learned if I eat any type of grains, my joints become inflamed and I have a hard time doing day to day things. When I cut them out completely, on the advice of my primary physician, I no longer had an issue with that. It took some time but I was able to move without constant pain.

So I want you to do something for me… I want you to think on these inflammatory Foods and you and see if you have any of these issues and can it be the foods that are causing them.

Sugar

Sugar can be found in almost all foods. But they are most prevalent in processed foods.

Excess consumption of added sugar and refined carbohydrates is linked to increased AGE production, gut permeability, LDL cholesterol, inflammatory markers and weight gain. All of these factors can trigger low-grade chronic inflammation.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sugar-and-inflammation – Written by Mary Jane Brown, PhD, RD (UK) on November 12, 2017

The best way to avoid inflammation from sugar is to stay with naturally occurring sugars such as in fruit and vegetables. Check labels of anything that you do buy. Just because it says it is healthy does not mean that it is. I have actually checked the labels on those so-called healthy yogurts and the added sugar in those are crazy.

I found this amazing article where the author actually refers to the inflammation as sugar aches. You can check it out here.

Did you know that 4 grams of Carbohydrates equal 1 teaspoon of sugar? Now go check out that whole grain bread, or those fruit bars that are supposed to be healthy for you. Now see how much sugar you are putting into your body.

This video explains it a lot better than I can. Ladies listen to 3:49 carefully.

Vegetable Oil & Seed Oil

These oils are highly processed oils. They are oils cheap to manufacture and have an extremely long shelf life. But they are not good for you. They are man-made. They are high in Omega-6 which is one of the oils we need but not in the amounts that we get them nowadays.

The ration we need of Omega 6 is in ratio to Omega 3 and it should be 2:1. But in this day and age, we are getting 22:1. It has thrown our bodies all out of whack. We need both, but with the amounts, we eat these vegetable oils and seed oils they are causing inflammations such as heart diseases. Omega 6 also believe to cause oxidation to the LDL particles which can increase the heart disease.

We need to reduce our amount of Omega 6. And the easiest wat to do that is to take out vegetable oil which is not even a true vegetable product but a processed oil.

Night Shade Vegetables can be an Inflammatory Food

Now, these are for the most part not a problem for most people. These include tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet peppers, eggplant and potatoes (but not sweet potatoes).

Let me explain. For most of us, we will not have a problem with most of these. but people that have like inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, or arthritis and Autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s, graves, etc.), the alkaloids could cause you to feel worse.

What do nightshade intolerance symptoms look like?

Everyone is different and your symptoms will vary. But typically, you can look out for these symptoms…

• Joint pain
• Inflammation
• Fatigue
• Migraines
• Skin flares
• Digestive distress
• Flares to any preexisting conditions

Potato starch hides in…

• Gluten-free bread, pizza crust, crackers, and baked goods
• Some soups or other products with a thickener

Nightshade spices hide in…

• Most Mexican food
• Sausage and hot dogs
• Breakfast sausage
• most spicey things

Tomatoes

• Vegetable broth
• Seasonings (Italian blends and others will often have tomato)

Artificial Trans fat

As of last year, we really don’t have to worry about this one here in in the US for the most part. 98% percent of these trans fats was removed from the foods in the US. But, they are still in some foods for another year. That is a good reason I have removed almost all processed food from my diet.

Willett says that could slash the rates of preliminary death from heart disease, and reduce the incidence of diabetes, dementia and other metabolic diseases. Such declines have been observed in New York City, which banned the use of partially hydrogenated oils in restaurants in 2007, and in Denmark, which became the first country to ban trans fats in 2003.

Washington Post By Caitlin Dewey June 18, 2018

Artificial Trans fats were a leading cause of heart disease, diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Meats that are grain-fed is an Inflammatory Food

Okay, I have found so much information on this. But what it comes down to is the same with humans. When we are fed a diet that is more natural and not man-made we are healthier.

Animals are made to eat what they eat naturally. And I don’t see many animals going to the grocery store and buying man-made grains stuffed with fillers and antibiotics, hormones and steroids. That is something that people have started doing to make the animals bigger. And what they eat is what we are eating.

Grass- Fed is the Best

Grain-fed meats are higher in inflammatory saturated fats, have greater levels of inflammatory omega-6s from the corn and soy diet, and our body thinks they are in a constant state of attack due to ingesting leftover levels of antibiotics and hormones.

This healthy source provides more healthy saturated and trans fats as well as inflammation-fighting Omega-3s.

Inflammatory Foods and You and why you need Keto

If you look up the Ketogenic Diet you will notice a common theme on any of the Keto sites, they don’t have the inflammatory foods as their approved foods. They remove all processed foods, they also remove all foods that have grains in them, foods high in sugars, and all foods with refined sugars, like cakes, pies, sodas.

Also, you will notice they all say to used grass-fed meat when possible and to cook with oils such as coconut oil and avocado oil. Healthy choices.

I am not going to lie to you and say that Keto will heal all that ails you. But there is so much proof, whether it be from the medical community or just testimonials from people on Keto. Myself included; that Keto has helped me regain my quality of life.

Keto and Me

Not just the fact that I have lost some weight. I am by no means where I want to be at in the weight department. But by following a Keto meal plan, I have lost 40 lbs, but the best thing about what Keto has done for me is I don’t hurt anymore.

I can grip items with my hands without them cramping up. I have regained strength in them. My joints are no longer hurting. I’m not just talking about knees and my back. Before Keto, every joint in my body hurt. I was 45 and felt like I was ancient.

I don’t know how to explain it. My joints were tight and ached. I was tested for everything at the doctors, she tested me for Lupus, Celiac, Epstein-Barre, Guillian-Barre, Thyroid, Diabetes, and many more. And nothing I was at risk for diabetes but not enough for medication.

Like I’ve mentioned before that is when my doctor recommended either eating Whole 30 or Keto. She pushed Keto though. I know! A doctor that actually recommends Keto so I looked into it.

I had done Atkins off and on for the last 20 years and when I was a good Atkins girl I felt great. Had energy was at my target weight and felt amazing. So, I choose Keto. It was something I understood.

Tested Programs

Slimme1

I started with a program called Slimme1. It put me into Ketosis fast and I lost weight quickly 28 lbs in a month. Great. But it wasn’t a sustainable program, I do recommend it. Very much so to get you started, but it is hard and is not Keto. And it caloric restricting for a month 300 -500 Calories a day. And I gained back and felt drained.

Has a higher price point but works.

Speed Keto

I then found Speed Keto. I like this program it is a planned out for you with daily meal plans and such and a Great program — really it is. It has everything you need to be successful. You pay a one time fee of $39 and it is yours for life. You can do it over and over again. Has a wonderful community. And you will lose.

It incorporates intermittent fasting and the keto diet. I did lose the weight I gained back after slimme1, but again, I didn’t feel it was totally sustainable. Just for the fact that they had you doing 2-3 day fasts. I felt tired and hungry and weak, and for me, that didn’t go away with Speed Keto as it does for others.

On a side note, I have always followed a type of intermittent fasting so that was not the problem for me. It was the extended IF that I had a hard time with.

Healthy Pursuit – Happy Keto Body

This is a program that I love and completely endorse. Created by Leanne Vogel and I will say she’s my go-to keto resource for women. She’s revolutionized the keto diet – teaching thousands of women her powerful secrets to unlocking the full potential of keto…

Using the approach from this amazing, true keto guru, thousands of women have:

• Healed their crazy PMS
• Improved their sleep
• Balanced their hormones
• Ditched the acne and got clearer, brighter, smoother skin
• Put an end to carb cravings & stopped bingeing
• Finally busted through weight loss plateaus
• Stopped starving themselves on low-calorie diets.

And the list goes on.

Leanne Vogel is a holistic nutrition expert who’s been featured in Women’s Magazine, New York Magazine, Paleo f(x), KetoCon, Globe & Mail, Huffington Post, Paleo Magazine, and more.

Happy Keto Body

Leanne’s new 12-week, doctor-approved program is her answer to all the pleas for one primary A-Z resource (with optional group coaching calls) where you can discover how to reset your metabolism, learn to listen to your body, uncover all your healing possibilities and become a fabulous fat-fueled female.

With contributions from Dr. Nina Lewis-Larsson (a certified Naturopathic Doctor), Leanne takes us from the beginning of our keto journey, through life-long keto bliss – dealing with every issue/problem/objection/mistake under the sun.

She’ll show you how to eat to fuel your brain, support your sex-y hormones and surround yourself with meals that will make your friends want to go keto and your doctors stand in awe of your super-strong healthy body.

This program is for women only! But it is so worth it.

KikStart Keto – Boot Camp

Now, this is the program that I developed KikStart Keto – Boot Camp. Something different than the Diets I have followed. This is a Strict Keto program. Not in, if you switch something out it will stall you in your goals. But, strict in the fact that I have removed all the inflammatory foods mentioned above.

So a little bit about KikStart Keto – Boot Camp. It is a 6-week program. (you can do it over and over, it is a lifetime) It is a lifestyle program. (no longer live in process of updating.)

What it contains:

• 6 weeks – planned out meals & sustainable Intermittent fasting plan
• 6-week eating schedule
• 6 weeks worth of recipes (printable so you can save in your cookbook)
• Daily Journal (printable)
• Education on Keto
• Daily Keto Recipes sent to your email box to use in place of the recipes in the plan for when you have finished the 6 weeks and want to continue
• Facebook group
• 57 Page PDF all about Ketogenic Diet
• Money-Back Guarantee

How Kikstart Keto came to be:

I have tried so many programs. They work but are not sustainable for me. Either because of the cost of buying the supplements needed to do another month as was the case with Slimme1 also the lack of eating on either Slimme1 or Speed Keto. So I came up with my own that incorporates things I’ve learned on everything I have done.

And guess what? It works, I don’t feel exhausted, weak or like I am starving myself. I eat the foods that I know don’t cause inflammation and I am losing weight and inches. And no more pain at all.

In Conclusion

There are tons of options out there but in conclusion, the main reason for my keto journey and Now Keto Lifestyle is that I needed something to help my pain. And by removing inflammatory foods has helped that and adding spices such as turmeric to my diet. It helps that inflammatory foods are not included in the diet and lifestyle.

Note: There are affiliate links in this article. Each affiliate link I share is for a product that I support and believe in 100%. They do not cost you a dime more to purchase through my link but I may receive a small commission. Which helps me keep this site going and able to continue bringing you quality content.

I know that you don’t have to buy a program to do Keto. But having a program that can walk you through every step of the way keeps you on track. You don’t have to guess about what you can and can’t have, you don’t have to research recipes, you have support. These programs also have removed almost all the inflammatory foods with the exception of nightshades only KikStart Keto Does that. All these programs are great for beginners and have great support. My two favorites are, however, Speed Keto and Happy Keto Body