11 Ways To Make The Most Of An Anti-Inflammatory Diet + A Food List

Here, I share some of my top ways to optimize your diet, plus my go-to anti-inflammatory foods.

To make the most of an anti-inflammatory diet, I recommend following these 11 principles:

The best sources include whole grains such as barley and oatmeal; vegetables like okra, eggplant, and onions; and a variety of fruits like bananas (3 grams of fiber per banana) and blueberries (3.5 grams of fiber per cup).

For an extra punch, add anti-inflammatory herbs and spices—such as turmeric and ginger—to your cooked fruits and vegetables to increase the benefits.

Because of their powerful antioxidant properties, consuming a weekly average of four servings of each can help lower your risk of cancer. If you like the taste, I recommend eating a clove of garlic a day.

You should also limit red meat to once per week and marinate it with herbs, spices, and tart, unsweetened fruit juices to reduce the toxic compounds4 formed during cooking.

Aim to eat lots of foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like flax meal, walnuts, and beans such as navy, kidney and soy. I also recommend taking a good-quality omega-3 supplement.

Low-fat fish such as sole and flounder, may also have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Virgin and extra-virgin olive oil (organic if possible) are the best bets for anti-inflammatory benefits. Other options include high-oleic, expeller-pressed versions of sunflower and safflower oil.

If you're a snacker, aim for fruit, plain or unsweetened Greek-style yogurt (it contains more protein per serving), celery sticks, carrots, or nuts like pistachios, almonds, and walnuts.

The dangers of excess fructose have been widely cited and include increased insulin resistance7 (which can lead to type-2 diabetes), raised uric acid levels7, raised blood pressure8, increased risk of fatty liver disease8, and more.

Vegetable shortenings, select margarines, crackers, and cookies are just a few examples of foods that might contain trans fats.

And for flavoring savory meals, go for spices that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, including cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, rosemary, ginger, sage, and thyme.

We just went over a lot of anti-inflammatory diet information. But to get all the go-to foods in one place, here's a comprehensive list to peruse the next time you head to the grocery store:

In addition to including plenty of anti-inflammatory foods in your diet, it's also important to ditch the foods that may be contributing to inflammation in your body. Here's a summary of the foods I recommend avoiding:

Incorporating more beneficial anti-inflammatory foods and decreasing not-so-healthy options can be the first step you take for a stronger, healthier body. Here's a sample 7-day meal plan to get you started on an anti-inflammatory diet.