The 5 Principles Of An Ideal Anti-Inflammation Diet

With that in mind, these five principles can optimize the perfect anti-inflammatory eating plan that helps you lose weight and feel better.

While eating too many omega-6 fatty acids in food like grain-fed meat and vegetable oil can elevate inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids trigger anti-inflammatory messenger molecules. Balance is key: You want about equal amounts of omega-3s and omega-6s. Unfortunately, many American diets contain up to 50 times more omega-6s, which partly explains the increase in inflammatory diseases like cancer. Omega-3-rich foods include wild-caught, fatty fish, grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs rich in omega-3s (if you can tolerate them), freshly ground flax and chia seeds, and almonds and walnuts. Vegans and vegetarians should look for a plant-derived DHA supplement to get those longer-chain omega-3s.

Those include low-sugar fruits like berries and avocado, tons of leafy and cruciferous vegetables, and even gut-healing nourishing foods like bone broth. My favorites include spinach, which is packed with anti-inflammatory compounds like quercetin and strawberries, which are rich in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory phenols like anthocyanins and ellagitannins.

The right dietary fats—including omega-3s, monounsaturated fats, and yes, even healthy saturated fats—can be powerfully anti-inflammatories. Opt for avocados, olives, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, and protein from animals fed their natural diet like wild-caught fish and pasture-raised chickens.

Critics argue that the Mediterranean diet’s emphasis on expensive staples like extra-virgin olive oil, organic produce, and wild-caught fish go beyond the average person’s budget, but a well-designed anti-inflammatory diet need not break your budget. Here are seven easy ways to save a ton of money while eating to beat inflammation.

Want to know the best diet for inflammation? I ranked all of them here, from Mediterranean to vegan to paleo.