Inflammation is the natural immune system response to tissue damage. The body is trying to remove cellular debris from the damaged site and begin repairs. After workouts we experience a very mild inflammation response. Every workout causes microscopic damage to the muscle fibers. After a short period of time the inflammation process begins trying to repair the damage during the recovery period. It’s important to rest and recover. There are foods that can help your body through this process.
Most of the time inflammation will allow us to fight off diseases and recover from sickness. If it is out of control, your immune system can be overactive and this can cause issues such as joint pain, fatigue, allergies, and asthma. Too much inflammation is usually treated with ibuprofen, aspirin, or a steroid like prednisone. However, taking these can mask a serious issue that could cause more damage later on. One of the causes of inflammation can be dietary. Foods such as sugars, refined wheat products, processed foods, and trans-fats can increase the inflammation response in the body and should be limited.
Here are some of the foods that can help keep inflammation at bay and should be considered in everyone’s diet.
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
- Hemp Seeds
- Cherries
- Pineapple
- Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
- Soy
- Green Tea
- Berries
- Kiwis
- Olives
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Onions
- Garlic
- Spinach
- Ginger
- Salmon
- Oats
- Pomegranate
- Citrus Fruits
- Almonds
- Sweet Potato
For a delicious recipe that can help fight off inflammation, try:
Serves 4 people as a light meal or 8 people as a side dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of kiwis, sliced into rounds or half moons
- 1 cup of pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup of blueberries— fresh or frozen, thawed and drained
- 1 cup of navel oranges, peeled and separated into wedges (for an attractive presentation remove the outer membrane from the orange slices)
- 1 cup of blanched almonds
- 4 pitted dates or 2 T. of maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon of diced fresh turmeric or ginger
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup of flax, hemp or chia seeds to garnish
Instructions:
- Put all of the fruit in a serving bowl and mix it gently. You may also layer it or arrange it in circular patterns.
- For Fruit Salad Dressing — Place the almond, dates, spices and salt in a blender with 1/2 cup of water.
- Keep an additional cup of water next to the blender to add while mixing. Turn the blender on a low (be sure your lid is on tight) and slowly increase the speed adding water as necessary to process the nuts. The nuts will not puree effectively with too much water added all at once.
- Increase to the speed to the highest setting process the mixture until it resembles a thick cream. This is a dressing for the fruit salad.
- Serve the fruit salad, almond ambrosia sauce and seeds in separate bowls and allow people to assemble their own dishes. The seeds will become soggy and gummy if they are added too soon.
Are you feeling really sore often? Be sure to try mixing some of these foods with your regular diet. let us know if you are feeling any better, and as always, you can get in touch with us via social media or just drop a comment below.