When you think of inflammation in the body, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of rubbing a blister on your heel from that new pair of shoes, a painful sore throat from an infection or a cut on your finger that is red and swollen. Some suffer chronic pain from arthritis, which is also associated with the inflammatory response.

But did you know that increased inflammation in the body is associated with medical conditions such as heart and kidney disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and even the process of aging, including Alzheimer's disease? Inflammation can trigger a heart attack or sudden stroke. It is associated with long-term conditions such as being overweight or obese. CRP (C-reactive protein) is a blood test used to determine inflammation in the body. You can ask your physician for this test to determine your risk. Note that a person may have normal cholesterol, yet have an elevated CRP, and be at risk for conditions previously mentioned.

Can dietary patterns affect inflammation in the body, either by preventing disease or reducing risk from existing conditions? Research supports that what we choose to eat has the power to modify inflammation in the body. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is one way to take control and reduce risk for chronic diseases.

Inflammatory Promoters

Foods that promote inflammation are primarily unhealthy fats, sugars or refined carbohydrates, processed foods and fast foods. One type of unhealthy fat is trans fat. Trans fats are made when hydrogen is added to plant oils to create a harder fat. An example is when corn oil is converted to shortening or margarine. Trans fats are unhealthy because they increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol. They also promote inflammation associated with heart disease, stroke, accumulation of belly fat and other diseases mentioned above. Trans fats are predominately found in cakes, cookies, pies, breads/muffins, fried foods, snack foods and fast foods. The FDA allows a food to be labeled as containing 0 grams trans fat if the food has less than or equal to 0.5 grams trans fat per serving. If a food label includes partially hydrogenated fat in the ingredient list, you can know that it contains some trans fat (even though a claim may be made that the product contains 0 grams trans fat). Many foods that contain trans fat are high in sugar as well.

Saturated fats are another type of unhealthy fat that come primarily from animal fat such as that found in meat, poultry, dairy, cheese and eggs. Exceptions are coconut and palm kernel oil (sometimes listed as palm fruit oil). Even though these fats are plant-based, they are very saturated in terms of fat type. Many food companies are replacing trans fat with coconut or palm oil in order to boast that their product contains 0 grams trans fat. BEWARE! These saturated fats are detrimental to health as well, and you may only find them by reading the ingredient list on the food label.

Inflammatory Inhibitors

Foods with anti-inflammatory properties include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and nuts containing omega-3-fatty acids. If dividing your plate into portions, approximately 50% should be filled with fruits and veggies, 25% with whole grains and 25% with protein. Our diet should be more plant-based rather than meat-based. A serving of protein is 3-4 ounces of cooked meat, but ¾ cup cooked beans can make a healthful substitute. It is recommended that we consume no greater than 18 ounces of red meat (beef, pork, lamb) per week. Meatless protein sources are an economical way to reduce red meat consumption while boosting beneficial nutrients in the diet.

You can promote a variety of healthy foods in your diet by including at least 3 food groups at breakfast, 5 food groups for lunch and dinner and 2 food groups for snacks. Think of snacks as mini-meals or an extension of your regular meal. If you wouldn't eat a brownie and drink a soda for breakfast, that wouldn't make a good snack choice either. Remember that sugars and unhealthy fats do not count as food groups and both increase inflammation in the body!

In summary, here are 5 categories of foods that you can include on a regular basis to reduce inflammatory risk factors associated with chronic disease:

• Vegetables and fruits – you can't go wrong here regardless of color or lack of it; even white produce such as onions, garlic, cauliflower, pears or apples count
• Whole grains – barley, brown or wild rice, bulgur (cracked wheat), graham flour, millet, oats, popcorn, quinoa, whole cornmeal, whole rye, 100% whole wheat
• Proteins, beans, nuts – salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, herring, lake trout; dry or canned beans, soy products such as milk, beans, edamame or nuts; almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, walnuts
• Spices – cinnamon, cloves, curry, ginger, Italian seasonings, pepper
• Miscellaneous – cocoa (non-alkalized), dark chocolate, green tea

This list is by no means all-inclusive, but will give you some ideas to get started. Remember that appropriate serving sizes are important based on energy needs. Replace inflammatory promoters with inflammatory inhibitors to provide calorie balance for optimal body weight.

In addition, lifestyle factors also contribute to increased inflammation. Regular exercise, not smoking, proper oral hygiene and getting enough sleep (7-8 hours per day for adults) will improve your health and reduce the inflammatory response. Following these guidelines could improve and possibly extend the quality of your life!