Food that Helps Reduces Inflamation:
Polymyosoits is all about inflammation, so I try everything I can to keep the inflammation down. Here's a list of what has worked best for me. I can't say that any one thing had made a big difference by its self. What I can say is I feel my best when I watch what I eat and I stick to the diet.
- I eat a variety of fresh, organic and whole foods. These are foods that are close to their original state. They have not been processed or altered in any way. I basically avoid any food that does not resemble what it looked like as it was growing.
- I eat more fish – especially cold water varieties which are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Salmon, bluefish, flounder, haddock, halibut, sardines, mackerel, herring and sole.
- I eat a lot of vegetables, the more colorful the better. Vegetables and fruits are the best dietary sources of antioxidants. Dark green and leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, mustard greens and bok choy. Cruciferous vegetables; such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Sweet vegetables; such as beets, sweet potatoes, carrots and squash; alliums; such as garlic, onion, scallion and leeks. I also like asparagus, green beans, zucchini, celery and fennel.
- Fresh fruits; blueberries, grapes, plums, apples, apricots and citrus fruits are all so antioxidants.
- I've read that nightshades vegetables can be problematic foods for people with rheumatoid arthritis or people with food allergy. These foods include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Personal I don't have a problem with them.
- I use spices and herbs to flavor foods. Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and dill are rich in antioxidant flavonoids and natural cox-2 inhibitors. Also ginger and turmeric are natural anti-inflammatory spices.
- I use olive oil as my primary cooking oil. I avoid Omega 6 polyunsaturated fats such as those found in corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, soybean and cottonseed oils. These oils are commonly used in processed and packaged foods. The worst oils are partially hydrogenated oils. All partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fatty acids, which are considerably more dangerous than saturated fats. These oils are found in vegetable shortenings, margarine, some salad dressings, nondairy creamers, bakery products and processed foods.
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I try to eat gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats) free food when possible. I found a great website called www.glutenfreemall.com You can order a ton of items that are gluten free, They also has some sauces that are salt and sugar free as well.
- I avoid or strictly limit sugars. Refined sugars are empty inflammatory calories. For the occasional sweetener, I'll use a small amount of brown rice syrup or maple syrup. Stevia is an excellent natural herbal sweetener as well.
- I avoid or limit refined grains. Refined grains are processed foods – baked flour products, white bread and pastas.
- I personally do not eat dairy products.
- Black and green tea both contain significant amounts of bioflavonoids and antioxidants; substances that reduce inflammation and boost immune function.
- I include ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds in my diet. I sprinkle them on food after it's been cooked. Nuts that are rich in vitamin E such as almonds are great to snack on. Walnuts and brazil nuts are rich in selenium.
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