“One of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes not from the pharmacy, but from the grocery store”.
Despite the wonders of modern medicine, a doctor of the future will not cure patients with drugs, let your diet be your medicine.However, with every bite of a meal we munch, we’re either increasing or decreasing inflammatory compounds in the body.As an alternative to taking (NSAIDs)- non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs- which can be very harmful to the body, anti-inflammatory diets are definitely your best bet. Below is an excellent checklist to guide your diet, you have made a wonderful choice.

WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?
Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting itself from infection, illness and injury. There are two types – good and bad. Acute inflammation is the ‘good’ type and is the body’s normal response to microbes, tissue damage or metabolic stress. However, sometimes intermittent bouts of attack directed at invaders by your natural sentinels persists day in and day out, even when you are not threatened by foreign substances. That is when inflammation is considered Chronic and ultimately become your enemy. Many major diseases that plague us—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s—have been linked to chronic inflammation. ‘’Many experimental studies have shown that components of foods or beverages may have anti-inflammatory effects’’ says Dr Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

• Natural sweeteners like Stevia, honey, or blackstrap molassesis better consumed sparingly. Its healthier to eat natural sugars found in fresh fruit which also supply vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, avocado pear is a very healthy anti-inflammatory food. Avoid soda and sweetened beverages.
• Macadamia oil, or extra virgin olive oil is a better option than high free fatty acid groundnut oils used for cooking. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines.
• Natural peanut butter (not margarine, shortening or lard) and foods without the trans-fats. Fruits such as cherries (agbalumo) oranges and tomatoes.
• Coconut, walnut and almond. Kefir,or unsweetened yogurt is a healthy choiceif you are not allergic to milk.
• Organic Free- Range Animals that are fed a natural diet such as grasses instead of grains and hormones contain more omega-3 fats. Having more room to roam freely, they are also leaner and contain less saturated fat.
• You don’t need to avoid red meat (burgers, steaks) totally, though the same thing cannot be said for processed meat. No amount of processed meat (hot dogs, sausage) is safe. Replace the bulk of your red meat with organic vegetables, poultry and fish, and relegate red meat to a weekly treat. When you do eat red meat, remember to choose lean cuts and preferably, that of grass-fed animals. To reduce the formation of heat generated food contaminants, it is also advisable not to overcook your meat and use moist heat cooking like stewing and boiling more often than high-temperature dry heat methods such as grilling and frying.
• A refreshing and thirst-quenching glass of pure, filtered water, anyone?  How about a cup of anti-aging and anti-inflammatory Japanese green tea? If you find the idea of swapping ethanol (alcohols) for water or tea implausible, limit your consumption to no more than one drink a day.
• Go for minimally processed grains if you are not gluten intolerant or allergic to grains. If you are an avid bread or pastry maker, invest in a grain mill to produce your own flour. It will be much fresher than the stale grain found in stores. When buying cereals or other products made from grains, don’t take the words on the packaging for granted. Just because the box says whole grains, it does not mean the grains inside are 100% intact. The problem is due to a lack of an internationally accepted definition for the word ‘whole grain’. When in doubt, if it does not look close to its natural state, don’t buy it.
• Besides limiting the consumption of processed foods, use anti-inflammatory herbs, spices or natural sweeteners to add flavor to your dishes instead of relying on food additives. Ginger and garlic are invaluable anti-inflammatory spices.
  If you suspect that a particular food may be responsible for your hyper-sensitivity (food intolerance responses), try avoiding it completely for about two weeks and monitor your reaction. At the end of the abstinence period, re-introduce the food back into your diet. If you are in fact incompatible with it, you should be able to notice the difference in how you feel easily.

An overall healthy diet is crucial for reducing inflammation. If you need an eating plan that aptly adapts the tenets of anti-inflammatory eating, consider the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables nuts, whole grains, fish and healthy oils. In addition to decreasing inflammation, a more natural, less processed diet can have significant effect on your physical and emotional health.