Try This Anti Inflammatory Diet for 2 Weeks

In this part, we will discuss the foods that need to be eliminated and why. In Part 4 we will discuss all the foods you can eat, and give some great recipes that helped get us through.

What Foods to Eliminate on an Anti Inflammatory Diet

As this is an elimination diet, you will expect the first two: white sugar and gluten. You will be pleasantly surprised by some of the food we found we could eat in Part 4 when we give suggestions for what to eat during the two weeks.

Foods to Avoid:

White Sugar – It’s just bad, read your labels because it’s everywhere!

Artificial sweeteners – These can be just as bad as sugar in our bodies. The five most common ones are:
Aspartame
Sucralose
Saccharine
Acesulfame
Neotame

Gluten and refined carbohydrates – Just because it is gluten free doesn’t mean it’s healthy! Read the labels for other toxins before you put it in your cart.

Conventionally raised meat and dairy – I know this can be very expensive, but it is very important, too. Antibiotics, hormones, and GMOs are just three of the toxins lurking in grain-fed meat and dairy that are highly inflammatory. And, this is just a two week commitment, so do what you can for your health for the next two weeks. Read this article for detailed information on why Grass Fed Beef is Better.

Farm raised fish and seafood – Farm-raised fish and seafood is just so unnatural. The living conditions are overcrowded and toxic, and they are not fed a diet anything near their normal diet in the wild. As with conventional meat, farm raised fish are often given antibiotics and fed a GMO diet. Eat only wild-caught fish and as much as you want for two weeks.

Partially hydrogenated trans-fat oils – These are highly processed oils used in cooking. Here is a list of the most common ones to avoid:
Canola Oil
Soybean Oil
Peanut Oil
Safflower Oil
Sunflower Oil
Corn Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Margarine
Cottonseed Oil
Any oil you use during the diet should be expeller pressed or extra virgin – remember it is the process that damages the oils and adds toxins.

Food additives and preservatives – I’m sure you are not surprised to see these on the list. Here is a list of common inflammation causing additives to look for:
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Nitrites and Nitrates
Artificial Coloring
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Guar Gum
Sodium Benzoate
Any Artificial Flavoring

Any Highly Processed Food – The actual processing of much of our food adds toxins and depletes nutrients. For instance, processed corn and soy added in food is inflammatory, but a piece of fresh sweet corn or edamame is allowed. For the most part, the less processed a food or supplement is, the more nutrient dense and the less toxic it is.

Nightshade Vegetables – Why do nightshades bother some people? Believe it or not, the plants produce chemicals a part of their own self-defense system. These chemicals are supposed to disrupt the cell membranes of predators and pathogens. Unfortunately, it works on many humans too and is the root of inflammation for many. Eliminate these if you know you are sensitive to them or if you think you might be sensitive to them. Common nightshades are:

Peppers
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Goji berries

For a complete list of nightshades click here.

Ready to Start an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

If you’ve made it this far you definitely want to read Part 4! Here we discuss what you can eat and give some great recipe ideas. The Naan recipe was a saving grace for me!