Inflammation, defined as a localized reaction of tissue to irritation, injury or infection, is in fact part of a healthy immune system. We all know how our body responds to a cut finger or sprained ankle; pain, redness and swelling – all signs of inflammation. There are many causes for inflammation but the most important one is diet. Scientists have found that over time low-level, chronic inflammation has been linked to serious illnesses, including heart disease, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and even depression and mood disorders

I’m learning all about foods that can cause inflammation.  I enrolled in a five-week course in my neighborhood called “inflammation free eating” taught by a local nutritionist.  The “Raw food diet” is becoming more and more popular , so I decided I wanted to learn more about it.

It wasn’t until two years ago that I really decided to be more healthy about my diet.  I used to allow myself breads, cereals, and desserts because I worked out and ran so much (and because I liked the taste),  and therefore, never gained much weight.  The fact I kept my weight stable never gave me an incentive to want to be more healthy.  I think I thought I deserved the crap because I worked out so hard physically.

In fact, I hardly remember eating much fruits and vegetables. 

I started focusing on better nutrition two years ago after I discovered a lot of my tiredness and irritability was due to the foods I was eating (lots of white sugar/flour carbs).  Ever since, I’ve continued to learn all I can about the impact of food on the human body.  Besides, our bodies were created to eat natural whole foods, preferably in their raw living state – not as cooked foods that are void of nutrients, enzymes, and life energy!

So we need to care for our bodies. The 42 year old Olympic silver medalist Dara Torres said, “We shouldn’t put age limits on our dreams.” Most of us do not have thousands of dollars to spend on our health and bodies. Diet is the simplest and most clear cut method to continue our passion and pursue our dreams late into life.

That being said, here is the list of foods not to eat and foods to eat

Examples of Irritating Foods:

• Processed sugars and refined carbs (white flour, sugar)
• Gluten wheat, rye, spelt, barley
• Dairy, milk, cheese
• Hydrogenated oils
• Beef, pork especially high in non-grass fed animals
• Cheese, ice cream

Examples of Anti-Inflammatory Foods:

• Salmon, sardines, scallops
• Walnuts, flax seeds, almonds, pecans
• Dark green leafy veggies
• Fruits, especially berries
• Sweet potatoes
• Spices: ginger, tumeric, garlic

So, take a look at the list and try to incorporate more of the non-inflammatory foods to your diet.  Within a few days you will notice an improved difference.  As runners, we do need carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean bagels and pretzels.  I get most of my carbs from fresh fruits.  Fruits are great to eat both before and after runs to fuel your body and replace carbs after a long run.

If you have your own story or success with the RAW FOOD lifestyle, please share your comments here.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 12:43 am and is filed under Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted by admin | in Nutrition | 4 Comments