Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Foods

I have been 100% SCDing for a couple of weeks. I have been sticking with basics like baked chicken, squash, and vegetables. It has been nice getting back to basics, but I haven’t made any new recipes lately. I do plan to since the holidays are coming up. That is why there hasn’t been a new blog post. Whenever I feel like I might be making too many exceptions or my stomach gets a twinge of being upset I like to reign things in and go back to the diet.

One thing I have never really researched is inflammatory and anti-inflammatory foods. Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading up on it, and I may need to make a few changes to my allowable exceptions.

Here are the most common foods I have found listed as being inflammatory:

Dairy products -I have been eating cheese the whole time and I don’t think it affects me. The only other dairy I eat is the homemade yogurt.

Refined Sugar – white, brown, high fructose corn syrup, turbinado. One article said to replace with honey, stevia, agave, date paste, fruit puree, or barley malt. I use stevia, honey, some agave (sparingly), and fruit or coconut syrup (no sugar added).

Artificial Sweeteners – Nutrasweet, Splenda, Equal. I will sometimes drink a diet soda with aspartame, but it’s only once in a while.

Red Meat – I have read that leaner red meats are ok in moderation. I have either lean ground beef or a small sirloin steak every once in a while.

Caffeine – I only drink tea. Sometimes I have a lot – like at a restaurant that has refills. Otherwise I stick with herbal (mostly mint), some green and some white.

Alcohol – I never drink

Common Table Salt – I pretty much only use sea salt

Processed Foods – I avoid processed foods

Nightshade Vegetables – Eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, tobacco. I have never used tobacco, but I do eat all the others including potatoes. I’m not sure they affect me, but I will reduce the amount of potatoes, and be cautious with the others.

Gluten – I have gone back and forth on gluten. I don’t eat wheat products that much.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Vegetables – Cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, chard, greens, garlic, green beans, onions, kale, spinach

Fruits – Apples, avocado, currants, berries, fresh pineapple, guava, papaya, lemons, oranages

Nuts and Seeds – Almonds, flaxseed, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fish – Salmon, cod, trout, sardines, snapper, bass, tuna

Green Tea

Sweet Potato – I do like sweet potatoes. I can probably substitute these if I really want a potato.

Spices – Tumeic, ginger, curr, cinnamon, cocoa, mint

Grains – Quinoa, steel cut oats, buckwheat

Beans – Lentils, peas

Tomatoes – I saw tomatoes listed on several anti-inflammatory food lists, even though it is a nightshade. Hmm.

Looks like it is important to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoid processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine to reduce inflammation.

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Sherry Lipp

Founder at Happy Gut For Life

Sherry is a Certificed Holistic Gut Practioner, author, and recipe creator. Sherry started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in 2000 and has been creating delicious, grain and gluten-free recipes ever since. She is the author of the Don't Skip Dessert SCD cookbooks.