Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years have passed but the weight from those extra holiday cookies may still be lingering. Did you know all the foods we “indulge” in over the holidays also leave our bodies in an inflammatory state? …So what now? How can we fix it?

Many of you have heard of the term “eating clean.” This term can mean a lot of different things to different people. What is important in our diets is to eliminate simple carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, donuts, boxed meals, and French fries. Our daily diet not only influences our weight, it influences our state of health. Through eating a healthy diet we can decrease our risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even cancer.

Food also influences how much pain we have in our day-to-day lives.  The more inflammation in our bodies ie. the more simple carbohydrates, sugars, fried foods etc. we consume, the more chronic pain we are likely to experience.

We have the ability to control our health. We must take control of our health. Some simple strategies to help you this year:

A diet that removes sugar, flour, omega-6 oils, and trans-fats, and encourages the consumption of low glycemic index foods IS anti-inflammatory and beneficial for our health.

An anti-inflammatory diet includes:

• eating plenty of fruits and vegetables (at least one serving of vegetables at every meal)
• eating a 3:1 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids (this can be obtained through consuming olive oil, wild fish such as salmon, or supplementing with fish oil daily)
• eating lean sources of  omega-3 animal products such as wild game, grass/pasture fed meats and chicken, and their omega-3 eggs are a great source of protein
• Drink water! – a diet of juice consumption is a diet full of excess sugar and “empty calories”.
• Limit or eliminate the amount of simple carbohydrates you consume each day. This includes bread, pasta, bagels, chips, pretzels, etc.
• Limit or eliminate processed food (foods from a box)

Following these tips will lead you all to a happy and healthier New Year!

Dr. Julie E. Kulig