FOODS TO COMBAT INFLAMMATION

When your body recognizes anything that is foreign, our immune system becomes activated. This triggers a process called inflammation. However, sometimes inflammation persists, day in and day out, even when you are not threatened by a foreign invader. That's when inflammation can become your enemy. Major diseases like cancer, arthritis, diabetes, depression, heart disease and Alzheimer's is linked to chronic inflammation.

One of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes from the grocery store.

FOODS THAT INFLAME:

Try to avoid or limit these foods as much as possible:

• Refined carbohydrates (white bread, maida)
• Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
• Fried foods
• Processed meat
• Margarine (artificial butter)

FOODS THAT COMBAT INFLAMMATION:

Include plenty of these anti-inflammatory foods in your diet:

• Tomatoes
• Yoghurt/ curd
• Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
• Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds
• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
• Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, guava, pineapple and oranges
• Spices like turmeric, pepper, ginger and garlic
• Vegetables such as broccoli, beetroot and capsicum.