Inflammation and Your Appetite

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

27 Dec 2007 08:02 PM

Are you suffering from inflammation? Inflammation is a condition where your immune system is kicked into overdrive by stress, lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, or exposure to toxins. Your body wants to fight something off.

Inflammation can lead to weight gain, arthritis, and heart disease. Why? In a healthy, normal weight person, the body produces a hormone called leptin to control appetite and metabolism. When body fat increases, leptin levels rise to tell the brain to decrease appetite and speed up metabolism. In an obese person, the body isn't getting the message from leptin -- it may not be managing fat stores appropriately.

Inflammation can make it hard for you to lose weight! Your brain may not be telling your body the right thing because the inflammation has your immune system confused. A diet high in saturated fats and trans fats can trigger inflammation. Too much sugar or red meat can lead to inflammation, too.

So what can you do if inflammation is a problem? There are foods that contain natural forms of ibuprofen -- apples, almonds, bell peppers, salmon, and egg whites, for example -- that can help relieve inflammation in your body. Eating these foods and cutting back on things like sugar, red meat, and bad fats can help relieve inflammation in your body.

Try these inflammation fighting fruits and vegetables: apples, blueberries, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, pomegranates, arugula, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, leeks, onions, romaine lettuce, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes.

Spice up your life with inflammation fighting spices: basil, black pepper, cardamom, chives, cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, parsley, turmeric.

Try other inflammation fighting foods: almonds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, green tea, vegetable juice, flounder, salmon, sole tilapia, egg whites, and plain nonfat yogurt.

There are lots of foods out there that can help keep inflammation down -- and that can help you lose weight, fight heart disease, and overcome the effects of stress.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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