ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET

VEGETABLES
Include
Experiment with a variety of vegetables – try for a “rainbow
assortment” at each meal (multi-coloured plate)
Try for at least 1 serving/day of dark-green leafy vegetables

Avoid
Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, white potatoes*, eggplant,
peppers, tobacco)* Sweet potatoes and yams are OK to eat.
Corn

FRUITS
Include
Fresh or frozen; also unsweetened juice.
Lemons and limes are beneficial and allowed.

Avoid
Citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit, tangerine), bananas

GRAINS
Include
Amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, teff and rice
*experiment with rice pasta, rice crackers and cooked cereals such kamut, couscous
as quinoa flakes or cream of buckwheat

Avoid
Wheat (white and whole wheat), oats, barley, spelt, rye,
These grains all contain GLUTEN
*note: soy sauce contains wheat – always read labels!

LEGUMES & BEANS
Include
All beans, peas, lentils as well as fermented soy: tofu, miso, tempeh

FISH
Include
All fresh fish (salmon, halibut, mackerel, cod, trout, sardines, etc.)
Ideally, fish can be baked, broiled, poached or steamed.

Avoid
Shellfish

ANIMAL PROTEIN
Include
Ideally free-range or organically raised:
Chicken, turkey, wild game
Lamb, duck, rabbit, quail

Avoid
Red meat, pork (including bacon) and eggs

DAIRY
Include
Milk substitutes in SMALL quantities (less than ½ cup/day):
Soy, almond, hemp or rice milks

Avoid
milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream, butter

SEEDS & NUTS
Include
Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans, filberts
Sesame, sunflower, flax, pumpkin seeds
Try also nut butters, tahini (sesame), or adding chopped
seeds or nuts to meals.
Can grind seeds in a coffee grinder and add to cooked
grains, soups, stir-frys, salads, steamed vegetables, etc.

Avoid
Peanuts and peanut butter

OILS & FATS
Include
To cook with: olive or sesame oil, coconut butter
Not to be heated:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
• Flax oil, fish oil
Omega-6 Fatty Acids:
• Sesame, sunflower, walnut, pumpkin, almond,
hemp, evening primrose, borage or black current
oils OR a combination oil such as “Udo’s Choice”

Avoid
Margarine, shortening, commercial salad dressings and spreads, butter (LATER: butter/ghee may be used for cooking)

SPICES & HERBS
Include
Use any spice or fresh herb you enjoy
Turmeric and ginger have powerful anti-inflammatory actions
Real sea salt (will be grayish or pink, and moist)

Avoid
Cayenne, paprika (these spices are from peppers)
refined salt (powdery white even if called “sea salt”)

SWEETENERS
Include
Small amounts of: honey, blackstrap molasses, rice syrup,
maple syrup, stevia (herbal substitute to sugar), carob, agave syrup

Avoid
White and brown sugar, Nutrasweet and artificial sweeteners,any other sweetener, chocolate

BEVERAGES
Include
8 cups of water per day (filtered, spring or reverse osmosis)
Herbal teas – no caffeine
Freshly prepared fruit and vegetable juice (in small amounts)
Mix bottled juice ½ and ½ with water

Avoid
milk, coffee, tea, alcohol, pop, sweetened juices and beverage and caffeinated beverages
(LATER – coffee substitutes: Café-Lib, Bambu, Inka, Swiss water or carbon dioxide decaffeinated organic coffee)

Additional Information:
• Try to eat foods that are whole and pure and in their natural state. This means avoiding processed, packaged and canned foods.
• Try to eat certified organic foods as much as possible. This will decrease the toxic load on your body by eliminating pesticide, antibiotic and hormone residues. In addition, organic produce has been grown on enriched soils so they will be rich in vitamins and minerals. These minerals are needed for the plant to form its own natural sugars- this is why organic produce tastes sweeter and more flavourful!
• Diabetes or hypoglycemia: Try to eat foods with a low glycemic index – this will help avoid blood sugar and insulin spikes. Refer to your additional handout on the glycemic index of foods.
• There really are a lot of wonderful foods allowed on this nutritional plan, so experiment and have fun with it. It also is not forever – just until the inflammation is controlled, and symptoms subside. After that, you can begin adding back most of foods in the “avoid” list, one at a time. The direction on how to this will be discussed in a future appointment.
• Take out foods/restaurants: try Japanese, Thai, Korean, East Indian, Chinese, vegetarian – these cuisines mainly use the allowed foods for your diet. You can eat out at most places – you just have to choose wisely.
There are a lot of gourmet and tasty dishes you can make from your allowed foods. Flavourful ingredients include: olives, dairy-free pesto, fresh herbs, lemons and limes, fresh garlic, ginger, lemongrass, avocado, coconut milk, curry sauces (made without hot peppers), miso, wheat-free tamari, tahini, wasabi, etc. There are also healthy mixes of soups, sauces, pastas or pre-made foods. Browse your local health food market or try the following stores to see how much variety is available to you