I’m still on the mend from sesamoiditis (inflammation on my foot). Half-marathon training plans have been set aside and the focus is on healing. Naturally, my thoughts turn to food and how it can help me.

A couple of weeks ago, I listed different anti-inflammation foods that I enjoy and that you should too. Everyone benefits from reducing inflammation, not just those with an acute injury.

You may have chronic inflammation in your body. Not the kind you can see by looking at a swollen ankle or finger; but at a cellular level (this reminds me a great t-shirt slogan: “It might look like I’m doing nothing, but on a cellular level, I’m really quite busy!). It’s this kind of inflammation we worry about because it indicates an immune system working overtime.

Remember that your immune system’s job is to fight intruders. For example: when you cut yourself, your immune system leaps into action, sending white blood cells to attack the germs that gained entry through the cut. This war effort causes short-term inflammation and it indicates progress.

What happens with chronic inflammation is that healthy cells become the casualties of friendly fire.  More and more research indicates that chronic inflammation contributes to diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. One way to combat chronic inflammation is to eat the right foods such as fatty fish, fresh produce, nuts & seeds, beans, olive oil, tea, ginger and garlic.

Here are some recipes to get you started: 

Indian-Spiced Chicken (this would be great with chickpeas too!)

Asian-Glazed Salmon

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Need more wellness ideas? Visit all the great writers at Prevention Not Prescriptions.

Tags: anti-inflammatory, Recipes

This entry was posted on Friday, March 26th, 2010 at 11:24 am and is filed under Disease Prevention, Healthy Eating, Prevention Not Prescriptions, Wellness . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.