What is an anti-inflammatory diet for gut health?
what leads to inflammation in the gut?
Inflammation in the gut can be a major driver of chronic digestive symptoms, playing a role in symptoms like heartburn, constipation, loose stools, bloating and even influence non-GI symptoms like skin issues like acne and eczema, anxiety/depression, joint pain and even fatigue!
But what leads to inflammation in the gut? Low fiber diet, low nutrient foods, low beneficial bacteria, maldigestion, leaky gut, gluten sensitivity and pathogens and infections just to name a few. Of that list, the first place to start is always with nutrition - most specifically following an anti-inflammatory diet. However, when most people hear “anti-inflammatory diet” they think of an elimination diet or a restrictive diet that avoids whole categories of foods such as gluten, dairy, corn, soy, etc.
Thankfully, that is not the type of anti-inflammatory diet we are talking about and not what we see to be effective at moving the needle in our clients' health. So let’s talk about the big players in an anti-inflammatory diet that we guide for all of our clients in practice.
Below are a few foundational principles of an anti-inflammatory diet and how to make each work for you.
1. Build your plate for balanced blood sugar
Imbalanced blood sugar is the greatest contributor to inflammation. This means that following an anti-inflammatory diet is first and foremost about keeping blood sugar balanced at every meal throughout the day. Adding more anti-inflammatory foods is a bonus, but it won't make a big difference if your meal is already triggering an elevated blood sugar response and sending you on an inflammation and stress roller coaster.
What to do:
Aim for ½ of the plate to be non-starchy veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, leafy greens, fennel, etc.
Aim for ¼ of the plate to be protein such as fish, seafood, beef, eggs, chicken, turkey, organic tofu, etc.
Aim for ¼ of the plate to be carbohydrates such as starchy veggies like beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes; or grains like rice and quinoa; or starchy legumes like chickpeas or lentils.
Aim for a serving of healthy fats from olive oil, nuts & seeds, avocado, etc. Your healthy fat can be part of your protein source too.
2. Don’t go too long between meals
Going too long between meals or even waiting too long to eat breakfast, can cause your blood sugar to dip. Low blood sugar is another way to trigger that stress-inflammation roller coaster. So it’s not only about what you eat, but when you eat too.
What to do:
Eat breakfast within 1-2 hours of waking
Have lunch 3-4 hours after breakfast
Eat a protein-forward snack midway between lunch and dinner
Have dinner at least 2-3 hours before bed
These are tools not rules! Do your best to stick to a consistent eating schedule that works for you!
3. Eat a diversity of foods.
Diverse and abundant beneficial bacteria help to reduce inflammation in the gut, so the health of your gut microbiome is a huge anti-inflammatory cornerstone. The foods you eat nourish your gut microbiome, the more diverse the foods are, the more diverse your gut microbiome is, the lower your inflammation is. In addition, your gut microbiome actually produces powerful anti-inflammatory compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that calm inflammation in both the body as well as the brain - this is how a healthy gut actually calms anxiety, depression and skin conditions like acne and eczema.
What to do:
Feed your microbiome a diverse array of fiber-rich foods daily!
Starchy plant carbohydrates are the preferred food source for the microbiome and they help it produce more SCFA. Think carrots, beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash, rutabaga, chickpeas and lentils.
Aim to eat 5 different plants daily and 30 different types each week. Plants are fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds!
Start with one new plant food from the grocery store or farmers market each week to start increasing your food diversity.
4. Spice up your meals
Spices and herbs are some of the most anti-inflammatory foods out there. Spices, herbs and teas are some of the highest antioxidant containing foods available, meaning they have medicinal compounds that directly help to soothe inflammation more than fruits and vegetables alone. This includes dried or fresh herbs as well as herbal teas!
What to do:
Add more spice to the meals you already enjoy - add a spice blend to stir fries, fresh herbs to a chicken salad, cinnamon into your smoothie or sip on an herbal tea for some mid-afternoon hydration.
Cinnamon to your coffee, cardamom to your smoothie or fresh herbs to your soup
Some of our faves:
Cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, parsley, basil, thyme, turmeric, ginger
Our go to herbal teas:
Peppermint, ginger, chamomile, nettle, dandelion, hibiscus
You can optimize your health at every meal with these four anti-inflammatory food principles! The best part about them, is that they don't require running out to the store to snag the latest superfood; you can work with what you already have to keep your inflammation in check!
In good health,
Abby & the Above Health Team
Check out our Above Health Dispensary to shop our favorite teas!
