Research increasingly points to inflammation as being at the root of devastating illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Normally, inflammation is the immune system's healing response to injury. It's a short-term answer to a particular situation and disappears once the problem is resolved. But in chronic inflammation, the immune system runs amok, misfiring cells at normal tissue and encouraging disease rather than healing.

Inflammation-fighting tip: Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of flaxseed or wheat germ on your breakfast cereal, and add taste and texture to your salad with nuts and seeds instead of croutons. As for that bowl of candy or pretzels on your desk, replace it with one filled with pumpkin seeds, almonds, pecans or walnuts.

Steer clear of sugary soft drinks, and instead sip antioxidant-rich tea. Choose whole grains instead of refined ones, and keep dairy to a minimum. If you must have it, try goat or sheep milk products, which are less inflammatory.

While nine a day may seem like a lot, it's easier than you think to squeeze them in. For example, sprinkle one half cup of blueberries, blackberries or strawberries on your whole-grain breakfast cereal... munch on an apple (rich in naturally anti-inflammatory quercetin)... a handful of baby carrots or red pepper strips for a mid-morning snack... enjoy an avocado salad topped with a few shrimp and a squeeze of lemon for lunch... make a strawberry-banana smoothie for a late afternoon pick-me-up... and put together a quick stir-fry for dinner, heavy on the greens and easy on the protein. When eating your fruits and veggies, "raw is best" since some of their enzymes and antioxidants are destroyed by heating. When you do cook your vegetables, less is best.

If you're not a big fish eater, consider taking a 2,000-mg fish oil supplement daily. While it is best taken as a liquid, capsules are okay, too. Vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseed oil and walnuts but do not contain nearly the same level of omega-3s as the fish sources.

Instead of chips and dip (packed with the saturated and trans fats that encourage inflammation), snack on apple slices or celery smeared with protein-rich hummus or peanut butter.

Be well, 


Carole Jackson 
Bottom Line's Daily Health News

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