Centuries ago, Hippocrates said, "let food be they medicine." Proper nutrition is one of the pillars in maintaining or restoring optimal health.  Knowledge of food choices empowers people to be pro-active towards their health and can dramatically influence their ability to be healthy and live fully.

For decades, Naturopathic doctors have recommended "anti-inflammation" dietary guidelines for patients of all ages.  Even conventional medical doctors now agree that inflammation leads to chronic disease. 

In healthy individuals, inflammation can be likened to a pilot light on a gas stove that burns at a steady, low level, yet it is ready to ignite at a moment's notice into a blazing fire.  When a person gets a bee sting or slams her finger in a door, the body's immune system mounts an acute inflammatory response by creating redness, swelling, heat, itchiness and pain.  This inflammatory reaction is the body's attempt to heal the damage.  After an injury has healed or the infection is resolved, the inflammation should return from the blazing fire to the low, steady, constant pilot light. 

When acute reactions are prolonged and injuries are repetitive, an invisible, chronic inflammation occurs. We are now finding a connection between chronic inflammation and chronic disease such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's and more.  In fact, Time magazine featured an article on chronic inflammation with supporting research in February 2004. 

Fortunately, we can adjust out body's internal mechanism that decreases inflammation by our food choices. Understanding which foods decrease inflammation allows us to take a pro-active role in preventing chronic disease.  Certain fatty acids, called prostaglandins, play an important role in control of chronic inflammation.  Cold-water fish, nuts, seeds and many other whole foods encourage the body's ability to heal itself by allowing restoration of a normal, healthy immune system via prostaglandin pathways.  Other foods, such as wheat, corn and dairy, to name a few, actually lead to inflammation.

Another benefit: although the anti-inflammatory diet is not promoted for weight loss, people following it often shed pounds and gain energy leading to other obvious health benefits.