4 Healthy Foods To Eat If You Have A Chronic Illness

You may have noticed that your pain climbs to a new level after eating certain meals. That’s because food can play a big role in inducing inflammation. Keeping inflammation to a minimum is especially important for people with chronic conditions and autoimmune diseases.

One of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes not from the pharmacy, but from the grocery store.

1. Good Fats – You want to increase good fats as found in:

• Omega-3 fats (chia seeds, flax seeds, cold-water fish)

• Oils (extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, flax oil)

• Seeds (hemp seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

• Nuts (walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, pecans)

• Avocados

2. Leafy Greens & Veggies – Leafy greens and other veggies are excellent sources of Vitamin C, which help to boost your immunity as well as Magnesium and Calcium. A few examples are:

• Leafy greens (such as): collards, kale, spinach, dandelion greens, arugula

• Sweet potatoes

• Yams

• Squash

• Broccoli

• Carrots

• Bok Choy

3. Fruits – While fruits do contain sugar, it boasts good-for-you fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Sure, you can go overboard (even with natural sugar), but if you're sticking to two or three servings of fruit a day, you're fine. And if you want the biggest bang for your buck, choose some of these top anti-inflammatory fruits when possible.

• Cherries

• Strawberries

• Watermelon

• Apples

• Pineapple

• Blueberries

• Blackberries

• Raspberries

• Oranges

• Grapefruit

4. Herbs and Spices -

Certain herbs and spices have been shown to increase the production of anti-inflammatory proteins, all the while reducing inflammatory cytokines (cells that promote inflammation).

Some of the herbs and spices that I recommend are:

• Cinnamon

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Turmeric

• Mint

• Thyme

• Nettle Leaf (tea)

• Lemon Balm (tea)

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