In my twenty-one years, I’ve read about so many diets that the lines have blurred. South Beach… Atkins… It’s all the same. However, I recently came across the Anti-Inflammatory Diet (AI Diet), and I was instantly intrigued. As someone with several health related issues that have to do with inflammation, I started looking into just how the diet is different from normal eating. If you have anything like asthma or allergies, joint issues, or just want you gut to be happy and healthy, take a look at this diet and see if it’s for you!
The Do’s
The point of the AI Diet is to eat foods that won’t encourage or cause any sort of extra inflammation in your body. Research has shown that the following foods can actually combat inflammation: Berries, Dark Leafy Greens (think kale, spinach, etc.), fatty fish like Salmon, green tea, ginger, and tumeric. Although these foods seem super fancy and expensive, shopping at stores like Lidl or Aldi, or having a member card at your local grocery store, can make shopping for this diet a lot easier and cheaper.
There’s also plenty of recipes online (thank you, Pinterest!) that are both easy and inspiring. If you have no idea what to do with salmon, be sure to check them out!
The Don’ts
There are obvious things to cut, like refined sugars, but I also found that things like nightshade veggies (tomatoes, eggplant) and even eggs need to be cut out for an AI Diet. Other foods to cut include some nuts, refined grains, and dairy. It seems really difficult at first to imagine not having milk with your cereal in the morning, but there are plenty of alternatives, like almond or coconut milk, that are an awesome substitute for dairy products.
What do you think of the AI Diet? Is it just a fad, or something you’d actually try? Let us know in the comments!