Holiday Foods to Avoid to Minimize Inflammation This Year
Inflammation is necessary, yet chronic inflammation may prove to be one of the reasons you develop health conditions over time such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. In this post, we’ll be going over some of the foods one should avoid this holiday season to reduce as much inflammation as they can. We know, it’s tough, but what’s tougher is feeling inflammation throughout your body if you choose to excessively indulge in the below holiday treats, snacks, and beverages. We hope you enjoy this post, and should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Sugary Treats
Processed, refined sugar in and of itself is highly inflammatory to our bodies. Natural sugars, such as those from whole fruits can be balanced much more efficiently thanks in part to the fiber content of a whole fruit. Excess sugar intake will likely contribute to inflammation throughout the body. Cakes, pies, and other desserts are typically loaded with ultra-processed sugars, or even HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), which can lead to high levels of inflammation as your body figures out what to do with all of this added sugar. Natural sugars, such as honey or maple syrup, are typically better for you rather than processed white sugar or HFCS. Incorporating real fruit into your desserts can add a good amount of flavor, texture, and sweetness.
Refined Carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates will often spike blood sugar levels quickly. This process of raised blood sugar levels will likely lead to an inflammatory response. Choosing lower glycemic response alternatives such as those with whole grains (quinoa, barley, & oats) will not only reduce the insulin spikes, it will also provide more fiber and nutrients.
Excessive Alcohol
Alcohol consumption is often associated with nearly every holiday, yet it’s especially prevalent with the winter holidays. The phrase “this drink will warm you up!” is often repeated during the colder nights in the winter months. While you may feel the warmth from a glass of whiskey or a nice bottle of wine, it’s important to remember alcohol is inflammatory, especially excess alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption may disrupt the gut bacteria, leading to a process named endotoxemia, where the alcohol permeates through the gut and intestines into your bloodstream; thus causing excess inflammation. It’s a good idea to eliminate alcohol consumption over the holidays if possible. Alternatives such as non-alcoholic ciders, teas, or sparkling water can be great for the holidays if you’d still like to have a drink in hand to blend in with everyone at holiday gatherings.
Processed Meats
Highly processed meats can lead to inflammation within the body. Highly processed meats such as ham, sausages, and bacon are high in saturated fats and additives. These ingredients may cause excess inflammation to build up in the body, leading to feelings of malaise. AGEs (advanced glycation end products) are often found in heavily processed meats. These AGEs will often cause an inflammatory response. It’s better to choose locally-raised, high-quality, organic meats to have the best dining experience possible with meat consumption this holiday season.
Fried Foods
Fried foods are typically high in AGEs as well. They promote oxidative stress and inflammation within the body. An alternative to frying can be anything from baking, to grilling, to steaming.
Artificial Sweeteners & Additives
Artificial sweeteners and additives, such as aspartame and MSG, can trigger inflammatory responses in many individuals. It’s much better to stick to natural sources of sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, fruit or fruit juice, etc…
Dairy Products
Excess dairy consumption may cause an inflammatory response in certain individuals who are much more sensitive to dairy. Milk, cheese, cream, and butter may cause an inflammatory response. An alternative to dairy can be coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk based products.
Contact Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants for Your Best Health Yet!
The holidays are certainly a time for celebration, indulgence, and gathering with loved ones. If you’ve found previous holiday celebrations leaving you with a general feeling of “bleh”, you may want to incorporate some of all of these tips in this post and see how they help your inflammation this year.
If you’ve found this post to be helpful and would like to schedule an appointment to be seen by one of our amazing medical professionals here at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants, you’ll want to contact us using the form below. We look forward to hearing from you here soon and we’re eager to begin helping you regain your health as we head into the new year!
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