An injury to the surface of the skin causes inflammation characterized by redness, swelling, heat and pain. Inflammation also occurs on the inside of the body and can lead to heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease, according to health advisor Dr. Andrew Weil. Diet, stress and lack of exercise can lead to chronic inflammation. An anti-inflammatory diet reduces your risk of chronic illness by encouraging you to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less processed food. A number of diets adhere to these guidelines to help improve your health.
The Zone Diet
The Zone diet is a commercial anti-inflammatory weight loss plan. The diet encourages the intake of fresh, unproDcessed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean sources of protein to prevent inflammation. The premise of the diet is balance. It works by balancing your food intake to help control blood sugar and insulin levels. Maintaining consistent blood sugars helps to control hunger for weight management, according to the Zone Diet website. Each 400-calorie meal contains 30 percent of its calories from fat, 30 percent of its calories from protein and 40 percent of its calories from carbohydrate. In addition to encouraging fresh unprocessed foods, the Zone Diet also recommends you choose foods with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks a food based on how it affects blood sugar. Choosing more low glycemic index foods leads to only a slight increase in blood sugar and is also recommended to prevent inflammation, according to Dr. Weil.
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is commonly recommended as a heart-healthy diet, but it also has many anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, the Mediterranean Diet also lowers risk of some cancers, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. This plant-based diet encourages you to eat more anti-inflammatory foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. It also encourages fish intake at least twice a week. Fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids that also act to prevent inflammation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The diet also discourages the intake of foods that increase inflammation, including foods high in saturated fat and refined flours.
The DASH Diet
The DASH Diet is typically recommended as a diet to help lower and prevent high blood pressure. But it also encourages you to eat more fresh, unprocessed, high-fiber foods that help prevent inflammation. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the primary source of fiber in the diet. The DASH Diet recommends you eat eight to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and at least three to six servings of whole grains a day. DASH also encourages you to choose more non-meat sources of protein, including nuts, seeds and legumes. These healthy foods contain healthy fats, fiber and nutrients to protect your body against inflammation.
