Inflammatory Foods Increase Weight

You cut calories, fit in time at the gym, and never eat after 8 p.m.

So why is it still difficult to lose weight? Overtime, you will realize that your body might be fighting against your weight loss efforts because you’re eating too many inflammatory foods that cause chronic inflammation.

What Is Chronic Inflammation?

You can think of chronic inflammation as your home security system. Before you leave your house every morning and when you’re ready to settle in for the night, you push some buttons and turn the alarm on. In doing so, you’re securing your home and protecting yourself from invaders. Your body’s inflammation response works in a similar fashion. Your immune system is the home security system and inflammation is the alarm. An alarm or inflammation is triggered whenever the system detects an invader. In your body’s case, that invader can be anything from a bruised knee to an allergic reaction to pollen. In a functioning system, your immune system will eventually disarm the alarm. (1)

That’s not the case with chronic, low-grade inflammation. You see, on top of sporadic inflammatory culprits, such as injuries or illnesses, there’s a more insidious perpetrator that’s likely triggering your alarm every day: food. Foods that cause inflammation are one of the biggest contributors to chronic inflammation. Research shows that a significant contributor to chronic inflammation comes from what we eat, and you’ll soon find that many of the following inflammatory foods have a place in your diet. (2) Would you like to share your diet plan? You should CONTACT me for personalized support.

When you eat them daily, you’ll constantly be turning on your body’s alarm system. Because your immune system alarm is never disarmed, over time, this incessant inflammatory response can lead to weight gain, drowsiness, skin problems, digestive issues, and a host of diseases, from diabetes to obesity to cancer. If your weight-loss efforts have plateaued before you’ve reached your body goals, make sure you’ve kicked these inflammatory foods to the curb and replaced them with their healing counterparts: anti-inflammatory foods. Here are some categories of inflammatory food:

Sugar

Bet you could’ve guessed this one. Sugar is known to suppress the effectiveness of our white blood cells’ germ-killing ability, weakening our immune system and making us more susceptible to infectious diseases.

You should swap harmful high-glycemic foods (which spike and crash blood sugar) for low-GI alternatives, like whole grains and foods with healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Do you need recommendations on how you could manage your sugar consumption better? CONTACT me to schedule a FREE 20 minutes Consultation.

Sugar isn’t only added to obvious products like candy bars and sodas. It’s also lurking in foods with added sugar. Some of the common culprits are Soda, snack bars, candy, baked sweets, coffee drinks, etc. (3)

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oils have a high concentration of the inflammatory fat, omega-6, and are low in the anti-inflammatory fat, omega-3. I noticed that Americans are eating so many vegetable-oil-laden products that the average person has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of around 20:1 when it should be 1:1. Some of the common examples of this are mayonnaise, salad dressings, barbecue sauce, crackers, bread, and potato chips. (4)

Refined Flour

Refined wheat flours have been stripped of their slow-digesting fiber and nutrients, which means your body breaks them down very quickly. The more quickly your body digests glucose-containing foods, like these carbs, the faster your blood sugar levels can spike. This also spikes your insulin levels—a compound associated with a pro-inflammatory response. Some example of this are pizza, white bread, crackers, pasta, pretzels, flour tortillas, breakfast cereals, and bagels.

Processed Meats

Processed meats are the worst of both worlds. They’re typically made from red meats -high in saturated fats – and they contain high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), inflammatory compounds that are created when these processed meats are dried, smoked, pasteurized, and cooked at high temperatures. Not to mention the fact that these meats are injected with preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavorings that also register as foreign attackers to our immune system. Some examples are Bacon, hot dogs, bologna, sausage, jerky, etc. (5)

Trans Fat Foods

Because man-made partially hydrogenated oils, also known as trans fats, do not occur naturally in foods, our body doesn’t possess an adequate mechanism to break them down. And when our body senses an unknown, foreign object, it can stimulate an inflammatory response. According to a study I read, these trans fats can cause inflammation by damaging the cells in the lining of blood vessels. Some examples are deep-fried restaurant meals; baked goods like doughnuts, cookies, and muffins. (6)

Dairy

While a moderate intake of yogurt can actually help decrease inflammation with its gut-healing probiotics, dairy is also a source of inflammation-inducing saturated fats. On top of that, studies have connected full-fat dairy with disrupting our gut microbiome, actually decreasing levels of our good gut bacteria which are key players in reducing inflammation. And lastly, dairy is a common allergen as 30 to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, according to the FDA. Either way, any type of allergen can trigger inflammatory reactions through the release of histamines. If you feel particularly bloated after a few blocks of cheese, consider cutting dairy from your diet. Some examples are milk, soft cheeses, yogurt, and butter. (7)

Excess Consumption of Alcohol

While some research has shown a drink a day can actually lower levels of the inflammatory biomarker, too much alcohol actually has the opposite effect. That’s because the process of breaking down alcohol generates toxic byproducts that can damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and weaken the body’s immune system. On the other hand, drinking in moderation can pose some benefits. The flavonoids and antioxidants found in wine as well as the probiotics in beer might actually contribute an anti-inflammatory effect. I can’t say it enough, “Everything in moderation!” (8)

Summary

Unfortunately, the connection between weight gain and inflammation continue even deeper. Inflammation in the gut can affect the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain in charge of hunger signals. When this happens, your ability to know when you’re actually hungry and to stop eating when you’re full is impaired, resulting in something called leptin resistance. Also, if you have too many microbes that like to feed off of sugars and simple carbs, when you try to eat less of them, you’ll crave them more and more. If you struggle with any of these inflammatory foods, please don’t hesitate to CONTACT me to schedule a FREE 20-minute phone consultation where we would discuss your unique needs.

Take The Next Step and Schedule Today

Are you tired of masking your symptoms with harsh medications and want to get to the root cause of your inflammation? You could take charge of your health today with a FREE 20-minute phone consultation. We will identify the key areas that need support and give necessary support to show what needs to be done uniquely for your case. Please CONTACT me to schedule a FREE 20-minute phone consultation if you or your loved ones are seeking relief from chronic inflammation. Chen Ben Asher will give you her best care recommendations and and give recommendations based on what’s happening inside your body on a cellular level, in a bid to achieve optimum results. Be rest assured that no stone will be left unturned as we look for the root cause!