What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
If you eat three meals a day, that’s 21 opportunities each week to fuel your body well. Add in a few snacks, and you’re looking at 30+ chances every week to influence your health through what you eat.
With so much conflicting nutrition advice out there, it can feel overwhelming to know what actually works. But one approach consistently rises to the top—an anti-inflammatory diet.
Not just for “eating healthier,” but for targeting something deeper: chronic inflammation, one of the main drivers of aging, metabolic dysfunction, and chronic disease.
As a dietitian, I don’t focus on restriction; I focus on building meals that work in real life.
→ If you want to jump to some real-life application, start here: realistic anti-inflammatory breakfast ideas for women over 40
Why Inflammation Matters
A growing body of research shows that dietary patterns rich in anti-inflammatory foods are strongly associated with better long-term health outcomes. Large population studies involving over one million adults have found that higher adherence to this way of eating is linked to a significantly lower risk of chronic disease and premature death.
In fact, anti-inflammatory dietary patterns have been associated with:
- ↓ ~20% lower levels of inflammatory markers like CRP and IL-6
- ↓ 25–30% lower risk of heart disease
- ↓ ~30% lower risk of heart attack or stroke
- ↓ ~20% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- ↓ ~20% reduction in overall mortality
- ↓ 20–35% lower risk of cognitive decline
So, What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
The term “anti-inflammatory diet” can feel broad, and it is. Unlike more restrictive approaches like keto or Whole30, it’s not defined by strict rules or elimination phases.
Instead, it’s a flexible, sustainable eating pattern that helps reduce chronic, low-grade inflammation. Not only that, but it provides the body with the building blocks to fuel anti-inflammatory pathways.
As a dietitian, this is exactly why I recommend it.
It’s not about perfection or short-term results; it’s about creating a way of eating that supports your health in the long term and in real life.
What Does an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Look Like?
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on regularly including:
- Vegetables and fruits
Rich in fiber, antioxidants, and compounds that help stabilize blood sugar and reduce inflammation - Whole, minimally processed foods
Such as beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds - Healthy fats
Including olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds (rich in omega-3 and unsaturated fats) - High-quality protein sources
Like fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, and plant-based proteins to support muscle and satiety - Antioxidant-rich foods
Which help neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress (reduce inflammation)
What Foods Are Limited?
This way of eating also minimizes foods that can promote inflammation, including:
- Ultra-processed foods
- Refined carbohydrates (white bread, crackers, baked goods)
- Added sugars
- Processed meats and excess red meat
- Diets high in certain omega-6 fats from highly processed oils
A Flexible Approach That Works in Real Life
There isn’t just one “anti-inflammatory diet.” You can adapt this approach to fit your preferences, lifestyle, allergies or intolerances, and stage of life.
For most people, the simplest place to start is:
Eat more real, whole foods and fewer processed ones.
Research consistently shows that this shift alone can significantly lower inflammation and improve overall health. Inflammation can often go unnoticed, but it plays a major role in how we feel and function, especially as we age.
Let’s jump into what chronic inflammation is and why it tends to increase after 40 to help you see the power of nutrition.
What Is Chronic Inflammation (and Why It Matters More in Midlife)
Inflammation isn’t always bad. In fact, it’s a normal and beneficial body response to illness, injury, or disease. Inflammation helps your body to repair, heal, and return to a normal baseline.
When you get a cut or an infection, acute (short-term) inflammation helps protect your body by activating the immune system to repair tissue and fight harmful invaders.
But chronic inflammation is different.
Chronic inflammation is a low-grade, ongoing immune response that keeps the whole body inflamed for months or years. Instead of helping the body heal, it keeps the body in a constant state of stress, often without obvious symptoms at first.
What Causes Chronic Inflammation?
Several factors can contribute to chronic inflammation, especially in midlife:
- Diets high in ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars
- Chronic stress
- Poor quality sleep
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Aging
- Hormonal changes (especially during perimenopause and menopause)
- Underlying health conditions
Why Does Inflammation Increase with Age?
Even if you feel healthy, inflammation often starts to rise during perimenopause due to declining estrogen, changes in body composition, and lifestyle factors like unmanaged stress and poor sleep.
In a 21-year study of 1,470 women, markers of inflammation (CRP and IL-6) increased during perimenopause and continued into early menopause, even in otherwise healthy women.
This quiet shift in the body can increase long-term health risks, making midlife an important time to take a proactive, anti-inflammatory approach.
Why It Matters
Chronic inflammation prevents your body from resting. Over time, it makes you prone to developing (or worsening existing) health conditions, including:
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Obesity
- Autoimmune conditions
- Joint pain and arthritis
- Cognitive decline
It can also present as everyday symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.
Common Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation
- Body pain, such as joint or muscle pain
- Chronic fatigue and insomnia
- Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders
- Gastrointestinal complications like increased constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn
- Difficulty maintaining a healthy weight
- Brain fog
- Frequent infections or illnesses
- Condition-specific symptoms (example: worsened asthma)
Tracking your symptoms over time can help you identify patterns and understand how lifestyle changes—like diet, sleep, and stress management—impact your body.
→ I’ve researched even more about how long it takes to see results after starting an anti-inflammatory diet and what to expect.
→ Want to learn more about signs of hormone imbalances? Read my in-depth guide on stress, cortisol, and inflammation in midlife women, where I break down key signs of imbalance and share practical nutrition and lifestyle strategies to help restore balance.
The Good News
Chronic inflammation is highly influenced by lifestyle, especially diet.
Choosing an anti-inflammatory diet is one of the most powerful ways to reduce chronic inflammation, support your metabolism, stabilize underlying health conditions, and lower long-term disease risk.
By consistently filling your plate with anti-inflammatory foods and limiting inflammatory ones, you can help your body return to a more balanced, healthy state.
Why the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Matters for Women in Midlife
As inflammation naturally increases with age, women in midlife experience an additional layer of change: hormonal shifts.
During perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen levels reduce the body’s natural anti-inflammatory protection. Simultaneously, shifts in metabolism, body composition, sleep, and stress are further exacerbated by decreased estrogen, which can fuel inflammation.
Hormones and Inflammation
Estrogen helps regulate inflammation by maintaining immune balance. As levels decline, the body becomes more prone to chronic, low-grade inflammation, which can contribute to menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, joint pain, and fatigue) and overall health (insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease).
Belly Fat and Metabolic Changes
Midlife often brings a shift of more abdominal fat due to declining estrogen levels. Weight around your middle (visceral fat) is more inflammatory. It can increase your risk of insulin resistance (and other diseases), making it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it, and leading to extra inflammation.
Stress and sleep
Sleep disruptions and chronic stress, both common during this stage, can further increase inflammation. Poor sleep is associated with higher inflammatory markers, while ongoing stress can dysregulate cortisol and amplify the body’s inflammatory response.
The menopausal transition is a critical window where inflammation increases in almost all women, making it a powerful time to prioritize inflammation-reducing changes such as:
- Anti-inflammatory diet
- Healthy sleep patterns
- Effective stress management
- Weight management
So how do you actually reduce inflammation through your diet? That’s where the core principles come in.
The 4 Core Principles of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Remember, an anti-inflammatory diet is NOT a strict diet, or really a diet at all. It’s a flexible style of eating that research repeatedly shows is one of the best ways to reduce chronic inflammation!
However, there are 4 core principles of an anti-inflammatory diet that focus on which key food groups to prioritize to help your body down-regulate inflammation and prevent disease.
Research suggests that focusing on what you can add to your new habits could help them stick more than what to avoid. When you fixate on what to subtract from your diet, you may experience increased feelings of deprivation, cravings, and even failure. Adding new foods promotes abundance and fills you up on nutrient-packed foods!
Focus on Whole Foods
An anti-inflammatory diet starts with focusing on whole and minimally processed foods. Research repeatedly shows that diets high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are associated with increased inflammation from several pathways. UPFs are usually high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and unhealthy fats while lacking fiber and nutrients.
UPFs promote oxidative stress, an imbalance between unstable molecules called free radicals and protective antioxidants in your body, which activates inflammatory processes in the body. Low-fiber diets also disrupt the gut microbiome, reducing beneficial bacteria and increasing levels of inflammatory compounds. Over time, this creates an environment that feeds chronic, low-grade inflammation.
When you consume whole foods [see full anti-inflammatory food list] like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, you provide your body and gut with fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that help support gut health and regulate inflammation. A quick way to identify whole foods is that they remain as close as possible to their original, natural state.
Stabilize Blood Sugar With Protein and Fiber
Blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day within a normal, healthy range, but large spikes and crashes (high glycemic variability) put extra stress on your body. These large fluctuations wreak havoc on your metabolism, cognitive function, inflammation, and mood. These rapid spikes increase oxidative stress and trigger inflammatory pathways, even when average blood sugar levels appear normal.
Research shows that greater blood glucose variability is associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers (IL-6 and CRP) in adults. On the other hand, diets rich in fruits, whole grains, and lean protein were associated with better insulin control and lower inflammation markers, supporting the connection between improved metabolic health and reduced inflammation.
Meals and snacks that contain high-fiber whole foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains) and lean protein help to slow carbohydrate absorption, reducing spikes and crashes after eating and helping you stay full and energized between meals. They help prevent a wild rollercoaster ride each day and give slow, rolling hills. The difference is easier to see than explain. Here’s what that looks like:
Increase Omega-3 Intake
All fat forms have been demonized in the past, but it’s more about the type of fat and the ratio of unhealthy to healthy fats! Most Americans eat 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids (pro-inflammatory) than omega-3 fats (anti-inflammatory). This imbalance increases inflammation and risk of chronic diseases (fueled by inflammation).
Healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), and monounsaturated fats (MUFA), help counter inflammation at the cellular level. These fats help regulate antioxidant pathways, inflammation, and lipid metabolism.
- Omega-6 PUFA (linoleic acid): Moderate intake is linked to lower heart disease risk.
- Arachidonic Acid (animal fats from meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy): Intake up to 1500 mg/day appears safe for clotting, immune function, and inflammation, and may support muscle and cognitive function. For reference, 3 ounces of chicken has about 80-100 mg of arachidonic acid.
- Omega-3 PUFAs (EPA and DHA): Higher intake is associated with lower incidence of inflammation-related chronic disease, including heart disease, arthritis, and metabolic syndrome. They also help with platelet function (preventing clots), lower triglycerides, and support immune cells and signaling pathways that reduce inflammation and protect the heart and brain.
Omega-3 rich foods include:
- Fatty fish (salmon, sardines)
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Nuts and seeds (flax and chia seeds, too)
Omega-6-rich foods include:
- Processed foods due to being made with vegetable oils
- Corn, sunflower, soybean, safflower, and cottonseed oil
- Some of the fat in nuts and seeds
- Some of the fat in meat and eggs
Prioritize omega-3 fats, moderate omega-6 intake from whole foods, and reduce processed foods to optimize anti-inflammatory effects and fuel your body with a good fat ratio. Plus, fats help you stay full longer and reduce cravings between meals.
Prioritize Fiber and Phytonutrients
Fiber feeds gut bacteria, which produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which lowers inflammation in the gut and the whole body. High-fiber diets are linked to lower CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α, key inflammation signals.
Fiber also supports heart health by lowering LDL cholesterol and improving blood sugar control, both of which reduce cardiovascular inflammation.
Excess weight contributes to chronic inflammation, so fiber indirectly reduces inflammation by helping with weight management and promoting satiety after meals.
High-fiber foods are also packed with phytonutrients (plant compounds) that are powerful antioxidants and inhibit inflammatory pathways. Phytonutrients like polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins neutralize free radicals, protecting your cells from oxidative stress (a main driver of inflammation).
Fiber and phytonutrients provide anti-inflammatory effects and are protective against chronic disease, making them a critical part of the anti-inflammatory diet.
Now that we’ve covered the core principles, here’s a closer look at what an anti-inflammatory diet actually looks like day to day.
What Does an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Look Like?
There are some evidence-based diets that follow the four core anti-inflammatory principles with more structure and a slightly different purpose for each.
They include:
1. The Mediterranean Diet
Focus: A plant-forward pattern rich in healthy fats (olive oil); moderate fish, poultry, and eggs; limited red meat; fruit as dessert; seasonal, local foods; and prioritizing socialization at meals.
Why it’s anti-inflammatory: High in monounsaturated fats, omega-3s, fiber, and polyphenols from all of the vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Benefits: Improving heart health, reducing type 2 diabetes risk, and lowering inflammation. One of the most well-researched anti-inflammatory diets (my personal favorite).
2. DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
Focus: Similar to the Mediterranean Diet in all ways, with an added emphasis on limiting sodium (salt), sugar, and saturated fat, plus opting for low-fat dairy.
Why it’s anti-inflammatory: High in potassium, magnesium, fiber, and antioxidants that support vascular health.
Benefits: Researchers developed the DASH Diet to improve blood pressure, lipid profiles, and metabolic health, all of which are strongly linked to vascular inflammation. The nutrient profile reduces inflammatory biomarkers.
3. Vegetarian or Flexitarian Diet
Focus: Primarily plant-based (vegetarian) or mostly plant-based with occasional meat and poultry foods (flexitarian). Vegetarian diets vary in the degree of removal of animal products; some exclude all animal foods, whereas others include eggs or dairy products.
Why it’s anti-inflammatory: High in fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants; lower in saturated fat.
Benefits: Vegetarian diets significantly lower CRP levels (lower systemic inflammation), associated with reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers.
4. MIND Diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay)
Focus: A hybrid of Mediterranean + DASH, specifically designed for brain health.
Why it’s anti-inflammatory: Leafy greens, berries, nuts, olive oil, fish; limits butter, cheese, fried foods, and sweets.
Benefits: Slows cognitive decline as you age and is associated with a lower risk of inflammatory bowel disease.
Across all four diets, the common anti-inflammatory threads are:
- High intake of fiber and phytonutrients
- Emphasis on whole, minimally processed foods
- Inclusion of healthy fats (especially omega-3s and monounsaturated fats)
- Reduction in refined carbs, added sugars, and ultra-processed foods
The good news? You don’t need to follow a specific diet perfectly. These patterns all highlight the same core foods, making it much simpler to build an anti-inflammatory diet (and plate).
What Foods Are Included in an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of an anti-inflammatory diet because they are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that help reduce oxidative stress and support gut health. Aim to include a variety of colors each day. Think berries, leafy greens, broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers.
Fresh produce isn’t the only option: frozen and canned fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious and often more practical. I break down exactly how they compare (and what to buy in each form) in this guide → fresh vs. frozen vs. canned vegetables and fruit.
Healthy Fats
Choosing extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), rich in monounsaturated fat and polyphenols, helps support heart health and lower inflammation. Other foods rich in healthy fats include nuts, seeds, fatty fish (rich in omega-3 fats), avocados, and olives. Replace butter and margarine with these fats.
Whole Grains and Legumes
Focus on minimally processed whole grains and legumes, which are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, and are a stable energy source compared to refined grains.
Try oats, quinoa, bulgar, spelt, kamut, brown rice, lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and cannellini beans.
I share the top foods to include weekly in this article → top 10 anti-inflammatory foods to eat every week according to a dietitian.
Lean Proteins
Incorporate lean proteins such as chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, beans, and fatty fish for a filling option. Protein helps maintain muscle, keeps you full, and helps stabilize blood sugar. Replace fatty meats and dairy, processed meats, and excessive red meat with these options.
If you want a simple, printable list to keep on hand, check out this resource (FREE) printable anti-inflammatory diet food list.
Foods That May Increase Inflammation
As a reminder, the goal isn’t perfection, it’s reducing how often these foods show up. Extensive research shows that consuming an abundance of ultra-processed foods (60-79% of total intake) strongly increases inflammation compared to those consuming the least (0–19%).
The most favorable group was still consuming up to 19% of their diet with ultra-processed foods. This powerful reminder can help you keep anti-inflammatory vs. inflammatory foods in perspective; overall eating patterns matter more than single food choices.
Rather than focusing on individual foods, it’s helpful to look at eating patterns consistently linked to higher inflammation.
With that in mind, aim to consume less of these inflammatory foods:
Ultra-processed Foods
These foods often contain added sugars, refined grains, and processed fats, making them major contributors to dietary inflammation. Think of packaged and ready-to-eat foods such as frozen pizza, instant noodles, soups, packaged meals, processed meats, and mass-produced baked goods and desserts.
Refined Carbohydrates
They are low in fiber (often made with white flour) and can quickly raise blood sugar, contributing to inflammation over time. Refined carbohydrates sneak in subtly as bread, rolls, crackers, cereal, and baked goods
Excess Added Sugar
The average American consumes 2 to 3 times the recommended daily amount of sugar, about 20 teaspoons, most of which comes from sugary beverages, followed by desserts and sweet snacks. Excess added sugar can trigger blood sugar spikes, leading to repeated inflammation throughout the body.
How to Build an Anti-Inflammatory Plate
You don’t need a complicated meal plan to eat this way. One of the simplest ways to follow an anti-inflammatory diet is by building a balanced plate at each meal.
Build a Balanced Plate
Start by filling half your plate with vegetables or fruit, aiming for a variety of colors to maximize fiber and phytonutrients. Add a quarter plate of high-quality protein, such as chicken, fish, eggs, beans, or Greek yogurt, to support muscle growth and keep you full. Then include a quarter plate of fiber-rich carbohydrates such as whole grains or legumes to provide steady energy.
Finish with a source of healthy fat, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, or seeds, to support satiety and reduce inflammation.
This simple structure helps stabilize blood sugar, nourish your gut, and naturally lower inflammation, without overthinking your meals. This is especially important for managing insulin resistance and midlife metabolic changes.
If you want step-by-step examples and real-life meals, I walk you through exactly how to use this method here → How to Quickly Plan a Meal with the Anti-Inflammatory Plate Method.
Simple Swaps
Here are some simple swaps for each food group and section of your plate to help you make actionable changes! → Easy Anti-Inflammatory Food Swaps.
Now that we’ve addressed many foundational pieces of the anti-inflammatory diet, it’s time to explore who benefits most from this approach.
Who Benefits Most from an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I strive for practical nutrition advice that works in real life for everyone, regardless of age or health conditions.
In my 17 years of experience, from working with premature babies to adults, preventing and managing hereditary or chronic health conditions, I’ve seen that an anti-inflammatory diet consistently works.
It prevents disease, helps reverse conditions like heart disease or type 2 diabetes, and lessens the side effects of chronic conditions and midlife changes, such as perimenopause and menopause.
Midlife Women
Perimenopause and menopause bring significant hormonal changes. As estrogen levels shift, inflammation naturally increases, while blood sugar regulation and body composition may change. These shifts can affect energy, weight, mood, and overall health, but they are manageable.
This quiet rise in inflammation can increase long-term health risks, making midlife a critical window to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet to protect your current and future health.
Chronic and Metabolic Conditions
Low-grade chronic inflammation contributes to many health concerns, including:
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Obesity
- Autoimmune conditions
- Joint pain and arthritis
- Cognitive decline
Research shows that following anti-inflammatory dietary patterns (Mediterranean, DASH, Vegetarian, and MIND) is associated with:
- ↓ ~20% lower levels of inflammatory markers like CRP and IL-6
- ↓ 25–30% lower risk of heart disease
- ↓ ~30% lower risk of heart attack or stroke
- ↓ ~20% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- ↓ ~15% lower glucose and insulin levels
- ↑ ~27% increased insulin control
- ↓ ~20% reduction in overall mortality
- ↓ 20–35% lower risk of cognitive decline
Adopting an anti-inflammatory approach provides a flexible, sustainable eating style that supports your whole body while down-regulating inflammation.
Here are some tips on starting an anti-inflammatory diet.
How to Start an Anti-Inflammatory Diet (Without Overwhelm)
No single food makes a diet healthy or unhealthy. It’s the combined effect of all foods you include (or exclude) along with lifestyle factors like environment, genetics, and physical activity.
Focus on addition, not restriction
Add anti-inflammatory foods to your meals and snacks. As you fill up on nutrient-dense foods, you naturally consume less inflammatory foods. This “addition mindset” keeps eating positive and less restrictive.
Start with 1 or 2 impactful swaps
Choose changes that will have the biggest effect for you this week. For example, if vegetables are rare in your diet, adding them to dinner can provide daily anti-inflammatory benefits and replace some pro-inflammatory foods. Small changes like swapping milk chocolate for dark chocolate are helpful, but adding regular vegetables will likely have a greater overall impact.
Think weekly, not daily
Missed meals or limited anti-inflammatory options happen, but over a week, you still have 25+ opportunities to influence your health. Looking at your eating habits weekly removes the “all-or-nothing” mindset.
Build slowly, but consistently
Small, consistent changes to your diet, like adding a few anti-inflammatory foods each week, may feel minor at first, but over time they accumulate into meaningful improvements in your health. This gradual approach makes healthy eating sustainable because it fits into real life, rather than feeling like a drastic overhaul you can’t maintain.
Foundations are built over time
Each bite of anti-inflammatory food adds stability and strength to your health, like laying bricks for a strong, lasting foundation.
Next Steps: Putting It Into Practice
Here are some practical steps you can take to jumpstart your anti-inflammatory diet.
Start Here:
- If you want a full, printable list to keep on hand, check out this resource (FREE) printable anti-inflammatory diet food list. I share what to include and exclude, spices and herbs, drinks, and even less-inflammatory fast foods, along with the science behind each recommendation.
Learn More:
- For women in midlife, inflammation often increases due to hormonal changes. You can read more in my full guide on an anti-inflammatory diet for perimenopause.
- Create balanced meals with the Anti-Inflammatory Plate Method to support hormone balance, reduce inflammation, and stabilize blood sugar in midlife.
Try It:
- I’ve done a full nutritional analysis of some of my simple go-to recipes that can help you fast-track your progress and incorporate many anti-inflammatory foods into a single meal! (Examples: Fresh Salsa, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Smoothies, Energy Bites, and Oatmeal).
Frequently Asked Questions About Anti-Inflammatory Diets
What exactly is an anti-inflammatory diet?
An anti-inflammatory diet, rich in whole foods, antioxidants, and healthy fats, primarily reduces chronic inflammation and lowers the risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. It promotes weight management, improves gut health, decreases joint pain, and improves cognitive function.
What are the main benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet?
The main benefit is reduced inflammation, a key driver of most chronic health conditions. This eating style supports metabolic health, hormone balance, joint health, energy, and overall well-being and can be especially beneficial for midlife women adjusting to drastic changes.
Can I eat out and still follow an anti-inflammatory diet?
Yes! Choose options like grilled proteins, vegetable sides, salads, and healthy fats. Pair inflammatory foods (e.g., fried or fatty) with vegetables to reduce their inflammatory effects. Meal prep or frozen meals can also fit into the plan and help limit unplanned eating out.
Is the anti-inflammatory diet safe for everyone?
Generally, yes, which is why I recommend it for most everyone, but consult a healthcare provider if you have medical conditions, allergies, or medications that may require modifications.
Takeaways
An anti-inflammatory diet doesn’t have to be complicated. When you focus on simple, consistent habits, you can significantly reduce inflammation and support your long-term health.
Here’s what matters most:
- Focus on whole, minimally processed foods most of the time
- Build balanced meals with fiber, protein, and healthy fats
- Prioritize fiber and phytonutrients from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Include healthy fats, especially omega-3s, to help regulate inflammation
- Reduce (not eliminate) ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbs
- Think in terms of patterns over time, not perfection at every meal
Small, consistent changes add up. Each meal is an opportunity to support your body, lower inflammation, and build a strong foundation for long-term health, especially during midlife.
If you’re ready to get started, begin with one small anti-inflammatory change this week, and build from there!
I’m adding chilled unsweetened green tea to switch up my beverages (it’s warming up here in Texas, even in March). Plus, I’ve been making my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad for a simple, meal-prep-friendly entree or side.
Let’s get UNstuck and stay UNstuck—one balanced plate at a time.