A 27-day anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole, nutrient-dense foods—leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, and berries—while eliminating processed sugars, refined carbs, and trans fats to reduce chronic inflammation. This approach, often styled as a 4-week reset, reduces pain, improves gut health, and boosts energy.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
An anti-inflammatory diet is a
plant-based diet, which also:
• Limits added sugar.
• Limits processed foods.
• Avoids cooking methods that can
cause inflammation.
Use your diet to decrease
inflammation
Eat
• Whole plant foods, which provide antioxidants to prevent or reduce inflammation in your
body. Examples include:
Ì Vegetables
Ì Fruit
Ì Whole grains
Ì Beans and lentils
Ì Nuts and seeds
Ì Herbs and spices
Ì Extra virgin olive oil
Ì Coffee
Ì Tea (green, rooibos, and
herbal teas)
• Mushrooms (cooked). Examples include: white button, crimini, shiitake, enoki, maitake, and
oyster mushrooms.
• Foods high in omega-3 fats. Examples include:
Ì Walnuts
Ì Flax (ground), chia, and
hemp seeds
Ì Salmon
Ì Mackerel
Ì Sardines
Ì Herring
Ì Anchovies
Avoid
• Fried foods.
• Charred grilled meat.
• Too much added sugar. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than
100 calories or about 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 150
calories or about 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men. For example, a 12-ounce can of regular
Coke has 39 grams of total sugar or about 9⅓ teaspoons!
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Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Protein
Whole Grains
Starchy Vegetables
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• Too much animal protein. Limit to 6 to 8 ounces by cooked weight per day and choose lean
meat, such as skinless chicken and turkey, ground beef (90% lean/10% fat), fish and shellfish,
and pork loin.
• Processed foods (foods changed from their natural forms). Eat foods closer to their natural
form for more nutrients and fewer calories. For example, choose a plain baked potato
over potato chips. Processed foods often have a long list of unfamiliar ingredients on their
food labels and include ingredients like enriched white flour and processed fats, such as
hydrogenated oils, interesterified oils, monoglycerides, or diglycerides.
• Overeating. To prevent overeating, eat at regular intervals. Eat 3 meals and 1 or 2 snacks a
day.
• Too much oil that is high in omega-6 fatty acids, such as soybean, cottonseed, and corn oils.
Follow these cooking and eating habits
• Cook, stir-fry, or sauté meats and vegetables in broth or water instead of oil to avoid
production of inflammatory compounds during the cooking process.
• If oil is used, keep heat to medium to prevent smoking. Do not heat oil or fat too hot, such as
deep frying foods.
• Marinate meats in olive oil and sprinkle with spices
and herbs before grilling. Grill with lower heat and turn
often to prevent charring.
• Take time to prepare meals rather than buying
processed or pre-made foods. Think of this time as an
investment in your health.
• Eat slowly, thoughtfully, and mindfully – rather than
rushed, emotional, or distracted.
Putting it all together
1. Use the Plate Method to help you build an anti-
inflammatory meal. See pages 5 to 6 for some meal
makeover ideas.
Use a 9-inch plate at meals:
• Fill half (½) of your plate with non-starchy
vegetables. Aim for at least 5 servings each day.
Choose a variety of colors and include cruciferous
vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and
Brussels sprouts, and green leafy vegetables each
day.
• Fill one-quarter (¼) of your plate with whole grains
or starchy vegetables. Choose a variety and avoid
enriched white products, like white bread and white
rice.
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• Fill one-quarter (¼) of your plate with animal or plant protein. Choose lean animal protein
rather than high fat or processed meats. Include plant protein daily, such as beans, lentils,
nuts, seeds, tofu, or tempeh.
2. Add herbs and spices to as many meals per day as you can. Good choices include: turmeric,
ginger, rosemary, cumin, coriander, fennel, paprika, thyme oregano, basil, sage, cilantro, dill,
parsley, basil, mint, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. For dessert, choose fresh seasonal fruit. Aim for 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day.
4. Limit dairy products. Eat 1 to 2 servings per day. Probiotic sources, such as kefir and yogurt,
are preferred. Choose products with no additives, such as added sugar.
5. Include healthy fats each day, such as nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil. Use extra virgin
olive oil as your main cooking and salad oil. Remember to use lower heat to prevent smoking
or use broth or water when sautéing.
6. For beverages, drink mostly water. Drink tea each day, such as green, rooibos, and herbal
teas. Limit alcohol. Avoid sugary drinks.
Resources for anti-inflammatory recipes
• BeingBrigid: Functional Nutrition, beingbrigid.com/recipes
• Dr. Hyman, drhyman.com/blog/category/recipes
• Eating Well, eatingwell.com/category/4243/anti-inflammatory-diet-center
• WEIL: Andrew Weil, M.D., drweil.com/diet-nutrition/recipes
More about antioxidants
Antioxidants come from 3 sources: vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, also called
phytochemicals.
Vitamins
Vitamins Food Sources
Vitamin C Fruits, such as papaya, strawberries, pineapple, oranges, kiwi, and
cantaloupe
Vegetables, such as bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and
cauliflower
Vitamin E Nuts and seeds, such as sunflower seeds, almonds, and peanuts
Fruit, such as avocado
Vegetables, such as spinach, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens,
beet greens, asparagus
