Anti-inflammatory foods may help you reduce inflammation. The symptoms of inflammation include swelling, redness and pain.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on foods that help your body create the right kind of prostaglandins, or hormones that help the body regulate inflammation. In part, you want to eat foods that have the right types of fat so that your body will make anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and avoid the foods that have fat that leads to the production of inflammatory prostaglandins.

Good Anti-Inflammatory Foods
You will want to eat foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, an acid that is important to your health that your body is incapable of manufacturing. Not only can foods that have omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, these foods may help reduce the risks of developing heart disease, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include:

• Salmon
• Trout
• Albacore tuna
• Walnuts
• Brazil nuts
• Almonds

Wild fish tends to have more omega-3 fatty acids than do farm raised fish.

In addition, look for foods that have high levels of vitamins A, C and E. There are many foods that are good sources of these vitamins, including:

• Garbanzo beans
• Brown rice
• Lentils
• Broccoli
• Cantaloupe
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Sweet potatoes
• Carrots
• Peaches
• Strawberries

Where would foods be without spices? Anti-inflammatory spices can add “zing” to your meals. Experiment with spices including:

• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Mint
• Basil
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Parsley
• Oregano

If you use oils, focus on extra virgin olive oil.

Try to avoid eating processed foods as much as possible as processed foods contain polyunsaturated and partly hydrogenated fats, a big no-no as far as inflammation and your health overall.

An anti-inflammatory diet is basically a healthy, low fat diet. Not only might you feel fewer aches and pains if you include more of these foods in your meals, you may also lose weight.