One of the best ways to be healthy, manage chronic pain, achieve a desirable weight, and promote longevity is through our diet. Unfortunately, many of us have been given the wrong information about what, how, and when to eat. This article describes an alkaline anti-inflammatory diet, why it is so good for our health and how to use this natural nutritional approach.
It is appropriate to begin with a little history of mankind. We have been nomads for most of human history on this planet. We traveled the globe in search of large mammals to kill and eat. Alternatively, humans herded mammals such as goats, sheep, reindeer, and other cattle that had to travel to lush pastures. Our ancestors ate a lot of meat and fat. They didn’t stay in one place very long, so they couldn’t farm. They gathered vegetables, a small amount of fruit, and a very small amount of grain. There were very few starchy carbohydrates like cereal, bread, pasta and other grains in their diet. It wasn’t until about 5000 years ago, when the Egyptians began farming, that people began consuming large amounts of starchy carbohydrates.
Now let’s introduce some very simple and easy to understand biochemistry. We’ve all heard about fish oil and its main component, omega-3 fatty acids, sometimes referred to as omega-3 oils. Most know that these omega 3 oils are good for us. Another sometimes overlooked oil is the omega-6 fatty acid. When our ancestors were nomadic and ate low starchy carbohydrates, their diet consisted of an approximately 1:1 ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This ratio is very healthy for the body. It makes the body more alkaline than acidic. The more alkaline we are, the healthier we will be.
However, when we become imbalanced in our omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, we become more acidic and have more inflammation in the body. More inflammation leads to chronic pain, weight gain, and lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, and other disease processes that affect us today. When we eat large amounts of carbohydrates like wheat, corn and rice, we eat foods with more omega-6 fatty acids. These can lead to an imbalance in the ratio of 1:10 omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids or more. Potato chips, for example, have a 1:60 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.
Inflammation caused by an improper balance of omega oils from too many carbohydrates creates systemic, generalized inflammation in the body. Conversely, a low-carb diet that promotes a more 1:1 fatty acid ratio allows the body to heal and function optimally.
A very simple way to achieve a basic anti-inflammatory diet is to simply eat fewer starchy carbs. Consuming 100-200 grams of grain containing products per day would lead to a healthier lifestyle. Of course, this diet would include large amounts of vegetables and a reasonable amount of foods containing proteins and fats like eggs, meat, fish, and nuts. It is also recommended that this diet be low in sweets and sugars such as candy, cookies, soda, sports drinks and cakes and pies.
This diet does not have to be overly strict. Most people who don’t have serious metabolic disorders could certainly afford to have one or two “cheat days” per week, during which they could exceed 100-200 grams of starchy carbs and some sweets.
Not all health practitioners or nutritionists will necessarily subscribe to what has been detailed here. However, there are many books and naturopaths that subscribe to this plan. Some of these would be the South Beach Diet, the Paleolithic Diet, the Keto Diet, and the Mediterranean Diet.
People interested in this approach to nutrition can certainly find an expert who can give them more guidance.
Most people who adopt an alkaline, anti-inflammatory diet will find that their health has improved in a reasonable amount of time. Many of us who originally used this approach found that within a year we reached a desired weight, eliminated chronic pain, had more energy, and slept better. While an alkaline anti-inflammatory diet isn’t mainstream, there’s certainly enough scientific and anecdotal evidence to investigate this lifestyle.
Thanks to James Schofield
