Cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are not inevitable consequences of aging. In fact, these and other so-called diseases of aging have a common root in inflammation. Although inflammation is the body’s effort to heal itself, if it persists, it produces disease.
Most people go through life in an inflamed state due to stress and poor diet. To combat this trend, it is important to ignore the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and focus on a diet that will relieve inflammation and restore you to a healthy, more youthful state. The essence of this regimen is quite simple. In summary, you just eat less and especially stop eating refined, processed foods. The most striking change in family life and eating habits over the past 40 years is that manufactured foods have flooded the market and have replaced home-cooked meals. One positive side effect of a recession or harder economic times is that people may start cooking at home again using fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains.
When we think about the best possible way to age, Dr. Andrew Weil has said that our aim should be “compression of morbidity,” meaning that we want to live long and well, and drop-dead suddenly rather than suffering for years with the disease. This is the special talent of many traditional societies like those in Okinawa who have not adopted a western-style diet and who have the highest percentage of centenarians in the world. These people are for the most part healthy and active throughout their long lives.
Dr. Weil points out some of the unique dietary habits of the Okinawans, including their love for bitter gourd, which helps maintain level blood sugar, and their cold unsweetened turmeric tea. Many experts recommend adding a teaspoon of turmeric to everything we cook to take advantage of its natural anti-inflammatory properties.
But you don’t have to eat strange things to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. The most important thing is to get sugar out of your diet and that includes processed carbohydrates like bread, cereal, white rice, crackers, and energy bars. The major obstacle to eating better for most people is the belief that you must deprive yourself. However, an anti-inflammatory diet is built on a base of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, fresh fish, and lean meats, and is topped off with red wine and high-quality dark chocolate. Seriously, how difficult is that?
Margie King is a certified holistic health coach, Wharton M.B.A. and former corporate attorney. Margie leads workshops on nutrition, conducts healthy cooking classes, and offers individual and group health and nutrition coaching to women and busy professionals.
