Well, there are two types:

Acute:  Ouch!  This painful form of inflammation informs the body to heal wounded tissue.

Chronic:  Bad!  This plays a role in heart disease, cancer, neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, pulmonary conditions, anxiety, and a host of other ailments.  

What can we do?

Start eating more plants!

Plants build up the immune system by encouraging the body's natural healing and cellular renewal. 

Does that mean I just eat greens all day?

NO!  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds are all considered part of a plant-based diet.   

Why do I need to eat plants?

Plants contain Phytonutrients which are bioactive plant compounds.  These are wonderful for you and very healing.  

There are 3 types of phytonutrients:

 1.  Glucosinolates:  found in cruciferous veggies, glucosinolates help to fight inflammation, support detoxification, and may protect against cancers

What is a cruciferous vegetable?

Examples are arugula, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. 

2.  Flavonoids:  prevent chronic ailments such as heart disease, cancer, neurological disorders, and digestive illnesses.    

Examples are berries, red grapes, citrus, and green tea.

3.  Carotenoids: contain antioxidant properties that fight against heart disease and cancer.

Examples are sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and tomatoes. 

It is ever more clear that we must shift our eating selections from processed foods, sugar-laden carbohydrates, and empty calories to healthy, nutritious, whole foods with lots and lots of plants.  Look for organic and unprocessed as much as possible.  Frozen fruits and veggies still contain a lot of their vitamins and are a great solution on cold winter days when produce is not as available.  

I know it is a bit more costly to eat well.  However, it all evens out in the end if you are spending money on treatments for rashes, anxiety, and other ailments.  Best to remain healthy.  Don't you agree?