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Coronavirus: Eat to reduce inflammation and boost immunity

As coronavirus spreads, we’ve all heard about the importance of practicing social distancing and washing our hands. But we’ve heard significantly less about preparing our bodies to fight the virus.

Our immune system is designed to fight diseases and viruses as well as heal wounds. But modern life (stress, sleep deprivation, and an unhealthy diet) creates inflammation and negatively impacts our immune system’s ability to do its job.

They now believe that inflammation plays a role in the damage caused by COVID-19. According to The New York Times, “doctors have found that some of the serious damage infected adults have endured has been caused not just by the virus itself, but by an aggressive immune response that creates destructive inflammation in the body’s organs.” 

It is currently projected that up to 75% of us could get the virus, so our goal is to stay strong and engage in lifestyle interventions that will reduce inflammation and support our immune systems.  Our mission at Savory Living is to make millions of lives better by showing people how to activate healthy eating to reduce inflammation, we hope the info below helps you and your family stay safe and strong during these challenging times.

In this article you’ll learn:

Ready to take on inflammation?

I invite you to experience the first session of my healthy eating program as my guest –  you’ll learn how to eat to reduce inflammation and put some new habits into place to help you stay strong and feel better during these difficult times.  

Liz S

How the Coronavirus is connected to inflammation

Research has found that the coronavirus creates inflammation in the body. According to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, “as the body’s immune system shifts into high gear to battle the coronavirus infection, the resulting inflammation may cause organs like the heart, kidney and liver to malfunction. And as a result, some patients may endure damage that is inflicted not just by the virus, but by their own immune system as it rages to combat the infection”.  1

“The serious damage infected adults have endured has been caused not just by the virus itself, but by an aggressive immune response that creates destructive inflammation in the body’s organs.” – New York TImes

Inflammation has been connected to most of the major diseases of our time, and over half of us are living with chronic inflammation driven by diet, stress, and lack of sleep. Some signs of chronic inflammation include extra belly fat, joint pain, digestive issues, headaches, eczema, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, autoimmune conditions, heart disease and Diabetes. 

Learn more about the signs of inflammation and how you can reduce it.

How to keep your immune system strong

Harvard Health recommends these lifestyle tips to help keep your immune system strong:

  • Eat a healthy diet 
  • Take a multivitamin if you suspect that you may not be getting all the nutrients you need through your diet
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Reduce stress
  • Control your blood pressure
  • Get enough sleep

The power of your fork and knife

The medical and scientific evidence is clear. Make healthy eating happen and you can reduce inflammation, lose weight, improve energy, manage disease and feel better. We help people activate the power of healthy eating to reduce inflammation to solve what they care about and will answer some key questions about an anti inflammatory diet and share tips to help you get started.  

See how others say they’ve used Savory Living to get an anti inflammatory diet to work for them and turn it into a flexible lifestyle they love!

How an anti inflammatory diet can help

Healthy eating, when done correctly, reduces inflammation and supports your immune system to help you fight off infections, prevent and manage disease, improve moods, energy and get relief from conditions driven by inflammation (digestive issues, headaches, skin issues, pain, auto-immune conditions, food sensitivities).

Key Benefits of An Anti Inflammatory Diet

  1. Reduces inflammation
  2. Supports your immune system
  3. Helps you get relief from digestive issues, pain, auto-immune conditions, allergies, skin conditions

What is an anti-inflammatory diet

The disease-fighting power of The Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet, and Harvard Healthy Eating Plate stems from their ability to reduce inflammation (eating more anti-inflammatory foods and excluding or limiting pro-inflammatory ones).  These diets become the foundation of anti inflammatory eating. However, one size does not fit all and further personalization is required to help you identify your sources of inflammation and adjust how you eat to get relief. Learn more: Does an anti-inflammatory diet work for you.

Foods that reduce inflammation

  • Dark leafy greens like kale, arugula, spinach, broccoli and collard greens.
  • Berries like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and blackberries
  • Unsalted nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts
  • Tomatoes
  • Fatty fish
  • Olive oil provides heart-healthy fats

Check out our Bye Bye Inflammation Smoothie  to help you start your day crowding in these anti inflammatory foods. 

To learn more about anti-inflammatory foods and to get more tips to help crowd them into your life, check out: Foods that Reduce Inflammation Infographic and Easy Ways to Eat More Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Foods that cause inflammation

  • Fried foods
  • Trans fats
  • Refined carbs
  • Soda
  • Sugar
  • Processed Meats (bacon, cold cuts)

Check out: Foods that Cause Inflammation Infographic and Foods That Cause Inflammation Article

Watch Video - Tips to Eat To Feel GREAT and Stay Strong

Sugar and inflammation

The average person consumes 3x more sugar than our bodies were designed to handle. The additional sugar load gets us to store belly fat and creates inflammation. 

Don’t worry, you can have sugar, but the key is to eat less and you can do it when you have a goal. Here’s a tip we share with our clients. There’s a limit to how much sugar you can consume in your packaged foods. Men can have up to 36 grams (in packaged foods), women can have 25 grams (in packaged foods) and kids can have 17.  Knowledge is power and use it to create change. Read labels, pick versions that are lower in sugar, add up what you are taking in a day and make changes to stick to your limit. This is a flexible way to eat what you love, but also stay within the recommended amount.

Sugar infographic

I eat healthy but still have inflammation

You can eat healthy and still have signs of inflammation. That usually means that you need to make some adjustments to get your eating working better for you. For example not all “healthy foods” are the same, you want to eat more of some and less of others and just getting the balance working better for you can bring relief. When that doesn’t work, it can be a sign that you have a food sensitivity. We have had success helping people tease out what is contributing to their inflammation and helping them make substitutions and easy adjustment to get relief.

Personalization: The Secret to an Anti Inflammatory diet

While the benefits of an anti-inflammatory eating lifestyle are clear, how we each live it can be very different. In fact, one size does not fit all.  For example you can be eating a “healthy” food – but if you have trouble digesting it – your immune system can get activated and you will experience inflammation. We have found success in working with our clients to help them not only follow the guidelines recommended from the scientific and medical community but to apply them to their life, and identify the right mix of foods that work best for them.

“What I didn’t know is the healthy foods I was eating were not healthy for me! Now I know what I can and cannot eat and this knowledge is power. For the first time in a LONG time I am in control of my health and my appearance. Best news of all – I am finally free of the nagging migraine headaches I have had for the past 37 years!” – Stefanie T.

Getting started - get an anti inflammatory diet to work for you

Ready to take control of how you eat and feel? You can make some easy changes to how you eat to reduce inflammation, boost immunity and feel great today. Read Activating An Anti Inflammatory Diet That’s Right For You. And Experience the first session of my program for free (as my guest). You’ll get some easy tips to create an anti inflammatory diet that works for you!

Ready to take on inflammation?

I invite you to experience the first session of my healthy eating program as my guest –  you’ll learn how to eat to reduce inflammation and put some new habits into place to help you stay strong and feel better during these difficult times. 

Stefanie T

READY TO ACTIVATE YOUR ANTI INFLAMMATORY DIET?

Sign up for the FREE trial. Experience the first session of the program as our guest.  You’ll get tips to help you activate your anti inflammatory diet. See what you think!  No commitments, no credit cards, no strings.

Watch class,  pick your actions and get help from your coach.  After your trial ends you can subscribe to the rest of the program, or not. It’s up to you.

 Free Trial · No credit card required

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