Inflammation is a problem that most people in the modern world suffer from. Inflammation is, essentially, what happens when the body encounters some kind of problem and then ramps up the immune system to fight the disease or infection. This is usually a good thing, but long-term inflammation can eventually lead to a number of health issues and can negatively impact a person’s training.
Most inflammation is caused by diet, which means that it’s easy to adjust the diet to cut down on the amount of inflammation that the body suffers from. Let’s explore some of the more popular foods that can lead to increased inflammation within the body.
Sugar
Most of the foods that we find at the store, especially processed foods, tend to have a certain amount of sugar as a main ingredient. Sugar is well known for causing inflammation, and those that consume a lot of sugar tend to have a greater chance of developing certain cancers. While there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of sugar every now and again as a treat, an athlete will want to try and remove as much sugar from their daily diet as much as possible. Processed foods are usually the main culprit and swapping out sugar for something like xylitol can make a big difference in inflammation levels.
Refined Carbs
Fibre is the element of healthy foods that can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is why most health experts recommend getting as much fibre as possible. Refined carbohydrates have had their fibre content removed, and this can lead to increased inflammation. It’s a good idea to remove refined carbs from the diet as much as possible, and rather focusing on whole carbohydrates that are packed with fibre and other important minerals and vitamins.
White bread is currently the number one source of fibre within the United States, and it has very little in the way of whole fibre that’s good for the body. Most whole vegetables and fruit, on the other hand, have plenty of fibre and should be eaten consistently.
Too Much Alcohol
Another source of bodily inflammation is alcohol, especially when consumed in large amounts. The odd glass of red wine is advised by some health experts, but any alcohol that’s consumed regularly can lead to bouts of increased inflammation as well as other health issues. Cutting down on alcohol is imperative, and instead focussing on quality alcohols in moderate amounts can lead to lower instances of inflammation in the long-term, so it’s better to indulge in better habits, such as Australian real money pokies casino games.
Processed Meats
Processed meats can include some sausages, smoked meat, bacon, jerky, and ham, all of which have been proven by studies to increase how much inflammation flows into the body. Athletes wanting peak performance will want to steer clear of all kinds of processed meats to cut back on their inflammation levels, as well as significantly lower their chances of developing heart diseases as well as various types of cancer.
