How To Make Every Meal Anti-Inflammatory, From A Functional RD

By that logic, here are a few foundational principles of an anti-inflammatory diet and how to make each one work for you:

I'd consider imbalanced blood sugar to be the greatest contributor to inflammation. This means that following an anti-inflammatory diet is mostly about keeping blood sugar balanced at every meal. Adding more anti-inflammatory foods is a bonus, but it won't make a big difference if your meal is already triggering an elevated blood sugar response and sending you on an inflammation and stress roller coaster.

Keep your plate balanced when building meals. A balanced plate contains protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. When paired, these macronutrients work together to reduce elevated blood sugar responses to meals. While everyone's nutritional needs are different, here is a quick-and-dirty breakdown of how I typically recommend structuring your plate:

Going too long between meals or even waiting too long in the morning to eat breakfast can cause your blood sugar to dip. In the absence of food, the stress hormone cortisol is released1. This mobilizes more blood sugar from our stored energy in the liver, raising our blood sugar2, and before we know it, we are back on the stress-inflammation roller coaster.

Again, everyone is different, but this rough schedule is an example of how to structure your day to keep your circadian rhythm, stress levels, and inflammatory response in check:

The foods you eat nourish your gut microbiome. And the more diverse they are, the more they'll help create a diverse, nourished microbial environment. In turn, your gut will produce powerful anti-inflammatory compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that calm inflammation in both the body as well as the brain.

Aim to eat five different plants daily and 30 different types of plants each week. Remember, plants are fruits and vegetables, but there are also legumes like chickpeas, lentils, nuts, and seeds. So get creative with recipes, rotate different types of berries or leafy greens into your smoothies weekly, try one new food each week from the grocery store, enjoy fruit as part of your daily snack, and have fun with food!

Spices and herbs (fresh or dried) are some of the most anti-inflammatory foods out there. Herbal teas are also anti-inflammatory powerhouses that don't always get the credit they deserve.

All types of spices and herbs have powerful concentrations of anti-inflammatory compounds, so any type will benefit you, but here are some of my favorites:

All teas also come with amazing benefits, but here are my go-to picks:

Optimize your health at every meal by following these four anti-inflammatory food principles. The best part about them is that they don't require running out to the store to snag the latest superfood; you can work with what you already have to keep your inflammation in check.