A hot new topic in the field of cancer prevention is the causal role of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation, a pathological condition in which the immune system becomes unbalanced and fails to put the brakes on normal healing processes, has been linked not only to cancer but also to myriad other diseases, including heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.[i] Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition and other lifestyle factors can all promote inflammation, but poor diet may in fact serve as the main contributor! Therefore, CitySlim would like to call your attention to the “Wellness Diet,” featuring Anti-Inflammatory Diet Basics.

    The Wellness Diet (or Anti-Inflammatory Diet) is not intended as a weight-loss program (although people usually lose weight on it). According to Dr. Andrew Weill, it is intended for people to stay on for a prolonged period of time, as it “helps you select and prepare foods based on scientific knowledge of how they can help your body remain optimally healthy.”[ii] Aside from reducing inflammation, the Wellness Diet provides steady energy with ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and dietary fiber. Generally on the Wellness Diet, key themes are: aiming for variety; eating as much fresh food as possible while minimizing consumption of processed and fast food; and eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables.

• Fruit: cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb
• Fish: arctic char, bluefin tuna, bluefish, halibut, herring, oysters, rainbow trout, salmon (wild caught), sardines, whiting
• Vegetables: carrots, collards, garlic, kale, onions, spinach, sweet potato
• Poultry: duck, goose
• Grains: barley, couscous, kasha, rice noodles, whole wheat pasta
• Fats and oils: almond oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, canola oil, hazelnut oil, olive oil, safflower oil (high oleic)
• Herbs and spices: curry powder (for curcumin), ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric

• Processed meats, including lunch meats, hot dogs, sausages (contain nitrites, chemicals associated with stomach cancer, increased inflammation, and chronic disease)
• Fruits: bananas, mangos
• Fish: farmed salmon
• Vegetables: corn, French fries, white potatoes
• Poultry: chicken giblets, chicken livers, Cornish game hens, dark meat turkey
• Grains: cornmeal, corn pasta, millet, white rice
• Fats and oils: cottonseed oil, coconut oil, margarine, palm kernel oil, safflower oil (high linolenic)
• Also, limit meats, dairy, and egg yolks (contain saturated fats and the fatty acid, arachidonic acid, which can be pro-inflammatory in high amounts)
• Finally, limit sugar from your diet.

What about calories? The Anti-Inflammatory diet recommends giving your body the nutrients and calories it needs, without excess. Most adults need to consume around 2,000 calories a day. The more active you are, the more calories your body needs. If you eat the appropriate number of calories for your level of activity, your weight should remain pretty constant. If you want to lose weight, burn more calories than you consume. Your daily caloric distribution should be as follows:

·        40 to 50 percent from carbohydrates (160-200 g/day for women; 240-300 g/day for men on a 2,000-calorie/day diet, the majority of which should be in the form of less-refined, less-processed foods with a low glycemic load)

·        30 percent from fat

·        20 to 30 percent from protein.