Most of us realize that lifestyle plays a profound role in many of the chronic diseases of modern society.

Andrew Weil, Harvard-educated doctor and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, says that food can cause or combat systemic inflammation. Unlike the acute, and helpful inflammation manifested with redness or swelling that occurs when your body fights a low-grade infection or trauma; Systemic and silent inflammation can lead to serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. Reducing systemic inflammation in the body will decrease the pathology of numerous age-related chronic conditions.*

Despite our knowledge, it seems that somewhere along the path we have gone astray. Body weight is on the rise and people are becoming more sedentary. Obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes are becoming public health problems of epidemic proportions.

The Mediterranean diet or Anti-inflammatory diet has become popular in recent years. The Mediterranean diet besides being very satisfying and colorful, it selects and prepares food based on scientific knowledge of how they can help your body maintain optimum health and influence chronic inflammation. It includes eating more wild fish, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats; eating moderate portions of nuts; eating very little red meat, increasing plant base proteins and enjoying moderate amounts red wine.

It is a heart-healthy way to eat with foods low in saturated fat and sugar. The Mediterranean diet features mostly fresh foods that have gone through minimal processing; it also involves using herbs and spices for seasoning instead of salt.

By: Susan Gail Farkas, Integrated Physical Therapy Nutrition

*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579563/