Inflammation is the immune system’s response to injury or infection. While this has healing benefits, certain foods cause chronic inflammation in your bodies, which has been linked to chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Foods such as refined carbohydrates, fried foods, sugary beverages, red meat and foods high in trans fats such as margarine cause inflammation in our bodies and have been linked with many lifestyle diseases.

You can significantly lower your risk of lifestyle diseases by regularly eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods. Fruits rich in antioxidants such as berries and oranges, fatty fish like trout or salmon, leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, nuts and seeds, tomatoes and olive oil are all foods that will reduce inflammation in your body. They also have the added benefits of improving mood and overall quality of life.