Paleo Cookbook For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

Eating a Paleo diet can curb inflammation. Why is this important? A lot of health problems are caused by inflammation in the body. Short-term inflammation is actually a part of a normal healing process. When your immune system overreacts and shifts into high gear, inflammation can persist and become a serious problem. This is called chronic inflammation.

Here are some of the conditions associated with chronic inflammation:

  • Acne

  • Allergies

  • Arthritis

  • Asthma

  • Celiac disease

  • Colitis

  • Crohn's disease

  • Eczema

  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

  • Leaky gut

  • Migraines

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)

  • PCOS

  • Thyroid disorders

  • Ulcerative colitis

When you begin eating Paleo foods, you reduce your intake of the processed foods and grains that have been shown to cause inflammation. What's more, Paleo foods are by nature anti-inflammatory and keep your immune system strong, so you effectively prevent and heal inflammatory conditions.

Paleo-approved foods are whole, unprocessed foods: Meat, eggs, and seafood; non-starchy vegetables and Paleo-approved starchy vegetables; healthy fats; and some (but not a lot of) fruit, nuts, and seeds. Paleo dieters should avoid foods with sugar, grains (even whole grains), legumes, and any processed oils. Many who follow the Paleo principles also avoid dairy, but many others on a Paleo lifestyle choose to include full-fat, organic, antibiotic-free dairy options in their diets — things like yogurt, kefir, and ghee.

Make sure you're not just eating Paleo but also living Paleo. Inflammation isn't just caused by your dietary choices, the following things can also cause your body to become inflamed:

  • Exposure to toxins

  • Stress

  • Medications

  • Overtraining at the gym

  • Sleep deprivation

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Dr. Kellyann Petrucci is the coauthor of the health and lifestyle books Living Paleo For Dummies and Boosting Your Immunity For Dummies. She also created the successful kids' health and wellness program Superkids Wellness and the Paleo door-to-door home delivery food service Living Paleo Foods.

This article can be found in the category: