The anti-inflammatory diet, explained

By Yamila Acosta-Flamma, Stanford-trained Functional Nutrition Coach · 9 min · Medically-informed, not medical advice

What inflammation actually is

Acute inflammation is healthy — it is how your body heals a cut or fights an infection. The problem is chronic, low-grade inflammation: a slow smoulder that never fully switches off. It is now linked to autoimmune flares, insulin resistance, fatigue and joint pain.

You cannot feel it directly the way you feel a fever, but you feel its downstream effects — and food is one of the strongest signals your immune system reads every single day.

The foods that calm inflammation

• Oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) — omega-3 fats that actively resolve inflammation.
• Leafy greens and colourful vegetables — polyphenols and fibre that feed a calmer gut.
• Extra-virgin olive oil — oleocanthal, which works on the same pathway as ibuprofen.
• Berries, turmeric, ginger and garlic — concentrated anti-inflammatory compounds.
• Fermented foods — yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut — for a resilient microbiome.

The foods worth dropping first

• Ultra-processed snacks and ready meals — the single biggest driver in most diets.
• Refined sugar and sweetened drinks — sharp glucose spikes stoke inflammation.
• Industrial seed oils used for frying — oxidised fats your body reads as damage.
• Excess alcohol — it inflames the gut lining and disrupts sleep.

A realistic first week

1. Swap sugary or grab-and-go breakfasts for protein, fibre and a healthy fat.
2. Add one portion of oily fish and cook with olive oil instead of seed oils.
3. Fill half your plate with vegetables at lunch and dinner.
4. Replace one sweetened drink a day with water, herbal tea or sparkling water.

When to personalise it

A general anti-inflammatory pattern helps almost everyone. But if you live with a diagnosed autoimmune condition — Hashimoto's, psoriasis, IBD, endometriosis — your triggers are individual. That is where a structured elimination-and-reintroduction protocol, run with support, finds what a generic list never will.