UKC

Does anyone have any anecdotal experience of anti inflammatory diets helping them in any way? Physically or mentally?  I've managed to get away with reaching for comforting and convenient foods most of my life, physically I appear to have got away with that more or less (though perhaps I would be in much better shape if I had done otherwise), mentally though I have always struggled with the emotional rollercoaster of life. I'd be really interested to hear of any dietary changes that have really improved your life and climbing. I'm 46 now and like I say each year this is the year I want to get back to the crag.......

So last year I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. Well I was told I had it after they diagnosed it 10 years before but forgot to tell me. This was a result of Hodgkins Lymphoma aged 25, when I received radiotherapy which interfered with my thyroid gland. Since then I've suffered with constipation and had what felt like a knot in my tummy nearly all the time. So shortly after the diagnosis I went on the Zoe programme. This promotes anti-inflamatory diets and I have to say, it did work very well for me. I now eat far less refined cards and much more fibrous veg, higher protein and try to avoid refined sugars as much as possible, combining foods to avoid blood sugar spike, as my blood sugar response isn't great. 

As I result I have little to no constipation, unless I'm forced to eat a more regular diet. That said I still have a bit of a psychological problem with the sweet shelf in garages... but overall I feel much better for it.

The diet has stabilised my weight several kilos below what I was before with no real effort and without feeling hungry or like I'm starving myself.

I still eat a lot of white bread and pasta, but I've otherwise removed most processed foods, cut down significantly on red meat, increased veg intake, and stopped using cooking oils that are high in Omega 6s.

I did it mostly to try to increase the likelihood of a long active life, but I certainly feel like it has helped with my mental health.

Obviously totally anecdotal and might be entirely coincidental, but the way I see it there's not a lot to lose and potentially a lot to gain.

If I'm feeling lazy now and buy something heavily processed from the supermarket for dinner I'm invariably disappointed, as after a while on a healthy diet it all tastes crap.

I think overall, to me thus has been the biggest aspect of it. I can't say I ate masses of highly processed food before, but I've definitely realised that it tastes bloody rubbish. The amount of sugar and salt which goes into something like a ready meal is mind boggling and you just don't need it. Yes you've got to put more effort into preparing food but genuinely I eat bloody masses and don't out weight on. I have loads of fruit, often with full fat yoghurt (with bugs) a small amount of home made granola  cinnamon, or just as a snack. We often make an omlete for lunch with kale or cabbage and onion, mushroom and cheese, and dinner we really don't hold back on much. Can't remember the last time I had a ready meal now. For me I'm going against Zoe as I've increased my meat intake a bit (i was basically flexitarian before) as one of the side effects of hypothyroidism is your blood platelet count can struggle, and the protein helps me feel satiated with a small amount. 

I do take a quite bit of ibuprofen to keep tweaks and twinges at bay but I do try to eat proper food as well!

You need to start from whatever the problem is.  Sure, some folks may have benefitted from a diet designed against inflammation...but they may have Chron's disease.  You've given no background for your issue being an inflammatory one.  So, basics:

1.  Hydrate.  Water won't rust your knees.  Every beautiful biochemical system in your body is optimised for good hydration.  Help out.  Get a 2l bottle and finish it.

2.  Universally good advice is a diet that's varied, high in fibre, nutritious, and moderate.  That generally means less processed stuff (lots of added salt, sugars, fats and, well, shit) and more cook-from-scratch.  A big selection of fruit and veg each week and go light on pre-pack or processed stuff.

3.  More complex the better for carbs.  White bread and potatoes are actually more diabetogenic than sucrose (table sugar).  You want to avoid glucose concentration peaks in your blood.  Starch is a single enzymatic step from glucose and creates a spike; more complex carbs (which is everything) spread it.

4.  If you're going for a "particular" diet, read the exclusions/requirements.  A vegan diet is great...but if you don't get vitamin B12 you will get neurological damage and it is irreversible.  So be thorough.  And some of the more exotic diets getting promoted are harmful.

5.  Sugars in particular are responsible for many people's mood and energy swings.  Try five days (which is aimed to be just about in reach for most people) of simple food with only complex carbs; fixed sleep times (10.30-6.30 is good); 30' fresh air and walking each day.  NB.  Phone goes off at 10pm

If you have had advice of an underlying inflammatory issue, then ?80%+ would be Chron's or gluten intolerance.  Both are easy to check with a trial diet.