Anti inflammatory foods are the building blocks of your inflammation diet plan for improving your health for the long term. Reducing chronic inflammation is an essential goal for reducing your risks for developing various chronic conditions and for limiting complication risks if you already have a chronic health problem involving inflammation.

Here is a short list of foods that can help your body shift toward an anti inflammatory mode:

* Omega 3 fatty acids – These essential fatty acids are found in healthy oils and cold water fish. Better oils include olive oil. It is a great source for fatty acids that not only help reduce inflammation but also improve cardiovascular health. Use it in salad dressings and also to cook meals. Salmon is a cold water fish that is full of fatty acids. Try eating wild caught salmon, sardines, and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week. If you do not like salmon, try mackerel.

* Protein – Look for lean sources of protein like skinless chicken, turkey and trimmed pork. Even better still are non-animal plant-based sources of protein like nuts, legumes and beans. You get the bonus of good fats and excellent protein sources without saturated animal fats. A more vegetable-based diet is healthier than one heavy in animal sources (heavy in saturated fats that can promote inflammation) because of the differences in the types of fats they provide.

* Carbohydrates (including vegetables) – Try whole grain gluten-free breads. If you are already used to eating gluten-free oatmeal, try other grains like quinoa. Tapioca and arrowroot are often tolerated starch sources if you need some additional carbohydrates for your diet plan.

Vegetables also contain some carbohydrates and lots of anti inflammatory nutrients: broccoli, cauliflower and spinach. If there is any inflammatory condition such as arthritis, do a trial of avoiding plants from the nightshade family — tomatoes, eggplant and white potatoes. Sweet potatoes and yams are in a different food/plant family and are usually tolerated even by food-sensitive people who are otherwise prone to inflammation. Most other veggies are fair game to try.

Eating wisely with anti inflammatory foods can go a long way toward reducing chronic inflammation and preventing flares of conditions such as arthritis, colitis, and other related health problems.