RESTORE THE BALANCE OF PRO- AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

In addition to increasing our consumption of anti-inflammatory foods, we need to pay attention to which foods are producing inflammation in the first place. The typical Western diet is loaded with pro-inflammatory foods and these foods are actually speeding up brain aging. The most age-accelerating foods a person can eat tend to be those that are highly acidic - but maybe not in the way you might imagine. It's actually those foods loaded with refined sugars, refined grains, highly processed products such as margarine and soft spreads, and even alcohol that deliver the strongest acidic punch. Though processed foods are convenient, more often than not convenience means large amounts of hidden trans fats, sodium, and nutritionally empty sugars, which are among the most dangerous ingredients you can ingest. Even seemingly harmless foods like " fortified " cereals and breads are actually masking overprocessed and mass-marketed products. While it is true that these foods contain some added vitamins and minerals, they are present only in their most synthetic forms, which means that their nutrients are destined to be poorly absorbed, if, at all. Further, these products harbor excess hidden chemical fillers within their ingredients including those preservatives and emulsifiers that are shown to damage heart, brain, and gut health alike. Animal products like meat and high-fat dairy are also pro-inflammatory in nature, especially when fried in unhealthy oils. Nonetheless, if you limit your consumption to the appropriate portions and eat them sparingly and from safe sources, those foods are better for you than any processed food could ever be.