Inflammation Myths, Part 2: What Should We Really Be Eating?

Send us Fan MailInflammation is one of those words that can make eating feel complicated very quickly.Search social media for “anti-inflammatory diet” and you may find a growing list of foods you are told to avoid. Seed oils. Dairy. Nightshades. Sugar. Processed foods. Red meat. Fried foods. Before long, eating can feel like one more thing you are afraid to get wrong.But is that really what the science tells us?In Part 2 of her two-part inflammation series, Michele Weston continues the conversation from “Inflammation: The Good, the Bad and the Chronic” by asking a more useful question: What should we really be eating?Michele begins by returning to an important point from Part 1. Inflammation itself is not automatically the enemy. Acute inflammation is part of the body’s normal protective response to injury or infection. The concern is chronic inflammation, when inflammatory activity persists over time and may be associated with chronic health conditions.So the goal is not to eliminate every trace of inflammation from the body. The better question is how we can support our health and our body’s ability to regulate inflammatory processes.That brings us to food.Michele challenges the idea that a single food can magically cause chronic inflammation in everyone who eats it, or that a single “superfood” can switch inflammation off. Instead, she focuses on the overall pattern of what we eat and how that pattern fits our individual bodies, medical conditions, lifestyles, budgets, cultures, medications, activity levels, and health goals.For anyone living with chronic illness who has spent years trying to find the “perfect” diet, that distinction matters. The science is more nuanced than the headlines.Michele walks through foods and ingredients often labeled inflammatory and asks listeners to look beyond the blacklist.Red and processed meats are frequently included in discussions about inflammation and chronic disease. Refined carbohydrates and foods high in added sugars can be part of dietary patterns associated with poorer metabolic health. Fried foods and diets high in ultra-processed foods also raise important questions about nutrition. But context matters. One hamburger, French fry, dessert, or packaged food does not define an entire eating pattern.She also makes an important distinction between processed and ultra-processed foods.Processing alone does not automatically make a food unhealthy. Frozen vegetables, canned beans, plain yogurt, tofu, whole-grain crackers, and canned fish are examples of foods that undergo processing and can still fit into a nutritious eating pattern. Fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables can all be nutritious choices, with sodium and added sugars to watch for in packaged versions.The same individualized thinking applies to dairy and gluten. Lactose intolerance, milk allergy, celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity are not the same thing. Some people may need to limit or avoid certain foods because of a diagnosed condition or individual symptoms. That does not mean the same restriction is appropriate for everyone.Then Michele tackles some of the biggest inflammation myths circulating online.Myth number one: Seed oils are inflammatory.Michele encourages listeners to look more closely at the evidence, the quantities consumed, and the foods in which these oils appear, rather than assuming the oil itself is responsible for every health concern. Current American Heart Association guidance does not support a broad avoidance of seed oils because they contain omega-6 fats.Myth number two: All processed food causes inflammation.Michele points to foods such as frozen fruits and vegetables, canned beans, canned fish, pre-washed lettuce, and tofu as practical examples. The word “processed” is not enough information to determine whether a food supports your goals.Myth number three: Everyone should avoid nightshades.Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes are frequently accused of causing inflammation. Michele reminds listeners that individual allergies or intolerances matter, but universal elimination rules are very different from personalized nutrition. Current evidence does not support routinely eliminating nightshade vegetables for everyone because of inflammation.Myth number four: Dairy is bad for everyone.For someone with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance, dairy may need to be modified or avoided. Other people tolerate dairy without difficulty. Personalization matters. Research reviews do not support the idea that dairy is inherently inflammatory for everyone.Myth number five: Sugar in any form is inflammatory.Michele distinguishes between added sugars and the naturally occurring sugars found in whole foods. A banana, an orange, or a handful of berries is nutritionally different from a doughnut or a sugar-sweetened drink. Rather than creating another rigid rule, she asks listeners to focus on the pattern over time. FDA nutrition labeling also distinguishes naturally occurring sugars from added sugars.So what does a supportive eating pattern look like?Michele explores Mediterranean-style eating, as well as the DASH and MIND approaches. What these patterns have in common is not one miracle ingredient. They emphasize combinations of nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds when appropriate, fish, adequate protein, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil and avocado. DASH is designed as a flexible, heart-healthy eating pattern, while research continues to examine the Mediterranean and MIND-style eating patterns in relation to brain health.They also leave room for real life. You do not have to swear off dessert forever, promise never to eat another hamburger, or throw away everything in your pantry.Instead, Michele asks practical questions:What are you eating most of the time?What foods make up the foundation of your meals?Are you getting enough fiber and protein?Are you eating a variety of plants?Are you choosing nutrient-dense foods regularly?Are you staying hydrated in a way that meets your individual needs?And most importantly, is the way you are eating sustainable for you?Because the best eating pattern is not necessarily the most restrictive one. It is one that nourishes you, supports your health goals, fits your life, and is realistic enough to continue.Food is also only one piece of the conversation about inflammation. Michele brings movement, sleep, and stress back into the picture. Walking, strength training, yoga, tai chi, resistance bands, and other sustainable forms of movement can all be part of self-care. Sleep and stress matter too, especially for people already navigating chronic illness.Even Michele’s beloved ginger tea gets put in perspective. A warm cup may be comforting, help with hydration, or create a quiet moment in the day. It is not a miracle cure for chronic inflammation, and it does not need to be.The goal is not perfection or fear, nor another list of 25 things you have to change by Friday. The goal is to become more informed about your body and make choices that are sustainable for you.If living with a chronic condition has made eating feel like another test you are constantly failing, Michele wants you to hear this: your body is not a textbook. Personalization matters.Your diagnosis may be part of your story, but it does not get to be the whole story.Listen to Part 2 of this Beyond My Diagnosis inflammation series and share it with someone who is tired of nutrition fear and conflicting food rules.Michele Weston’s Substackmicheleweston.substack.comMichele Weston Coachmichelewestoncoach.com