How to Reduce Inflammation with Diet (Evidence-Based Guide)

by Kristen Norton | Mar 31, 2026 | Popular, Well Balanced Wisdom

Have you been told to follow an anti-inflammatory diet to improve your health, and wondered about two things?

• Can a healthy diet really reduce inflammation?
• How do I follow an anti-inflammatory diet?

The answer to the first one is yes! Available evidence tells us that a healthy diet can meaningfully reduce chronic inflammation, especially when it follows a Mediterranean‑style, plant‑forward pattern. We’ll break down what that means with 3 simple ways to start an anti-inflammatory diet, but let’s briefly define inflammation first.

What Is Inflammation (And When Is It a Problem?)

Inflammation is your body’s natural defense system, and understanding it is the first step in learning how to reduce inflammation with diet. It helps fight infections, heal injuries, and keep you healthy.

Inflammation becomes a hidden threat when it sticks around long after it’s needed. This is referred to as chronic low‑grade inflammation, and it can be quietly damaging tissues and disrupting normal body functions over months or even years.

Chronic inflammation is a driving force behind disease development and progression. It’s linked to conditions like heart disease and diabetes to cancer, dementia, and autoimmune conditions. It also accelerates aging, contributing to frailty, bone loss, muscle decline, and overall decline in organ function.

The encouraging news is that diet and lifestyle play a powerful role in inflammation—and they’re factors you can control.

How Diet and Lifestyle Affect Inflammation

Chronic inflammation can be influenced by several lifestyle factors, including:

• Nutrient-poor diet high in ultra-processed foods
• Chronic stress
• Poor sleep
• Lack of physical activity
• Smoking or excessive alcohol intake

While all of these factors matter, we’ll focus on practical, consistent actions you can take to improve your nutrition. You don’t need a complete overhaul—just a few intentional shifts can make a meaningful difference over time. Here are three evidence-based ways to help decrease inflammation with food.

Three Simple Ways to Start an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

1. Eat More Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Antioxidants help calm inflammation in two ways. First, they neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals. When too many of these accumulate, they can damage cells and trigger inflammation.

Second, they flip off the switches that tell the body to stay inflamed, while turning on the switches that protect our cells and keep them healthy.

Plant foods rich in antioxidants

• Berries
• Citrus fruits
• Leafy greens
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli and Brussels sprouts
• Nuts and seeds
• Turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, cloves
• Green tea, black tea, coffee, cocoa, hibiscus tea

Antioxidants come in many forms, and each type protects your body in a slightly different way. A combination of antioxidants from a variety of plant foods is more effective than a large amount of just one type.

Nutrition Challenge: Boost your body’s defenses by including multiple plants at each meal.

Recipes like this antioxidant-rich smoothie can make it easier to add plant foods to your routine:

→ Healthy Chocolate Fudge Smoothie

2. Eat Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Higher omega‑3 intake has been linked to lower inflammation in the body. Omega-3 fats work in a few ways: they help your body make compounds that calm inflammation instead of fueling it, and they also support molecules that actively help your body resolve inflammation and repair tissues. Essentially, eating more omega‑3s shifts your body’s chemistry toward a calmer, healthier state.

Marine sources:

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Trout

A simple way to include these nutrients is a quick salmon dinner like this one:

→ Avocado Lime Salmon

Daily Goal:

• 250–500 mg of EPA + DHA for general health (about 1–2 servings of oily fish per week or a standard supplement)
• 1.5–2 g if aiming to reduce inflammation (3.5–5 ounces of oily fish daily or a mix of fish and supplements)
• Keep supplementation under 3 g unless advised by a professional

Mercury Tip: Choose low-mercury fish like salmon, sardines, trout, or anchovies. Brands like Safe Catch test for mercury so you can eat fish safely every day.

3. Eat To Support a Healthy Gut

A healthy, balanced gut microbiome can send anti-inflammatory signals to your body. One of the most effective ways to support a healthy gut is by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The fiber in these foods acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial bacteria so they can flourish, strengthen the gut lining, and keep harmful bacteria and toxins from entering your bloodstream.

On the other hand, research shows that diets high in sugar, saturated fat, alcohol, salt, and emulsifier-rich ultra-processed foods, especially when paired with low fiber intake, are linked to a weakened gut barrier and reduced beneficial bacteria. When this occurs, local and whole-body inflammation can follow.

Simple meals, such as overnight oats, can support gut health while providing steady energy.

→ Raspberry Hemp Overnight Oats

Those with IBS or IBD may want to think twice about increasing their prebiotic/fiber intake. If you are already having severe gastric distress and symptoms, talk to your dietitian or doctor about the right amount and types of fiber for you.

Foods That May Increase Inflammation

Reduce the following foods

• Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta, French fries, and sweet baked goods.
• Foods and beverages high in added sugar or artificial additives
• Processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats
• Fast food
• Highly processed packaged foods

Do You Need to Eliminate Gluten, Dairy, or Soy?

Some people may notice symptoms after eating certain foods like gluten, dairy, soy, or eggs. These reactions are highly individual, and eliminating foods without guidance isn’t always necessary. The goal is to discover what supports your body and what triggers discomfort so you can enjoy as much variety as possible in your diet. One of our dietitians can guide you and support you in this process.

The Big Picture

Reducing inflammation with food does not require a perfect diet. Elimination of entire food groups is not always necessary either. Instead, focus on simple habits:

• Meal plan and eat more food from home
• Include a variety of colorful plant foods in your meals and snacks
• Eat omega-3-rich fish at least twice a week
• Limit ultra-processed foods, fast foods, and excess sugary foods/drinks

Small, consistent changes can help support a healthier inflammatory response and improve long-term health.

Want Personalized Help Reducing Inflammation?

Everyone’s body responds differently to food. If you are experiencing digestive symptoms, chronic inflammation, or metabolic concerns, personalized nutrition guidance can make a big difference.

Learn more about working with a dietitian at Well Balanced Nutrition.

→ Personal Nutrition Coaching

Take Control of PCOS: Simple Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips That Work

by Kristen Norton | May 6, 2025 | Popular, Well Balanced Wisdom

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common but complex hormonal condition that affects women of reproductive age. It often shows up as irregular periods, weight struggles (especially around the middle), acne, or fertility challenges—but symptoms can vary widely.

With PCOS, your body has a harder time managing blood sugar, which can lead to increased belly fat, higher cholesterol, and a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. PCOS doesn’t just affect physical health—it can also impact mental well-being, with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and disordered eating. Sleep issues and other conditions, like fatty liver disease or endometrial cancer, are also more common.

In this blog, we will share:

• The Role of Insulin Resistance
• The Best Diet for Managing PCOS
• How to Build a PCOS-Friendly Plate
• What Foods Make Your Symptoms Worse
• Lifestyle Strategies for Managing PCOS
• Movement Increases Insulin Sensitivity
• Sleep and PCOS Symptoms
• Stress and PCOS Symptoms

The Role of Insulin Resistance

One of the major drivers of PCOS symptoms is insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key, helping sugar (glucose) move from your bloodstream into your body’s cells where it can be used for energy. After you eat—especially foods with carbohydrates—your blood sugar rises, and insulin is released to help bring it back to a normal level. But in people with insulin resistance, the cells don’t respond properly to insulin’s signal. This forces the body to produce more and more insulin to get the job done.

Why is this so important when it comes to PCOS? High insulin levels can signal the ovaries to make more androgens (like testosterone), which can disrupt your menstrual cycle, make it harder to ovulate, and cause symptoms like acne, excess hair growth, and difficulty losing weight. Over time, it may also raise your risk for type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that insulin resistance can improve with targeted lifestyle changes. That’s where the Well Balanced method comes in—focusing on balanced meals (with protein, healthy fat, fiber, and colorful plants), joyful movement, sleep, and stress support. These simple steps can help your body respond better to insulin, reduce symptoms, and support hormone balance from the inside out. Let’s go over each one.

The Best Diet For Managing PCOS

A balanced, anti-inflammatory eating pattern—like the Well Balanced approach —remains one of the best strategies for managing PCOS. This eating style supports stable blood sugar, reduces insulin resistance, and promotes hormone balance.

Build a PCOS-Friendly Plate:

To follow a balanced, anti-inflammatory meal plan, think of each meal including the following:

• ½ plate of non-starchy vegetables, the more colors the better
• ¼ plate of whole grains, starchy veggies (like quinoa or sweet potatoes), or whole/fresh fruit
• ¼ plate of lean proteins (chicken, tofu, fish, beans)
• + healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, nuts, or seeds

Why it works? Using the Well Balanced plate to build a meal ensures you are getting the right proportions of macronutrients to fight cravings, support gut health, limit blood sugar spikes, and fight inflammation.

Focus on Foods That Fight Inflammation

Certain foods can help calm inflammation in the body and support hormone balance and metabolic health. Try to include:

• Berries, leafy greens, broccoli, and bell peppers – these are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals
• Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel – high in omega-3 fatty acids
• Nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds – healthy fats and antioxidants
• Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi – support gut health and as result can reduce inflammation throughout the body
• Herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon have been shown to block inflammatory pathways and reduce the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body.

What not to eat with PCOS

While we believe that restricting or eliminating food is not ideal, it’s hard to deny that reducing added sugars and ultra-processed foods can help you manage your PCOS. In the Well Balanced approach, we encourage you to be selective with your favorite sweet treats rather than avoid them altogether. Enjoying fun treats on occasion, without guilt or strict rules, and finding tasty, healthier alternatives will keep you from feeling deprived.

How refined sugars can make PCOS symptoms worse.

Understanding how foods high in refined sugars can make you feel worse, like triggering cravings, energy crashes, or mood swings, can help you make more informed and intentional choices.

Let’s say you enjoy a sweet treat, like a donut or soda. Here’s what happens in your body:

• It quickly breaks down into glucose (sugar), which floods your bloodstream and causes a sharp spike in blood sugar.
• In response, your pancreas releases insulin, which helps move glucose into your cells for energy.

• But with insulin resistance, your cells don’t respond well to insulin’s signal. So the sugar stays in your blood, and your body produces even more insulin to try to fix the problem.
• Since the glucose isn’t used efficiently, your body stores the excess as fat, often around your midsection. This can make insulin resistance worse.
• On top of that, too much insulin can trigger higher androgen (male hormone) levels, which may lead to more acne, irregular periods, and stubborn weight gain.

Lifestyle Strategies for Managing PCOS

Food is not the only thing that can affect insulin resistance, inflammation, and trigger more unwanted symptoms. Lifestyle behaviors and habits like movement, sleep, and stress management are also impactful tools to manage your PCOS symptoms.

Move More: Exercise Helps Your Cells Listen to Insulin

When you move your body, your muscles use glucose for energy, which helps lower blood sugar levels. Even more importantly, exercise makes your cells more sensitive to insulin, so your body doesn’t have to work as hard to keep blood sugar in check.

Here’s how movement helps:

• Aerobic exercise (like walking, cycling, or swimming) improves how your body uses insulin during and after movement.
• Strength training (like lifting weights or bodyweight exercises) builds muscle, and the more muscle, the better your body can store and use glucose efficiently.
• Consistency matters more than intensity. You don’t need to go all-out every day—a brisk walk or dance session counts!

Prioritize Sleep: A Secret Weapon for Hormone Balance

Sleep isn’t just about rest—it plays a direct role in blood sugar regulation and hormone production. Poor or irregular sleep can increase insulin resistance, making PCOS symptoms worse.

Here’s what happens with poor sleep:

• Your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, leading to higher blood sugar and insulin levels.
• Appetite-regulating hormones (like leptin and ghrelin) get thrown off, increasing cravings, especially for sugary or high-carb foods.
• Inflammation increases, which may worsen symptoms like acne and fatigue.

Tips for better sleep:

• Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Stick to a consistent sleep schedule—even on weekends.
• Wind down with calming activities like reading, stretching, or a warm shower.
• Reduce screen time an hour before bed to protect melatonin production.

Manage Stress: Cortisol and Insulin Resistance

Chronic stress raises levels of cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone. While cortisol is helpful in short bursts, prolonged stress keeps it elevated, and that’s a problem for insulin resistance.

When cortisol stays high:

• It signals your liver to release more glucose into the bloodstream (a survival mechanism).
• It makes your cells more resistant to insulin.
• It encourages fat storage, especially around the midsection, which is linked to worse insulin resistance.

Stress reduction strategies we love:

• Deep breathing or meditation—even just 5 minutes a day
• Walking in nature or relaxing outside
• Creative outlets like journaling, music, or art
• Talking with a friend, coach, or therapist

Final Thoughts

There’s no quick fix for PCOS, but by making sustainable changes to how you eat, move, rest, and care for yourself, you can feel better in your body and mind. If you’d like a supportive partner to guide you through it all, our team at Well Balanced Nutrition is here to help. BOOK A FREE CLARITY CALL TO GET STARTED.