Of course, it is much better to actually prevent cancer than to be diagnosed with the disease, even at an early stage. So, we have even better news in terms of prostate cancer prevention. We have now published 7 studies showing that the inflammatory potential of the diet can determine whether or not a man actually gets prostate cancer in the first place. These studies, conducted in Argentina,4 Canada,5 France,6 Iran,7 Italy,8 Jamaica,9 and Mexico10 all indicate that lowering your Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) score will reduce the probability of getting prostate cancer. Furthermore, we found in an Italian cohort that men already diagnosed with prostate cancer had a better chance of surviving if they ate a diet which is anti-inflammatory (had a low DII® score).11 This is strongly consistent with work that we conducted a number of years ago showing that we could reverse metastatic prostate cancer with a vegetarian diet characterized by low inflammatory potential.12

Now, if you’ve been following our newsletter or blogs you will know that a strongly anti-inflammatory diet will have a low DII® score. The foods that contribute to a low score tend to be:

• Aromatic
• Flavorful / Tasty
• Naturally Colorful (i.e., not artificially colored)
• Nutrient-dense (i.e., have a lot of nutrients per unit weight or volume)
• Low-calorie (i.e., have few calories per unit weight or volume)

There is an abundant of foods that have these properties. The list below is a great place to start.

• Greens
• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Berries
• Peaches
• Onions
• Avocado
• Watermelon
• Eggplant
• Asparagus
• Salmon
• Mango
• Kiwi

Spices also are uniformly anti-inflammatory and can be used in imaginative ways to enhance the flavor of mixed dishes – everything from masala chai to casseroles, curries and stir fries.

If you are interested in where your diet falls on the DII® ,take DII-on-Demand to get your DII® Score today!

Scientific evidence links inflammatory diets to many conditions that cause disability and death in the United States, including:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Many cancers (especially colorectal cancer)
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Arthritis & joint pain
• Combined, these conditions affect well over 50% of the population in the United States alone.
• Treating these conditions costs our healthcare system an estimated $600 billion per year.
• The DII-based inflammatory reduction counseling system known is designed to help people adjust their diet and adopt more anti-inflammatory foods.
• If 25% of the population affected with inflammation-related disease enroll in IMAGINE, healthcare costs would be reduced by $75 billion a year.

Check out this infographic for more details!

1. Focus on your fiber intake. Soluble fiber can help lower your cholesterol level and improve blood glucose control if eaten in large amounts. A diet high in whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, and fruit will ensure that you are meeting your daily needs, plus you get the benefit of all the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that these powerhouses contain!
2. Drinking water, unsweetened tea, and other unsweetened beverages will help prevent excess calorie intake which will help maintain a stable weight and prevent inflammation.
3. Choose lean meat and plant proteins over other sources that are higher in saturated fat.
4. Season and flavor your food with herbs, spices, and aromatics versus the usual salt, sugar, and fat.These pack a large punch of anti-inflammatory properties versus the others which are inflammation triggers.
5. Get physical activity every day. If you are able to walk 10 minutes after each meal you will reach the minimum activity recommendations of 30 minutes per day to control chronic inflammation and improve heart health.

There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is when the body does not produce insulin and it is usually diagnosed earlier in life. Type 2 is when your body does not use insulin properly and it’s the more common form of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common inflammation related chronic conditions. Chronic inflammation is long term inflammation that occurs when there is a continuous stimulus that causes too many immune cells to be sent, leading to too much inflammation, and damaging healthy cells. It is a common cause for many chronic illnesses and can lead to diabetes due to its effects on insulin resistance.

The best way to reduce inflammation is through an improved lifestyle. This includes improving your diet, increasing physical activity and practicing stress management. Check out the tips below to help you live a lifestyle that protects you from diabetes.

1. Add herbs, spices and aromatics to your diet. For each meal include one to two of these to not only increase flavor, but to increase the anti-inflammatory power of your foods.
2. Eat lots of vegetables. Make sure to include vegetables in every meal and snack. Choose a variety of types and colors to get the most benefit.
3. Park further away. When looking for a parking spot look for a spot that is far away from the entrance. This will make you walk more, which will increase your physical activity in the long run.
4. Take physical activity breaks. If you sit for a long period of time, make sure to take a break every 30 minutes to stretch or do another form of physical activity.
5. Make time for yourself. Schedule time for yourself to do something that relaxes you. It doesn’t have to be a long period of time, just 15-20 minutes.
6. Know your stress triggers. Figure out what stresses you the most and learn how to address this stress.

• fasting glucose (100 to 125 mg/dl)
• glucose tolerance (2-hour post-glucose load, 140 to 199 mg/dl).

One scary fact is those who are pre-diabetic do not show any symptoms. Therefore, most people are undiagnosed and remain untreated until pre-diabetes becomes diabetes. This, in turn, increases the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and other problems associated with high levels of blood glucose.

Why is this important when talking about the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®)? Recently it has been shown that chronic inflammation is associated with increased risk of cancer, CVD, and DIABETES. So, it is well accepted that inflammation has an important role in the development of pre-diabetes. Since the DII® can predict the inflammatory potential of your diet, knowing your DII® score can help predict risk of pre-diabetes. This was shown in a study where researchers found that subjects with higher DII® scores were at an increased risk of pre-diabetes despite consuming similar number of calories.

With this information, we encourage consuming a more anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce this risk. Below are some tips to move you in the right direction.

• Add herbs, spices and aromatics to your diet. For each meal, include one to two of these to not only increase flavor, but to increase the anti-inflammatory power of your foods.
• Eat lots of vegetables. Make sure to include vegetables in every meal and snack. Choose a variety of types and colors to get the most benefit.
• Avoid processed foods and foods high in sugar. Add more whole foods in your diet. Not the grocery store, Whole Foods, but foods that are unprocessed and are eaten just as they are grown. Also, choose foods that do not have added sugar, and are low in natural sugars!
• Focus on your fiber intake. Soluble fiber can help lower your cholesterol level and improve blood glucose control if eaten in large amounts. A diet high in whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, and fruit will ensure that you are meeting your daily needs, plus you get the benefit of all the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that these powerhouses contain!
• Don’t drink your calories. Drink water, unsweetened tea, and other unsweetened beverages to help prevent excess calorie intake, which will help maintain a stable weight and prevent inflammation.

Are you interested in knowing where your diet falls on the #DII? Use our #DIIonDemand to learn your #DIIScore today!

There is a diverse range of causes and risk factors leading to breast cancer. Diet is one of the risk factors that we can control and has the potential to be really important. With chronic inflammation being an important factor in the development of diseases such as, diabetes and of certain types of cancer, adopting an anti-inflammatory diet can be important to breast cancer prevention.

When looking to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet for breast cancer prevention, look for foods with the following qualities.

High in Dietary Fiber
Foods that are high in dietary fiber help our digestive system and support a regular elimination of waste. In turn, this leads to the elimination of toxins which help limit the damage they can cause in our bodies. Some anti-inflammatory foods that are high in dietary fiber include:

• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Blackberries
• Brussel Sprouts
• Lentils
• Peas
• Edamame

Healthy Fats
Fats are not typically found on a list of what’s good for preventing breast cancer, but if you choose the right ones they can be beneficial. For example, omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in anti-inflammatory protein sources such as, salmon and herring, have been linked to reducing risk of breast cancer.

High in Antioxidants
High antioxidant levels support both lowering inflammation and risk of breast cancer. Foods with high antioxidant levels are usually bright in color and have a lot of flavor! These include:

• Dark, leafy greens
• Berries
• Orange-colored vegetables, such as carrots and sweet potatoes
• Green tea

If you want to find out if your diet is anti-inflammatory, check out DII-on-Demand, an in-depth, online food frequency questionnaire that generates a DII® score calculated by CHI scientists.

This week, April 2 – 8, is National Public Health Week and the American Public Health Association has set themes for Monday – Friday that helps each of us start making these healthy changes that our society needs as a whole.

April 2: Behavioral Health
Advocate for and promote well-being
Focus on and advocate for improved access to mental and behavioral health services. Use education and training to de-stigmatize mental health diagnoses and encourage people experiencing mental illness to seek treatment. Coverage for mental health services must be on par with physical health services in all health insurance coverage.

April 3: Communicable Diseases
Learn about ways to prevent disease transmission
Wash your hands. Know your HIV status. Call on employers to support and provide sick leave so sick workers can care for themselves and avoid spreading disease to others. Support comprehensive sexual health education in schools, which can reduce rates of sexually transmitted disease (as well as teen pregnancy). Keep yourself and your families immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases — and get your flu shot!

April 4: Environmental Health
Help to protect and maintain a healthy planet
Reduce our collective carbon emissions footprint. Transition to renewable energies. Protect our natural resources and use evidence-based policy to protect our air, water and food. Support environmental health efforts that monitor our communities for risks and develop health-promoting interventions. Call for transportation planning that promotes walking, biking and public transit — it not only reduces climate-related emissions, but helps us all stay physically active.

April 5: Injury and Violence Prevention
Learn about the effects of injury and violence on health
Increase funding to programs that reduce and prevent community violence. Advocate for occupational health and safety standards that keep workers safe on the job. Support policies that save those struggling with addiction from a fatal drug overdose. Many injuries are preventable with the appropriate education, policy and safety measures.

April 6: Ensuring the Right to Health
Advocate for everyone’s right to a healthy life
Everyone deserves an opportunity to live a life free from preventable disease and disability. The places where we live, learn, work, worship and play should promote our health, not threaten it. That’s why creating the healthiest nation requires a dogged focus on achieving health equity for all.

Join the movement to make our nation the healthiest nation!