Psst…I have a secret. What if I told you that we can fight aging, enhance sports performance and boost injury recovery with little effort, minimal cost, and no side effects? Would you be in? Me too!

And the secret is … delicious food - believe it or not!

One of the primary determinants we face with aging, high intensity/volume sport, and injury is inflammation. In our second CoachAmyPT article on nutrition, we discussed that it behooves us to avoid foods that increase inflammation and instead consume those that minimize it. In this article we share a list of some of those foods.

I have good news for you: there are a variety of foods, spices, and teas that possess anti-inflammatory properties, and, much to my glee, dark chocolate is on the list!

Controlling inflammation can be tasty. Below is a list of nutritional items with anti-inflammatory properties:

• extra virgin olive oil

• spinach, kale

• fatty fish - salmon, tuna

• strawberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, and oranges

• avocado

• bell peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms

• green tea

• turmeric

Turmeric comes in pills and powders that can be added to smoothies or cereals. It is also a spice that can be added to some dishes. More on turmeric in future articles!

• dark chocolate/cocoa (low to no added sugar)

Before you fill a mug with hot cocoa or grab a dark chocolate candy bar, remember that sugary foods increase inflammation. But don’t worry! There are some naturally-sweetened dark chocolate sources. My favorite source for sugar-free chocolate is Lily’s. Their products are sweetened with a natural sugar substitute derived from Stevia rebaudiana. I’ve found them at health food stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods as well as the natural food section of bigger box grocery stores.

As you may recall from our CoachAmyPT article on inflammation, it is our goal in physical therapy to control inflammation. In addition to EPSOM salt soaks, relative rest, PT treatments (such as needling and Active Release Technique) we can boost our rehabilitation, performance, and anti-aging efforts with the food we eat. Bon appetit!

In the next article in our Nutrition and Healing series, we discuss the impact of carbohydrates on recovery. Are they as ugly as they’ve been made out to be? Stay tuned and subscribe to CoachAmyPT. In case you missed them, check out CoachAmyPT’s previous two articles on nutrition and healing:

• Discover the Role of Nutrition In Healing and Prevention of Injury

• Foods to Avoid when Recovering from Injury