What is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

You may have read or heard by now that eating a certain way has been shown to reduce pain caused by the inflammation of arthritis; by auto-immune disorders like fibromyalgia; and by other disorders caused by inflammation, like heart disease. In particular, this diet has been endorsed and made popular by Dr. Andrew Weil, a noted doctor specializing in alternative medicine and natural healing, in latest book, "Healthy Aging."

Dr. Weil, along with other nutritionalists, purports that to reduce pain (and, as a bonus, improve your general health), you should follow these guidelines:

• Eliminate or reduce your intake of all irritating "omega 6" oils such as vegetable oils and animal fats. Instead, include in your diet healthful "omega 3" oils, such as those found in olive oil, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and fatty cold-water oily fish like salmon. Other healthy oils include grapeseed oil, walnut oil and canola oil.

• Avoid junk food, and eliminate or reduce processed foods, sugar, simple carbohydrates (such as pasta and white bread), and heavy caffeine and alcohol use

• Drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration

• Avoid the "nightshade" family of vegetables, which includes tomatoes, onions and potatoes. These have a chemical alkaloid called solanine, which can be irritating. Believe me, I'm walking evidence. My favorite comfort food is french fries (a nightshade vegetable fried in who knows what kind of oil), and boy, do I pay for it afterward.

• Include fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily meal plan, except for the nightshades as indicated above.

• Spice up your meals liberally with ginger, turmeric and rosemary, all of which have been shown to reduce inflammation.

• Reduce your consumption of animal fats, including eggs, butter and dairy products. You don't necessarily have to go vegetarian, but cut out the red meat (unless it's bison or venison, and raised organically). Other good choices include lean poultry and seafood, nuts (except for peanuts), beans and tofu or soy products.