Every day we have to decide what we eat. And what goes into our bodies can ultimately impact the way we feel throughout the entire day. We need to be sure we’re making the best choices possible, so we can feel our best.

Accounting for seven of the ten leading causes of death (according to the Centers for Disease Control), chronic disease is a serious issue. While medication is essential to helping control symptoms and disease progression, diet also has an impact. In fact, diet has shown to not only help slow disease progression, but also prevents chronic disease. Here is some food for thought that can help all of us.

Let food be your medicine. It’s possible to get most of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy (and fight off disease) from the food that we eat every day, but it’s imperative that we make smart choices. For example, eating simple carbohydrates in foods such as cakes, cookies, and chips feels great at first (These foods all quickly raise blood sugar levels). However, these foods will eventually lower your blood sugar levels, causing a sudden drop in energy.

Simple carbohydrates also make it easy to gain weight because they are low in nutritional value and high in calories. An easy rule to follow is to avoid all white foods, such as white bread, rice and pasta, as well as foods made with white sugar and flour. Some foods can be deceiving because they are colored to look healthier, so be sure to check the label and find “whole wheat” as the first ingredient.

In addition to minimizing simple carbohydrates, it’s important to reduce the “bad” fats – also known as trans and saturated fats. Why? Foods with “bad” fats promote inflammation in your body. “Good” fats, on the other hand, contain powerful anti-inflammatory properties and can be found in foods such as cold-water oily fish, walnuts, and extra virgin olive oil.

Other foods that reduce inflammation include:
• Broccoli – These little trees contain anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer phytonutrients, such as sulforaphane, which helps the body get rid of potentially carcinogenic compounds.
• Blueberries – An antioxidant powerhouse, blueberries are high in phytonutrients that confer anti-inflammatory protection against many diseases such as cancer and dementia.
• Sweet Potatoes – These potatoes are becoming very popular in America, and for good reason. They are a great source of complex carbohydrate, beta-carotene, manganese, vitamin B6, and vitamin C (as well as dietary fiber). Working in concert, these nutrients are powerful antioxidants that help to heal inflammation in the body.

Food can help us feel better or worse, so we must make smart decisions. When living with chronic disease, medication has an even bigger impact than diet – it’s the difference between life or death. There is no choice. Patients need their medication. That’s why Chronic Disease Fund exists – to provide financial assistance to underinsured patients that need their medications. However, we can’t do it without your help. To make a positive difference in a chronic disease patient’s life, click here to donate.