What is the anti-inflammatory diet?

Shrimp bur blanc on linguini with a side salad.

Dr Andrew Weil says:

It is becoming increasingly clear that chronic inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses — including heart disease, many cancers, and Alzheimer's disease. […] Learning how specific foods influence the inflammatory process is the best strategy for containing it and reducing long-term disease risks.

The anti-inflammatory diet is not intended to cause weight loss, which is fine. Other than the constant pain, I am pretty comfortable in my body (I think I look hot). The anti-inflammatory diet isn’t so much a diet as it is a lifestyle change, in which you eat foods that reduce chronic inflammation in your body. Dr Weil calls understanding which foods to eat ‘scientific,’ though I still think parts of his approach are hookum, for example vitamins are a racket (Sheldon Cooper once referred to supplements as “very expensive urine”). If this means that the placebo aspect of this diet doesn’t work as well on me, so be it. I’m really sick and I want to feel better, but I prefer evidence-based medicine.

Supplements appear third from the top of Dr Weil's anti-inflammatory diet food pyramid, which illustrates the recommendations of the anti-inflammatory diet in a visually pleasing way -- not according to recommended quantities. Red wine and dark chocolate are the two recommendations that top supplements in the pyramid. Supplements were the first thing that made me skeptical of Dr Weil's approach, but he is not the only advocate of the health benefits of anti-inflammatory foods.

The Arthritis Foundation promotes the idea that certain foods help combat inflammation, implying that a diet of these foods may benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis (that's me). The Arthritis foundation recommends eating 3-4 ounces of omega-3 rich fish twice a week; "at least 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of veggies per meal"; a handful of nuts every day; lots of beans; 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil every day; onions (I'm not a big fan of those); lots of fibre; less processed food and salt; and moderate alcohol (they have a picture of red wine and that is good enough for me). The Arthritis Foundation encouraged me to calculate a diet plan that is right for me through the USDA.

The USDA recommended I eat 2600 calories a day to maintain my current weight, or 2400 calories a day to lose weight. I chose the 2400 calories a day option, because I can't imagine I ate more than that before I started really thinking about food, and this is what was recommended:

For breakfast I had enough fruit and grains for the day with a glass of pro-biotic blueberry pomegranate juice, half a cup of 7-grain oatmeal, topped with blueberries and strawberries. I put almond milk on my oatmeal and soy milk in my coffee, so (according to this) I can have two more cups of dairy, three cups of vegetables, and 6.5 ounces of protein before the day is over.

This is similar to, but not the same as Dr Weil's food pyramid. His food pyramid would have me eating more (I like him for that). Dr Weil says I can have all the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon I can eat. After the wonderful breakfast I had, he would also let me have 2-4 more servings of whole grains; two more servings of protein than the USDA recommends (if one is beans and the other is tofu); another serving of fruit; and one more helping of vegetables than the USDA recommends. According to Dr Weil's food pyramid, I can also have 2-4 cups of tea and a couple glasses of red wine before bed. Either way, I am not going to starve.