Inflammation: The Most Overused Word in Wellness (And What It Actually Means)

Inflammation: The Most Overused Word in Wellness (And What It Actually Means)

Inflammation gets blamed for everything. I use the word too — so let me explain what it actually is, when it matters, and what your diet really does. Furman D, et al. (2019). Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nature Medicine, 25(12), 1822–1832. Galland L. (2010). Diet and inflammation. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 25(6), 634–640. Minihane AM, et al. (2015). Low-grade inflammation, diet composition and health. British Journal of Nutrition, 114(7), 999–1012. Estruch R, et al. (2018). Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet (PREDIMED). New England Journal of Medicine, 378(25), e34. Calder PC, et al. (2011). Dietary factors and low-grade inflammation in relation to overweight and obesity. British Journal of Nutrition, 106(S3), S1–S78. US Department of Agriculture. (2012). Withdrawal of the USDA ORAC Database for Selected Foods. nal.usda.gov Hewlings SJ & Kalman DS. (2017). Curcumin: A review of its effects on human health. Foods, 6(10), 92. González-Gallego J, et al. (2010). Fruit polyphenols, immunity and inflammation. British Journal of Nutrition, 104(S3), S15–S27. Rudnicka E, et al. (2021). Chronic low grade inflammation in pathogenesis of PCOS. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(7), 3789. Pizzino G, et al. (2017). Oxidative stress: harms and benefits for human health. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, 8416763. Nappi RE, et al. (2022). Menopause transition and cardiovascular disease risk. Maturitas, 159, 50–58. Phillips CM, et al. (2019). Dietary inflammatory index and biomarkers of inflammation. Nutrients, 11(8), 1873.

So... What Do I Actually Do? The Truth About What Dietitians Are & What We Actually Help With

Someone asked me what I actually do as a dietitian...and I realized a lot of people have no idea. This one's for them.

Food for Mood: How What You Eat Shapes How You Feel

The science linking food and mood is more compelling than most people realize. We cover the gut-brain axis, the SMILES trial, fruit and vegetables, and what a poor diet actively does to mental health. Jacka FN, et al. (2017). A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the 'SMILES' trial). BMC Medicine, 15(1), 23. Opie RS, et al. (2015). Dietary recommendations for the prevention of depression. Nutritional Neuroscience, 20(3), 161–171. Mujcic R & Oswald AJ. (2016). Evolution of well-being and happiness after increases in consumption of fruit and vegetables. American Journal of Public Health, 106(8), 1504–1510. Lane MM, et al. (2022). Ultra-processed food consumption and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open. Firth J, et al. (2020). Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? BMJ, 369, m2382. Lassale C, et al. (2019). Healthy dietary indices and risk of depressive outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Molecular Psychiatry, 24, 965–986. Hilimire MR, et al. (2015). Fermented foods, neuroticism, and social anxiety: an interaction model. Psychiatry Research, 228(2), 203–208. Sonnenburg JL & Bäckhed F. (2016). Diet-microbiota interactions as moderators of human metabolism. Nature, 535, 56–64. Grosso G, et al. (2014). Role of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of depressive disorders: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. PLOS ONE, 9(5), e96905. Molendijk M, et al. (2018). Diet quality and depression risk: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Journal of Affective Disorders, 226, 346–354. Wastyk HC, et al. (2021). Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell, 184(16), 4137–4153.

Food Dyes: Separating the Science from the Scare Stories

Food dye headlines are alarming. The science is more complicated. We look at what the evidence actually shows on hyperactivity, cancer concerns, and how to think about this proportionately. Sources: McCann D, et al. (2007). Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet, 370(9598), 1560–1567. Nigg JT, et al. (2012). Meta-analysis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, restriction diet, and synthetic food color additives. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(1), 86–97. Kobylewski S & Jacobson MF. (2012). Toxicology of food dyes. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 18(3), 220–246. Arnold LE, et al. (2012). Artificial food colors and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms: conclusions to dye for. Neurotherapeutics, 9(3), 599–609. US FDA. (2025). Revocation of Red 3 food additive authorization. fda.gov EFSA Panel on Food Additives. (2010). Scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of Allura Red AC (E 129) as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 8(7), 1551. Potera C. (2010). Diet and nutrition: the artificial food dye blues. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(10), A428. Vartanian LR, et al. (2007). Effects of soft drink consumption on nutrition and health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 97(4), 667–675. Monteiro CA, et al. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936–941.

How to Go Plant Based Without Missing a Thing

Eating more plants is great, but a few nutrients need real attention. Aurora breaks down protein targets, B12 non negotiable, omega 3, iron and more. Sources: Rogerson D. (2017). Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 36. Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(12), 1970–1980. Watanabe F & Bito T. (2018). Vitamin B12 sources and microbial interaction. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 243(2), 148–158. Saunders AV, et al. (2013). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vegetarian diets. Medical Journal of Australia, 1(2), 22–26. Gorczyca D, et al. (2013). An introduction to the integrated approach to nutrition in plant-based diets. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. Pawlak R, et al. (2013). How prevalent is vitamin B12 deficiency among vegetarians? Nutrition Reviews, 71(2), 110–117. Haider LM, et al. (2018). The effect of following a vegan diet on micro- and macronutrient status. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 58(17), 2906–2955. Gorissen SHM, et al. (2018). Protein content and amino acid composition of commercially available plant-based protein isolates. Amino Acids, 50(12), 1685–1695. Hurrell R & Egli I. (2010). Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91(5), 1461S–1467S. Evatt ML, et al. (2010). Prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in older adults. Nutritional Neuroscience, 13(3), 128–135.