Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Include:
- Fruits: Apples, pears, apricots, cherries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, papaya, mango and persimmons. You may not be able to tolerate all of these until your bladder is fully healed.
- Vegetables: Raw, steamed or oven-roasted veggies; choose from green beans, zucchini, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, artichokes, yams, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots, lettuce and other fresh greens and herbs, brussels sprouts, water chestnuts. Avoid only those vegetables that seem problematic for you individually; for example, some people are sensitive to vegetables that are very high in oxalates (kale, beets and beet-greens, spinach and rhubarb) and many people react negatively to vegetables in the nightshade family.
- Grains: Brown rice and other forms of rice, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, wild rice, quinoa, and other grains in small portions.
- Protein: Halibut, salmon, trout, sole, cod, turkey, chicken, and grass-fed beef. remember to purchase sustainably harvested fish and humanely raised meat and poultry, if available. All seafood must be as fresh as possible or frozen to avoid the high histamine levels released as seafood ages and begins to break down.
- Nuts, seeds. and oils: Cold-pressed olive oil, flaxseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, pumpkin seed oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, sesame seeds and oil, tahini, almond butter, coconut oil, and unsweetened coconut.
- Beverages: Unsweetened rice, almond or hemp milk; spring water; most herbal teas; highly diluted, freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.
- Seasonings: Dill, oregano, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, turmeric, coriander, sea salt, and kelp. Stick with herbs, fresh or dried, for flavoring most foods; they tend to be milder than spices. Ginger is a good choice, if tolerated, because it possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh garlic is often problematic for the IC bladder, but a little dried granulated garlic may be tolerated. Some people tolerate cinnamon just fine, while it seems to bother other people with bladder sensitivity.
- Sweeteners: Stevia and brown rice syrup; better is applesauce and other fruit purees. Many people with bladder sensitivity find they cannot tolerate artificial sweeteners containing aspartame (side note from Janie: this is a blessing because aspartame is AWFUL for everyone, with or without IC.)
Inflammatory Foods to Avoid:
- Fruits: citrus fruits (lemons and limes may be used in small amounts, for seasoning, by those who are partially healed), dried fruits (especially those containing sulfur dioxide to preserve color), and grapes. There may be additional fruits that bother some individuals despite being both alkaline and anti-inflammatory.
- Vegetables: Potatoes, eggplant, red and green peppers, tomatoes, and hot peppers. Fresh tomatoes appear to be better tolerated than cooked tomatoes.
- Grains: Gluten-containing grains, including wheat, barley and rye. Oats may be tolerated by some people.
- Animal protein sources: Grain-fed beef and pork; processed meats like bacon, salami, baloney, cured hams, and cold-cuts; shellfish; eggs (some people may be able to tolerate eggs used in baked goods, but if not, use egg substitutes for baking.)
- Nuts: Peanuts and peanut butter.
- Legumes: Dried beans, peas and lentils, except in small amounts. Those with a sensitivity to oxalates must be especially careful.
- Dairy products and fats: All milk, cream, yogurt, cheese and other products made from cow's milk. Also avoid butter, all margarine and spreads that contain trans fats, and most processed oils.
- Beverages: Soda, black tea, coffee, alcohol, citrus fruits
- Spices: Cayenne, paprika, black peppers, and other hot peppers.
- Sweeteners: Refined sugars, including white and brown cane sugar, and corn sweeteners, especially high fructose corn syrup.
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