The principle is simple – eating healthy with an emphasis on whole grains, vegetables and heart-healthy fats

Inflammation is a familiar health concept, but it can be hard to understand how it connects to what we eat.

Eating to avoid inflammation isn’t a strict “diet” – it’s simply about eating healthy, in a Mediterranean style that emphasizes whole grains, vegetables and heart-healthy fats, says Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in disease prevention and management. “It’s just replacing processed foods with whole foods,” she says.