10 months out of the year, Utah is a beautiful place to live; picturesque white-capped mountains, breathtaking red rock canyons, and, of course, the best on earth. But, during the cold months of winter, the dreaded inversion hits, covering our region in a layer of smog, and leaving us feeling turned a little, well, upside down.

When the air quality index dips into the yellow level or below I, for one, like to sit in my living room and pout. Rather than pessimistic and lazy, I prefer to instead think that I am actually creating less pollution by not driving anywhere. (Which is true!)

Poor air quality really does impact more than just our mood — it affects our health, too. According a recent study from the University of Utah, pneumonia related hospitalizations dramatically increase when high concentrations of small-particle pollution (i.e. what you breathe in during the inversion) are in the air.

Another U of U study suggests that poor air quality also puts strain on your cardiovascular system, increasing the risk for heart attacks and strokes. One explanation for this is the increase in inflammation that occurs from the particles in the air.

When you breathe in the pollution, it creates free radicals in your body, which then cause cell damage, leading to an inflammatory response by your body. And, whether you decide to leave the house or not, you will be breathing in some amount of the polluted air.

So, what is a health concerned individual to do? While we can't completely eliminate the pollution that we breathe in, we can support our bodies by reducing the inflammation it causes by eating more of the foods that fight inflammation and less of the ones that exacerbate it.

Foods that help fight inflammation work, in part, by neutralizing those pesky free radicals. Here are a few tips to help support your body's defense against inflammation causing pollution. Bonus: these tips will also benefit your health on clear-sky days.

1. Eat the rainbow

No, this doesn't mean picking up a bag of Skittles. Colorful fruits and vegetables contain important antioxidants, which help to neutralize free radicals in the body. By varying the colors of your produce, you help to ensure that you get a good variety of powerful plant phytochemicals.

2. Choose healthy oils

Olive oil and canola oil contain inflammation fighting monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to decrease risk factors for heart disease when they replace saturated fats in the diet.

Try to limit vegetable oils such as corn and soybean oil, as well as fried and processed foods, since they tend to be high in the omega-6 fatty acids which can promote inflammation.

While Omega 6s can be healthy, we consume far more of them in our diets than we need, and when we don't balance them out with enough Omega 3s, they can promote inflammation in the body. Get more anti-inflammatory Omega 3s by eating fish (see number 5), flax and chia seeds, walnuts, fortified eggs and canola oil.

3. Avoid trans fats

A triple-whammy for our health, man-made trans fats increase our "bad" cholesterol while decreasing the "good," then comes the increased inflammation in the body. Always check your ingredient lists and ditch the foods that contain the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils.

4. Skip the drive-thru

Fast food is packed with salt, sugar, and less healthy fats, all of which promote inflammation when consumed in high amounts. Need good food, fast? Check out our delicious Dietitians Choice items in our delicatessen, made fresh in store.

5. Eat fish at least twice per week

Fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, contain Omega 3 fatty acids, which are, among other things, fighters of inflammation. They are also important for our brain and heart health. Additionally, fish and shellfish are good sources of selenium, an important mineral for promoting immune health and preventing cellular damage.

6. Choose more whole grain foods

Whole grains, unlike their processed white counterparts, contain the entire grain: germ, endosperm and bran, which contain important vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to health and (surprise!) also help fight inflammation in the body. Not sure where to start? Our delicious salad bars have a variety of whole grains daily, so you can try a bit of a few foods that you may not have eaten before.

7. Limit added sugars

Dietitians Choice tags to find products with lower amounts of added sugar.

8. Add some nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds are good sources of Vitamin E which, along with being an essential vitamin, is also a powerful antioxidant, and benefits immune health. Also, nuts and seeds are delicious, and packed with those healthy monounsaturated fats. What's "nut" to love?

We hope some of these tips help you stay healthy this inversion season. Looking for more tips or interested in scheduling a personal consultation with a Harmons Dietitian? Visit our website for more information and to sign up today! You can also ask us questions at askadietitian@harmonsgrocery.com.

Check out our other Ask a Chef and Dietitian articles for great tips and recipes.

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