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You might be doing “everything right”, eating low-fat foods, using healthy-looking spreads, grabbing high-protein snacks, and still feeling bloated, puffy, tired, and inflamed. If that sounds familiar, here’s a truth bomb: it’s not your willpower. It’s not your metabolism. It’s the inflammatory foods hidden in everyday products that are silently keeping your body in survival mode.
This post breaks down seven common foods that are marketed as healthy but are actually packed with ingredients that trigger inflammation, disrupt hormones, and damage your gut.
Once you know what to look for, you can start swapping them out for healing, anti-inflammatory alternatives that actually support your body.
Let’s uncover the sneaky foods sabotaging your Anti Inflammation Diet and what to choose instead.
A Quick Note Before We Dive In…
I don’t believe in labelling foods as “good” or “bad.” Food is not morally charged, and you are not a better or worse person based on what you eat. However, certain ingredients have been scientifically shown to drive inflammation in the body, especially for those dealing with gut issues, hormone imbalances, chronic pain, fatigue, or autoimmune symptoms.
So this isn’t about restriction or fear, it’s about awareness. If you’re following an Anti Inflammation Diet or trying to heal naturally, these foods may be slowing down your progress, even if they look healthy on the label.
My goal is to help you make informed choices so you can eat in a way that supports healing, energy, and feeling your best.
1. Vegetable Oil Spreads & “Heart Healthy” Margarine
These spreads are often labelled as a better alternative to butter, but they’re usually made with refined vegetable oils like sunflower, canola and rapeseed. These oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which, in excess, trigger inflammation in the body.
Why it inflames you: Highly processed, chemically extracted, and often oxidised before you even open the tub.
Swap it for: Grass-fed butter, extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
If you’re still cooking with generic vegetable oil, your gut will never catch a break. I switched to a cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and it genuinely transformed my skin and digestion. This is the one I personally use – pure, delicious, and anti-inflammatory.
2. Low-Fat or Diet Yoghurts
They look innocent, even slimming, but low-fat foods often have the fat removed and replaced with sugar, artificial sweeteners, and gums.
Why it inflames you: Sugar spikes inflammation, and additives like carrageenan and guar gum irritate the gut lining.
Swap it for: Full-fat Greek yoghurt with natural probiotics and no added sugar.
3. Protein Bars & “Healthy” Snack Bars
Marketed to gym-goers and dieters, most are full of inflammatory oils, artificial sweeteners, soy protein isolate, and syrups disguised as “natural sugars.”
Why it inflames you: These bars are ultra-processed and trigger blood sugar spikes, gut irritation, and cravings.
Swap it for: Nuts, berries, boiled eggs, or homemade anti inflammation recipes using whole ingredients.
Most protein bars are a blood sugar rollercoaster disguised in shiny packaging… but Supergut Prebiotic Protein Bars are a totally different vibe. They’re made with resistant starch to feed your good gut bacteria (not inflame it), have balanced protein and fibre to keep blood sugar stable, and actually taste like a treat, not a punishment. If you still want something sweet, satisfying, and travel-friendly without triggering inflammation, these bars are a brilliant option.
4. Ready-Made Salad Dressings
Salads are great… until you drown them in inflammatory oils and additives.
Why it inflames you: Most store-bought dressings are made with seed oils, preservatives and emulsifiers that disrupt gut bacteria.
Swap it for: Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and herbs.
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5. “Low Carb” or Keto Treats
Not all keto desserts are created equal. Many packaged keto snacks are full of inflammatory seed oils, artificial sweeteners like sucralose, and processed gums.
Why it inflames you: The label says keto, but the ingredients scream chemical storm.
Swap it for: Homemade keto dessert using almond flour, dark chocolate, berries, and coconut cream.
6. Flavoured Coffee Creamers & Diet Drinks
Those vanilla oat milk lattes might be secretly inflaming your gut.
Why it inflames you: Many creamers contain inflammatory oils, sugar, emulsifiers, and gums like carrageenan, all linked to gut lining damage.
Swap it for: Unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or real cream in small amounts.
7. Processed Meat Alternatives
“Plant-based” doesn’t automatically mean anti-inflammatory. Many meat substitutes are ultra-processed with inflammatory oils, gums, flavour enhancers and soy isolates.
Why it inflames you: Highly refined proteins can be gut-disruptive and trigger immune responses.
Swap it for: Lentils, beans, tempeh, or whole-food-based protein sources.
Why These Inflammatory Foods Keep You Stuck
These foods don’t just cause bloating or cravings, they kickstart your body’s inflammatory response, raise cortisol, spike blood sugar, and irritate your gut lining. When your body feels inflamed, it holds onto weight, slows down healing, and increases fatigue.
Good news: As soon as you start replacing inflammatory foods with whole, nutrient-dense options, your body begins to calm down and heal.
Want to know exactly what to eat instead? Read next: Anti Inflammation Food List: Whole Food Diet Essentials & Inflammation Diet Recipes You’ll Love
How to Swap Inflammatory Foods Without Feeling Restricted
You don’t need to cut everything overnight. Start by swapping one or two inflammatory foods with anti-inflammatory alternatives.
This is where Meal Planning becomes your secret weapon.
For a full, done-for-you plan using yummy food that heals, go to: 7-Day Anti Inflammation Meal Planning Guide with Yummy Food & Easy Recipes
Make It a Lifestyle (Not Just a Diet Phase)
Reducing inflammation long-term isn’t about perfection, it’s about consistent, better choices. Small habits like reading labels, choosing whole foods, and eating natural ingredients can completely shift your energy, mood, and weight loss journey.
To build a lifestyle around this, check out: Whole Food Diet Habits That Supercharge Results
Feeling Bloated and Out of Balance? This Might Help
If every meal leaves you uncomfortable, your skin’s flaring up, or your energy feels stuck on low, it’s not just bad luck, it’s your gut asking for a reset.
That’s why I created the Gut & Glow Reset Mini Guide – your no-fluff roadmap to calming digestion, beating the bloat, and finally feeling good from the inside out.
Inside, you’ll get:
- Gut health made simple (without the confusing jargon)
- The 4 pillars of a healthy gut (and how to put them into practice)
- Fibre, prebiotics & probiotics explained clearly (plus easy food swaps)
- Gut disruptors & myths debunked (so you know what really matters)
- The gut–skin & gut–hormone links (and how to get them back on track)
- A 5-Day Gut Reset Meal Plan with simple, gut-friendly recipes
Whether you’re brand new to gut health or just need a reset, this guide takes away the guesswork and gives you simple steps you can actually stick to.
Read These Next
- Anti Inflammation Food List: Whole Food Diet Essentials & Inflammation Diet Recipes You’ll Love
- 7-Day Anti Inflammation Meal Planning Guide with Yummy Food & Easy Recipes
- Whole Food Diet Habits That Supercharge Results
Conclusion
These inflammatory foods may look harmless on the shelf, but they’re silently driving inflammation, cravings, and exhaustion. Once you swap them out for real, natural foods, your body starts to heal, your energy returns, and your gut finally calms down.
The goal isn’t perfection, it’s awareness and better choices that lead to a healthier, inflammation-free life.
Next Steps
Healing starts when you stop feeding inflammation and start nourishing your body.
- Download the Free Gut Reset Challenge
- Read This Next: Anti Inflammation Food List: Whole Food Diet Essentials & Inflammation Diet Recipes You’ll Love
- Check out the full Anti Inflammation Diet Series to follow the complete healing journey
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