This week marks the launch of the new Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid! All week we will present tips on the what, why and how of the anti-inflammatory diet.

An important step in creating a healthy kitchen is to read and understand food labels. When you begin restocking your pantry, food labels are your best resource to assess what to keep and what to toss. This practice will also give you an overview of your choices in the supermarket, and is a good starting point to modify your shopping habits. Use the list below to determine which items to discard. Many of these ingredients are considered pro-inflammatory and therefore unfavorable to healthy aging. If the list of ingredients contains one or more of these undesirables, toss and don't buy again!

1. Animal fat, such as lard
2. Artificial sweeteners or non-nutritive sweeteners
3. Coconut oil
4. Corn oil
5. Cottonseed oil
6. Fractionated oil
7. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
8. Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil or vegetable shortening
9. Margarine
10. Palm or palm kernel oil
11. Blended vegetable oils
12. Safflower oil
13. Soybean oil
14. Sunflower oil

Note that high-oleic versions of sunflower or safflower oils are acceptable, as they have fatty acid profiles closer to that of olive oil.

Supplementing Your Diet
Dr. Weil has long considered taking supplements to be good insurance against those times when you can't eat right. Get your free Dr. Weil Vitamin Advisor recommendation and find out what supplements may enhance your health – make your first purchase in September and get FREE shipping!

Today's Q&A: Are Cooked Blueberries Healthy?
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