Suffering from creaky joints? Boost your diet with these 14 anti-inflammatory foods

If you've got dodgy knees or a back that's been whacked out of shape, then you're due for a dose of careful physical therapy. But if you really want to supercharge your rehab, it pays to have you diet chock-full of anti-inflammatory foods to help keep the swelling down.

Pineapple is a brilliant choise because it contains an important enzyme called bromelain, which despite sounding made-up, is really important in reducing swelling, bruising and muscoskeletal pain.

Whether you pop them in a smoothie or have them on top of yoghurt, the blueberry is an antioxidant powerhouse that contains several anti-inflammatory nutrients. The biggest of which is their high content of polyphenols, which have been consistently proven in research to improve or prevent metabolic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

If you're looking for an afternoon snack that can cut down on inflammation and fight infection, look no further than celery. Extremely rich in vitamin K, celery helps your blood clot, allowing you to heal faster when suffering from constant swelling and fluid retention.

Like many other root vegetables, beetroot can have an enormous effect on helping your body to heal after an injury. This is thanks largely to two betalains called betanin and vulgaxathin, which help fight chronic inflammation caused by over-use. Beetroot is an excellent staple for those who work labour-intensive jobs or frequently undertake endurance exercise feats like triathlons or marathons.

If your knees swell up every time you attempt to run, it's probable that you've cartilage damage that flares up every time you ask your body to do something outside of the norm. Outside of clinical treatment, you can help your recovery by snacking on almonds by the handful - thanks to a rich amount of healthy unsaturated fats, almonds are excellent at helping the body circulate fluid.

Unless you call a nordic country home, it's unlikely that you'd be regular munching down on herring, mackerel and pilchard fillets. But by adding a good dose of oily fish into your diet, you can supercharge your bodies ability to effectively manage inflammation. This is because oily fish is very high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which helps your joints recover between bouts of high-intensity exercise.

In Australia, it's unlikely that many people would eat bok choy outside of the occasional Chinese take-out meal - but it's one of the cheapest, most nutrient-packed foods on the shelves. Unlike other forms of cabbages, bok choy is extremely high in Omega-3s, which as well as boosting your brain also feeds the tissues that surround your joints.

If you've ever been to a trendy bakery, you've heard of flax seeds - but what exactly are they? Well, they are just linseeds. But they're also incredibly nutrient rich, being one of the most concentrated forms of omega-3 fats outside of oily fish. Try packing them into a trail mix with almonds and walnuts for the ultimate anti-inflammatory snack pack.

You're probably sick of hearing how beneficial kale is by now, but there's good news - almost all leafy greens contain excellent anti-inflammatory properties. This is thanks largely to two prominent flavanoids - known as kaempferol and quercetin - which have been proven in research to have a protective effect on the body.

If you're looking to cut down on inflammation, it's important you don't skip dessert either - and what better way to tick each box than by tucking into a punnet of strawberries. Strawberries are an incredibly rich source of polyphenols which help to keep inflammation low and your joints happy.

Regularly prescribed to sufferers of arthritis, olive oil has been proven as helping to reduce inflammation around your joints like your fingers and knees. Recent research has found that olive oil works in exactly the same way as ibuprofen, thanks to a compound in the oil called oleocanthal.

If spinach gave Popeye big forearms, then it would've given him healthy elbows too - because spinach rates up there as one of the most anti-inflammatory foods on the planet. Packed full of phytonutrients, spinach is excellent at defending the body against excessive inflammation thanks to its high content of vitamin K.

When it came to fighting inflammation associated with old age, nobody did it better than the Mediterraneans. Because tomatoes - along with olives - are excellent for those who suffer from arthritis. this is because they are high in a chemical called lycopene that tells your inflammation response to relax when it's done it's job.

Another nut that's full of "good" fats, walnuts are excellent at reducing inflammation because they are high in a fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps the body lower blood glucose levels, helping to remove painful swelling around your joints.