Anti-Inflammatory · 14-Day Plan · Free PDF · Keto Mediterranean
14-Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet Plan
(Keto Mediterranean) — Free PDF
Two weeks of meals built around omega-3 fish, extra virgin olive oil and polyphenol-rich vegetables. The plan that moved my CRP from 8.5 to 1.2 — available as a free download below.
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When my CRP (C-reactive protein, the primary marker for systemic inflammation) came back at 8.5 mg/L, I spent three days reading research papers and two weeks clearing out my kitchen. The leaflet my doctor gave me about stress management went in the bin. What replaced it was a different approach to eating — built around the Mediterranean foods I grew up with and the ketogenic principle of stable blood glucose.
Four months later my CRP was 1.2. I’m not claiming fourteen days did that — it took longer. But the first fourteen days set the pattern that four months followed. And the first fourteen days are the ones where most people either commit to the approach or return to what they were doing.
This post gives you those fourteen days: what to eat, when to eat it, what to buy, and what to expect as it unfolds. The PDF download above gives you all of it in a printable format with shopping lists and prep notes.
Inflammation doesn’t announce itself loudly. It is the persistent low-grade hum underneath the fatigue, the joint stiffness, the skin that won’t clear, the anxiety that won’t settle. Food is one of the most direct ways to turn it down.
— Lina KHow this plan works — and why
The 14-day plan is built around four anti-inflammatory principles operating simultaneously:
Omega-3 three times per week: Sardines, mackerel or salmon appear at least three times in each week — the minimum threshold the research identifies for meaningful EPA/DHA accumulation in cell membranes. These are not optional or interchangeable with white fish on those days.
Extra virgin olive oil as the primary fat, raw: Every dinner is finished with a drizzle of raw EVOO — not because it tastes good (though it does), but because oleocanthal, the primary anti-inflammatory phenolic compound in EVOO, degrades with sustained heat. You get the anti-inflammatory benefit from EVOO used raw or minimally warmed. Avocado oil handles the high-heat cooking.
Polyphenol-rich vegetables daily: Capers, olives, red onion, leafy greens, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables — all appear consistently because their quercetin, glucosinolates, lycopene and carvacrol compounds directly suppress inflammatory signalling pathways. These are not decorative additions.
Elimination of the primary drivers: Seed oils, refined carbohydrates, ultra-processed food. These are the inputs that produce the inflammation this plan is designed to reduce. No amount of sardines and EVOO compensates for a diet that also contains significant quantities of seed oil and refined carbohydrates.
Week 1 — The Full Meal Plan
Week 1 is the adjustment week. Blood glucose stabilises, electrolytes may need supplementation (see day 3–5 notes), and the first oily fish dinners establish the omega-3 pattern. Breakfasts and lunches are deliberately simple — the complexity is in the dinners where the anti-inflammatory work happens.
Week 2 — The Full Meal Plan
Week 2 is where the protocol becomes a pattern rather than an effort. Ketosis is established, blood glucose is stable, and the fish rotation should feel natural rather than deliberate. The meals in week 2 introduce slightly more variety and build toward the repertoire you’ll continue eating after the 14 days.
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What to eat and what to remove
- Sardines, mackerel, salmon, anchovies, cod
- Extra virgin olive oil (raw and finishing)
- Eggs — any preparation
- Leafy greens, arugula, spinach, chicory
- Capers, olives, kalamata, green
- Avocado
- Walnuts, almonds, pistachios
- Greek yogurt (full-fat), aged feta
- Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peppers
- Halloumi, goat’s cheese
- Lamb, chicken (pasture or free-range)
- Fresh and dried Mediterranean herbs
- Cauliflower, broccoli, courgette
- Lemon, garlic, red onion
- Avocado oil (for high-heat cooking)
- Ghee (for high-heat cooking)
- Sunflower, rapeseed, vegetable, corn oil
- Bread, pasta, rice, couscous
- Sugar and all sweetened drinks
- Ultra-processed snacks and ready meals
- Breakfast cereals and granola
- Margarine and spreads
- Fruit juice
- Crisps and crackers (most)
- Sauces with seed oils (most shop-bought)
- Beer and most alcohol (dry wine: small amounts)
- Low-fat dairy products (full-fat only)
- Soy products in large quantities
The pantry essentials
Before you start, these are the non-negotiable staples. Most are long-lasting, so buying once covers the full 14 days.
⚠️ Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use personally.
Wild-Caught Sardines in Olive Oil — Case of 12
You’ll use at least 6 tins in 14 days across the sardine dinners and lunches. Buying a case is significantly cheaper per tin than buying individually, and the plan won’t work if you run out mid-week.
View on Amazon →Extra Virgin Olive Oil — High Polyphenol
You will go through a significant amount of EVOO in 14 days — 3–4 tbsp daily raw. A large bottle of high-polyphenol EVOO (look for harvest date within the last year, peppery finish) is the most important single ingredient in this plan.
View on Amazon →Magnesium Glycinate 300–400mg
Non-negotiable for the transition period. Magnesium glycinate is the most bioavailable form and the one with the best evidence for anxiety reduction. Take at night — it supports sleep as well as reducing the electrolyte depletion symptoms of the first two weeks.
View on Amazon →What to expect — day by day
Days 1–2: Normal. You’re eating differently but nothing dramatic has happened yet. Energy may feel slightly lower as your body begins the metabolic shift. Focus on hitting the electrolyte targets.
Days 3–5: The hardest stretch. Keto flu may peak — headaches, fatigue, irritability, and in some people heightened anxiety from electrolyte depletion and glucose withdrawal. This is the point most people abandon the plan incorrectly concluding it doesn’t work for them. Double your salt intake, take the magnesium, eat the avocado. It passes.
Days 6–7: Ketosis establishing. Energy often improves noticeably. Blood glucose is stable — the mid-afternoon energy crashes and post-meal anxiety spikes that many people experience on a standard diet begin to disappear. Sleep often improves at this stage.
Days 8–10: The second week feels meaningfully different from the first. Food choices are becoming habitual rather than deliberate. The fish dinners are no longer an effort — they’re dinner. Most people report feeling “quieter” in this period without being able to fully articulate what’s changed.
Days 11–14: By the end of week 2, the pattern is established. The plan has done its first job: replacing a pro-inflammatory eating pattern with an anti-inflammatory one at a cellular level. The 14 days are not the destination — they are the runway. What you do on day 15 matters more than what happened on day 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good 14-day anti-inflammatory diet plan?
An effective 14-day anti-inflammatory plan combines oily fish 3x per week (EPA/DHA), raw extra virgin olive oil daily (oleocanthal), polyphenol-rich vegetables at every dinner, fermented foods for gut health, and elimination of seed oils and refined carbohydrates. The keto Mediterranean approach does all of this simultaneously — stable blood glucose plus the full Mediterranean anti-inflammatory food profile.
Can I lose weight on a 14-day anti-inflammatory keto diet?
Yes — as a secondary effect. The high protein and fat content supports satiety without calorie counting, and blood glucose stabilisation reduces the insulin-driven fat storage that refined carbohydrates promote. Most people following this plan consistently lose 1–3kg over 14 days, though the primary design goal is inflammation reduction and hormonal balance rather than weight loss.
How quickly does an anti-inflammatory diet work?
CRP can begin to fall within 1–2 weeks of consistent dietary change, particularly with seed oil elimination. Subjective symptoms often improve within 7–10 days. Omega-3 index improvement takes 4–8 weeks of consistent oily fish. The most meaningful bloodwork changes are visible at 3 months. The 14-day plan sets the pattern — the results compound over the following months.
Is this plan suitable for vegetarians?
Partially — the fish components need substituting. Walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds provide ALA omega-3 (plant-derived), though the conversion to EPA/DHA is inefficient (5–10%). Algae-based DHA supplements bridge the gap for vegetarians who avoid fish. The rest of the plan — eggs, dairy, vegetables, olive oil — works fully for vegetarians. A vegan version would require more significant restructuring.
What if I don’t like sardines?
Start with the mildest options — King Oscar in olive oil is the most beginner-friendly. Alternatively, substitute with salmon or mackerel on sardine days. The key is maintaining oily fish 3x per week — the specific species matters less than the EPA/DHA consistency. See the beginner sardine guide for how to build the habit gradually.
Do I need to count calories or macros?
No — this plan is not designed around calorie counting. The macronutrient targets (under 30g net carbs daily, adequate protein, fat from olive oil and fish) are built into the meal choices. If you want to track, aim for 65–70% fat, 25–30% protein, 5–10% carbohydrates by calories. But in practice, eating the meals as listed puts you in this range naturally without tracking.
Day 15 is the day that matters
Fourteen days is enough time to reset the pattern — to establish the fish rotation, to build the EVOO habit, to discover that eggs and avocado and Greek yogurt are genuinely satisfying breakfasts and that the mid-afternoon energy crash has stopped happening.
It is not enough time to fix inflammation that took years to build. The 14-day plan is the runway, not the destination. What makes it valuable is not what happens during it but what it makes possible after: a default eating pattern that, continued consistently over months, produces the bloodwork changes that 14 days can only begin.
Download the PDF. Start on Monday. Do the Sunday prep. Get through days 3–5 with electrolytes. By day 15 you will have enough data about how you feel to make a decision about whether to continue — and almost everyone continues.
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14-Day Plan — Printable PDF with Shopping Lists
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