Living in the Inflammation Age

"If you are striving to keep yourself healthy for now and many years to come, and you want to know what single thing you should be paying attention to more than anything else, it is this: inflammation." ~Lilli Link, MD

It might surprise you to learn that inflammation has been a player in nearly every chronic disease, which ultimately effects approximately 133 million Americans. Additionally, if it has not been found to be a contributing factor to a diagnosis, it most likely has been overlooked.

Inflammation, however, should not receive an entirely bad wrap. It does serve a greater purpose in the short term. Acute Inflammation exists when we are injured or sick, inflammation occurs to heal. Think of when you get a cut, or you have surgery. The area becomes swollen, red, usually warm. Or like when you have the flu, you feel hot, feverish, achy---these are all good ways that the body is fighting off infection and rebuilding.

But what happens to the body when it is chronically inflamed? WIth Chronic inflammation, our immune system is under attack and it will keep producing white blood cells to ward off sickness or infection. I've talked about our immune system briefly in another post. But when we are inflamed our immune system is in "fight or flight mode" --high alert. Stress. It's working in overdrive to correct issues it's facing. And when the issues are never resolved, the body will breakdown because it cannot sustain that mode.

Both acute and chronic inflammation occur when your immune system produces cytokines, enzymes, and other chemicals. They work together to widen your blood vessels and increase blood flow to allow your immune system to facilitate healing. However, chronic inflammation has be associated in heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and more recent studies have concluded in Alzheimer’s disease.

Look out for these frequent signs of inflammation

TIRED: You're tired all the time. Fatigue is normal here and there or from physical exertion. However, too much or too little sleep can create inflammation. And lost sleep over time can create many more health issues. If you suffer from sleepiness, fatigue, or insomnia it is time to talk to a professional and find out what's really going on.

PAIN: It's normal to experience some mild discomfort when you have exercised muscles you haven't used in awhile, or even strained them. But it is not normal to be in constant pain all the time. Even if you work out regularly, and maybe you notice your range of motion has changed or feels stiff, arthritis may be present. However, that does not mean you should ignore the pain. Again, seek a professional opinion if you are always in pain, your joints are more than troublesome, or if you notice swelling.

SKIN ISSUES: This is where I learned about inflammation. I had psoriasis in my 20's and couldn't figure out why. I went to multiple doctors and they chalked it up to stress. I then went to a nutritionist and spoke with her dietician counterpart and they suggested I remove dairy from my diet. A few years later I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance. My psoriasis has never returned. Redness, swelling, flakiness, plaque, these are all signs of inflammation and or allergies.

BRAIN FOG: I was surprised to learn that inflammation can directly impact brain functionality. Maybe you're more forgetful, or maybe you can't focus. Maybe you even forget your train of thought. Scattered thoughts are NOT part of the normal aging process. Silent inflammation could be looming. Mental clarity will most often return once you deal with inflammation. The quickest way to do this is through food.

IMBALANCED GUT: There has been so much discussion lately about GUT HEALTH and for good reason. It truly is the heart of our health. And while I cannot get into the complexities of the gut microbiome in this post; I can tell you that it can easily become out of balance, and in so doing, digestive issues will result.

If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, keep reading to learn how to safely and naturally combat harmful silent inflammation to save you from having to deal with serious health issues like these, and keep you looking and feeling your best.

Treating or Eliminating Chronic Inflammation

There are several foods that can cause inflammation throughout your body. While they can vary from person to person. Here are 3 more common culprits.

DAIRY: Foods that produce an allergic reaction or intolerance in your body can cause inflammation. Some of the most common foods that can initiate this chain reaction include dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. For me, it was stomach cramps, and skin issues like psoriasis. Gas and bloating are also typical.

SUGAR: It is truly in my opinion, a silent killer. There is SO much sugar in everything as it used as a preservative in most of our convenience foods. It damages the body by creating addiction, weight gain, and hyperactivity to name a few. There are countless studies of mice who consume larger amounts of sugar tended to get inflammation and cancers. Whereas those mice who were fed whole grains and diets with no sugar had no inflammation and were more active.

To keep it in perspective, the average adult should be consuming no more than 25-30 grams a day and currently we are averaging 75-80 grams a day, totaling approximately 60 lbs a year!

TRANSFATS: Trans fats are found in two forms — natural, which occur in some animal products and aren’t considered harmful, and artificial, which are hydrogenated vegetable oils and have serious health consequences. These fats occur when vegetable oils are chemically altered to stay solid at room temperature, which gives them a much longer shelf life. Butters, spreads, condiments, syrups, ect. Just avoid them whenever you can and on labels look for "hydrogenated."

Healing Foods to Reduce Inflammation

There are many foods that fight inflammation. A few I try to incorporate daily are leafy greens, olive oil, nuts, fish, blueberries, broccoli, and avocados. Tomatoes are also a great anti-inflammatory but I have to be careful with it because it's an avoid food for my blood type.

I could eat berries all day. They contain antioxidants called anthocyanins. These compounds have anti-inflammatory effects that may reduce your disease risk. Research in particular around cancer promotes eating berries daily.

Fatty fish are a great source of protein and the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). When I was pregnant, I ate fish like 3 times a week. I love salmon and cod. Who am I kidding, there really isn't any fish I don't like.

I wanted to give a particular shout out to broccoli because it doesn't get enough praise in my opinion. It's loaded with antioxidants, in particular sulforaphane. I have grown tired of it unfortunately because it's the only vegetable one of my teenagers will eat! However, you can eat it raw, add to salads, and I usually saute' it in olive oil with some fresh garlic.

Bottom Line

Even the smallest bit of inflammation long term can lead to disease. Through diet, exercise, and awareness, you can keep it at bay. I have adopted an "eat the rainbow" philosophy. Eating foods that are original to their form and are brightly colored are the most nutritious. Grab every time you head to the store! Not sure where to start? Book a free consult with me. I offer nutrition coaching, shopping and recipe ideas for your specific needs, and take the overwhelming chore out of where to begin. Book NOW!