Inflammation Nation

I often talk with my clients about inflammation. There is a significant body of research that points to inflammation as the underlying cause of many chronic health conditions. Also, many natural health practitioners talk about the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet. So, what exactly is inflammation and how does it manifest in the human body?

In the book, “Stopping Inflammation, Relieving the Cause of Degenerative Diseases,” by Nancy Appleton, PhD., inflammation is defined as “the body’s natural response to injury, infection, or a foreign invader that may cause an acute or chronic reaction.”  She further explains inflammation as a defense mechanism occurring when the body is defending itself against a foreign invader such as a virus or bacteria. So, inflammation in the acute sense is a healthy response to help ward off harmful invaders. Inflammation may also occur when the body is attempting to detoxify or facilitate healing, another positive aspect to the inflammatory process. Acute inflammation is short in duration, lasting only a few days, and is a healthy physiological response.

Chronic inflammation on the other hand, can be ongoing for weeks and years, can be minor or major in severity of symptoms, and usually involves symptoms coming and going. It is often invisible to the human eye. Chronic inflammation is indicative of an ongoing health issue and puts the sufferer at risk for degenerative disease.

According to Dr. Peter Libby, Harvard Medical School Professor, an epidemic of unhealthy lifestyles is contributing to this epidemic of inflammatory conditions that lead to chronic disease.

Unhealthy lifestyles disrupt homeostasis in the body leading to biochemical imbalances that throw the body off kilter, suppressing the immune system and leaving the individual susceptible to disease. Thus far, inflammation is found to be partially responsible for everything from eating disorders and migraines to Alzheimer’s, Type 2 Diabetes and Parkinson’s. Our choice is to continue to suppress symptoms and treat disease with surgery and medication or prevent disease and reduce inflammation by stimulating healing through diet and lifestyle changes.

The following lifestyle factors are known to contribute to inflammation:

• The large amount of sugar in modern diets can stimulate inflammation. A diet high in refined sugars and carbohydrates causes high insulin and blood glucose levels which stimulate a cascade of inflammatory processes in the body.
• The Standard American Diet (SAD) is full of refined food, sugar, and fake fats. Over time, this forces the body to deplete its own supply of vitamins, minerals and enzymes which disrupts normal cellular function and leads to inflammation. We are the 13th generation eating processed foods and look at the terrible health of Americans!
• Food allergies are another stress to the body provoking an immune response every time the offending food is ingested. Foods are either inflammatory or anti-inflammatory and vary from person to person.
• Toxins in our diet and in the environment can contribute to oxidative stress (rusting at the cellular level) in the body which leads to the formation of free radicals that spur an inflammatory cascade.
• Psychological stress put the body in fight or flight mode which leads to a cascade of hormonal responses (e.g., release of adrenaline and cortisol) that put the body into high alert.
  • This mechanism is designed to give the individual the energy to stay out of harm’s way, but if this stress response becomes chronic, the fight or flight mode and the resulting hormonal response can wear down the body and the immune system.
  • Negative thoughts direct the nervous system to release inflammatory stress hormones and cytokines which are a sparkplug for systemic inflammation.

So, what can an individual do to prevent chronic inflammation?

It is only when our body chemistry is in balance (homeostasis) that we can prevent, and reverse chronic inflammation and the symptoms caused by this unbalanced state. Luckily, there are many ways we can combat this issue and take charge of our health.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Eat a clean, whole foods diet avoiding sugar, refined carbohydrates, and fake fats (the Standard American Diet or SAD). A nutrient rich diet is the best way to prevent inflammation and chronic disease.
2. Eat organic food whenever possible and drink clean, properly filtered water.
3. Take a fish oil or cod liver oil supplement and increase your intake of omega three rich foods like salmon as they possess anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Use natural cleaning products as well as natural hygiene products that are free of chemicals that burden the liver.
5. Optimize digestion by chewing foods well, eating in a relaxed state and consuming probiotic rich foods. Probiotics can help with lactose intolerance and promote a strong immune system.
6. Healthy Lifestyle:
   • Obtain quality sleep.
   • Practice stress management.
   • Reduce consumption of alcohol.
   • Exercise and eat a good diet.
   • Maintain a healthy weight.
7. Remember our greatest healer lies within!