You may not be able to feel it or see it, but inflammation could be damaging your body. Inflammation is a part of the body’s natural healing system to help fight injury and infection. It can also happen when you don’t eat healthy, don’t exercise enough, or have too much stress.
Inflammation is being linked to just about every health condition and chronic inflammation is at the center of some of the most challenging diseases of our time including rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and even Alzheimer’s. The good news is you can control, and even reverse, inflammation through a healthy, anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
Signs & Symptoms of Inflammation
In the case of inflammation, there are five cardinal signs that characterize the condition:
- Pain
- Heat
- Redness
- Swelling
- Loss of Function
Causes of Chronic Inflammation
Often people don’t know they have chronic inflammation until a symptom or disease shows up and they have to address it. It can go on for long periods of time in the body before you know. Some causes are the following:
- Poor nutrition
- Food allergies
- Environmental toxins
- Bacterial infections
- Leaky gut
- Viral infections
- Parasites
- Stress
- Lyme Disease
As the body continually fights to repair damage to the mitochondria, symptoms of chronic inflammation begin to appear.
Ways to prevent chronic inflammation
1. Avoid foods that cause inflammation
Food choices are crucial to overall health. Try and avoid or limit these foods as much as possible:
- Refined Carbohydrates – such as white bread and pastries
- French fries and other fried foods
- Red meat – burgers, steak
- Processed meat – hot dogs, sausage
- Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
- Margarine, shortening and lard
2. Load up on anti-inflammatory foods:
The following are good choices for an anti-inflammatory diet:
- Tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Spices like turmeric, garlic, ginger, rosemary, cocoa, pink himalayan salt
- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts like almonds and walnuts
- Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
- Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges
3. Make time to exercise
Regular exercise is an excellent way to prevent inflammation. Aim for 30-45 minutes of walking, or low impact aerobic exercise and 10-25 minutes of resistance training at least 4-5 times per week.
4. Manage your stress
Chronic stress contributes to inflammation. We may not be able to change all of the stressful situations we encounter, but we can change our response by learning to manage our stress better. Try using meditation, yoga, guided imagery or some other method to reduce stress throughout the day.
Chronic inflammation sets the stage and ultimately leads to many chronic diseases. The difficult part of inflammation is that it sometimes goes unnoticed until symptoms are present or it is brushed off as part of the aging process.
If you suspect you have an inflammatory condition, you should get it checked out by a doctor, trained in diagnosing and treating the underlying causes of inflammation.
Natural Treatments for Inflammation
INFLAMMATONE
Inflammatone is a combination of herbs, nutrients and proteolytic enzymes for modulating the inflammatory response, supporting the natural clearance of proteins like kinin and fibrin, and for supporting healthy lymphatic drainage. The ingredients in Inflammatone provide natural support for a healthy inflammatory response and help protect against oxidative stress.
Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes found in the pineapple plant. It is an anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling agent. These qualities make the enzyme helpful for painful flare-ups caused by auto-immune disorders. It also helps reduce the frequency and severity of blood clots, swelling, and edema. Bromelain soothes and relaxes inflamed muscles and connective tissues and is especially good for strains, sprains, and tears in ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
CURCUM-EVAIL
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. In fact, it’s so powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs, without the side effects. Curcumin may also be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function.
Until next time…stay healthy!