Understanding Inflammation in the Body
Imagine that your Immune System is the home security system in your body, securing it and protecting it from invaders. Now think of inflammation as the alarm that gets triggered by the immune system when an invader is detected.
When that invader is a skinned knee or a bruised elbow, the alarm (inflammation) is triggered by the immune system, and help is sent to the area (we notice heat, redness, swelling, and pain). Then the immune system eventually turns the alarm off. This “acute” inflammation is normal and healthy and quite necessary for the body to heal.
But in the case of chronic low-grade inflammation, one invader in particular could be triggering your alarm every single day, sometimes multiple times a day: FOOD. When you eat certain foods daily (listed below), you’re constantly turning on your body’s alarm system. Then, because your immune system never really turns off, over time, this constant inflammatory response causes your Immune System to become confused, exhausted, and weakened.
This state of chronic inflammation in the body leads to reduced and altered gut bacteria, significant irritation to the gut and intestinal walls (leading to leaky gut), skin problems, compromised digestion, weight gain and joint pain, bloating, fatigue, and builds belly fat. Once you get belly fat, you are much more prone to leaky gut.
These then lead to chronic diseases and conditions such as Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Heart Disease, Obesity, Arthritis, Cancer, Allergies, Asthma, Eczema, Fibromyalgia, Thyroid Disease, Autoimmune Diseases, and many more (all of these have a chronic inflammatory component).
Hundreds of studies and scientific reviews have proven that chronic inflammation is responsible for 7 of the top 10 leading causes of death in the US.
TOP INFLAMMATORY FOODS TO MINIMIZE/AVOID:
• ***REFINED SUGAR (soda, snack bars, candy, baked sweets, coffee drinks...and hiding in many more products like dressings and
condiments)
• ***PROCESSED FOODS (boxed/packaged foods with long ingredient lists)
• VEGETABLE OIL (mayo, salad dressings, barbeque sauce, crackers, bread, potato chips)
• FRIED FOODS AND FAST FOODS (French fries, fried chicken, fish sticks, chicken tenders, onion rings)
• REFINED FLOUR (Pizza, white bread, crackers, pasta, pretzels, flour tortillas, breakfast cereals including most granola, bagels)
• *DAIRY (milk, soft cheeses, yogurt, butter) – organic is better but dairy is still considered inflammatory...Ghee is a great alternative.
• ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS (no-sugar-added products, no-calorie “diet” soft drinks)
• ARTIFICIAL ADDITIVES (breakfast cereals, processed containing fruit, candy, ice cream)
• SATURATED FATS (burgers pizza, candy, and chips)
• CONVENTIONAL GRAIN-FED MEATS (chicken, beef, and pork that is not organic)
• PROCESSED MEATS (bacon, hot dogs, bologna, sausage, jerky)
• **GLUTEN (store bought bread made from refined white flour, pasta, and more)
• A SECOND/THIRD ROUND OF ALCOHOL (beer, wine, and liquors)
• TRANS FAT FOODS (Margarine, shortening, baked goods like doughnuts, cookies, and muffins, non-dairy coffee creamers, frozen
pizza, frosting, DQ blizzards)
• FAST FOOD
The good news: By starting to reduce/remove the above inflammatory food “triggers” and fitting different food choices (below) into your daily diet, you can start to shift your internal terrain. Before long, you will find you are sleeping better, experiencing less stomach issues, have more daily energy and stamina, drop weight much easier, have less muscle and joint pain, reduced issues with allergies, and the list goes on . . .
In addition to food, other factors contribute to chronic inflammation like lack of sleep, environmental toxins, excessive stress, and genetics. What is nice to remember, though, is that there is nothing wrong with occasional treats. The “alarm” will shut off just fine in those situations if your USUAL food choices are higher quality and consist of the anti-inflammatory fuel your body needs and craves. It all boils down to daily habits.
30 TOP ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SUPERHEROES:
• Blueberries
• Raw oats
• Ginger
• Green tea
• Dark chocolate (70% or above cacao)
• Wild salmon
• Red peppers
• Turmeric
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Black beans
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Tomatoes
• Chia Seeds/Flax seeds
• Whole grains (Brown rice, quinoa)
• Eggs
• Garlic
• Oysters
• Apples
• Nuts (Walnuts)
• Wild Shipjack tuna
• Rosemary
• Bone broth
• Extra virgin Coconut Oil
• Raw honey
