Most of the scientific and medical communities are now concluding that most if not all chronic diseases start out as internal inflammation. As we continue to live in a way that exacerbates this inflammation, our bodies are constantly “fighting” on the inside to contain and heal it. When the body’s inflammation process fails to shut down, your immune system is compromised and becomes weaker and weaker. The inflammation continues to worsen and eventually manifests itself as a chronic disease including (but not limited to) obesity, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even cancer.

 

 

Are You Internally Inflamed?

 

How do you know if you have internal inflammation, and what can you do about it? Here are some common outward signs that you may have internal, silent inflammation:

 

Blotchy skin and unexplained rashes

Frequent bloating

Frequent constipation or diarrhea

Chronic Fatigue, despite plenty of sleep and a “healthy” diet

Frequent yeast infections or other signs of Candida

Constantly craving carbohydrates

Frequent heartburn

 

Also, if you are Type 2 Diabetic or borderline Diabetic, have peptic ulcers, have a virus such as Hepatitis, Herpes or Epstein Barr, have a lot of mercury “silver” fillings in your teeth or eat a lot of fast food and/or processed food (crackers, cereals, candy, snacks), then chances are you have some level of inflammation in your body.

 

 

How to Reduce Your Inflammation:

 

Depending on the severity of your inflammation and the root cause, your treatment plan ranges from some simple dietary changes to involving your doctor. Unfortunately, many people unknowingly sacrifice their long-term health because they treat the symptoms with over-the-counter remedies. These create short-term relief, but don’t address the underlying causes that continue to assault your body and eventually lead to chronic disease.

 

A simple blood test can determine if you have an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP). Research has determined that chronic inflammation increases the level of CRP in the blood and is often used as a marker for heart disease and stroke risk. A CRP test will not diagnose a particular disease, but it is a general marker of infection and inflammation to help you and your doctor determine if additional investigation is needed.

 

If you suspect that you have some inflammation in your body due mostly to your lifestyle and would like to take steps to get healthier, here are a few simple dietary changes that can have a significant impact:

 

1. Increase your Omega-3’s: You’ve been hearing for years that increasing Omega-3 fish oils is great for your health. In addition to providing you with a host of nutrients, they are also one of the VERY BEST remedies for inflammation. In fact, Dr. Barry Sears states that if you are only willing to spend 15 seconds per day on your health, this is the one thing you should do to fight internal inflammation and improve overall health. For a listing of good quality fish oils, independently rated, go to: IFOS

2. Decrease Omega-6’s: Unfortunately when the medical community demonized saturated fats over 50 years ago, they recommended that people start using vegetable oils instead. It turns out that vegetable oils, such as corn, canola, safflower, sunflower and soy oil are very high in Omega-6 fat, which is an essential fat but needs to be in balance with Omega-3. Once consumers and manufacturers started using Omega 6’s, and even started hydrogenating (trans fats) these oils for use in processed foods, our ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 became way out of balance. Too many Omega-6’s are now known culprits of internal inflammation and should be avoided as much as possible.

3. Decrease Refined Grains: Your body needs good nutrients to repair and heal itself. When you put food into it that is fractionated and devoid of nutrients, that food will only feed the inflammation fire. Almost all processed foods, especially those “enriched” with vitamins and minerals, are refined grains. Don’t let the “enriched” or “natural” labels fool you. There is no proof that our bodies can even utilize vitamins that are put back into foods that have had much more stripped away from them. Sugar is especially bad about feeding inflammation.

4. Eat “Live” foods Instead of “Dead” foods: There is a lot of controversy over what constitutes living food that nourishes your body and dead food that is seen by the body as a toxin. But a pretty good rule of thumb is to follow nature. If a single-cell organism such as fungus or bacteria recognize something as food by developing mold and “eating” that food, then you can be pretty sure it is live food. If those single cell organisms (which also help digest food in our intestines) do not start eating away and growing on a food, you can be pretty sure it’s not doing anything for your body either. A simple kitchen experiment on this topic was filmed and put on You Tube. Watch the results here, or do a home experiment for yourself! I know that I don’t look at a fast food hamburger the same way after seeing for myself what happens (or doesn’t happen) to it.

 

We all want to be healthy, have enough energy to enjoy our lives, and not be plagued with a chronic disease that is costly and robs us of our vitality. Make a commitment to follow the 15-second plan by taking your Omega-3 fish oil, or go even further and start to research the topic for yourself. When your body is healthy on the inside, it shows on the outside through clear skin, bright eyes, and a fit body.

 

 

Sources:

 

“Eat to Beat Inflammation,” Vegetariantimes.com

 

http://naturopathconnect.com/articles/inflammation/

 

http://www.drsears.com/AntiInflammatoryNutrition/tabid/380/Default.aspx

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhIlSiZEisc (dead food vs live food pt 1)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nSsB6TQ2tY (dead food vs. live food pt 2)

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