Inflammation - What is it and how can we get rid of it?
Inflammation.
The word inflammation carries with it some confusion as its’ implication is physical, yet, on a cellular level you cannot see it. Lately, I have had a lot of people asking me what it is and why it matters. So, let’s dig into it a bit.
Inflammation is a normal cellular response as well as a beneficial function that happens when your body’s white blood cells and other chemicals provide protection from viruses and bacteria. It is your body’s response to any foreign pathogens, and it triggers your body’s white blood cells to mount a defense. This defense mounted by your immune system is what removes harmful bacteria and viruses from your body. People can have acute inflammation which may last for a few hours or days (sicknesses like flus and colds), or chronic inflammation where the body is in a constant state of repair, sometimes lasting for years. Chronic inflammation is the hallmark of almost all diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes and obesity and a whole host of other conditions. In a nutshell, it is your body’s response to what you are putting into your body.
If I can instill anything in anyone ever, it would be to educate on the importance of “you are what you eat”. What you eat plays a huge role in chronic inflammation and has a significant role in how you can gain control of it. Certain foods contain higher amounts of ant-inflammatory compounds which mitigate inflammation and can reduce it or eliminate it. Many foods are known for their anti-inflammatory effects such as vegetables, especially dark leafy greens such as collard greens, bok choy, Swiss chard, and kale. They contain flavonoids and carotenoids that protect against cellular damage. Fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, cherries and apples are also extremely high in protective antioxidants. “Let food be thy medicine” ~ Hippocrates.
On the other hand, there are many foods that promote inflammation you should work on reducing and ultimately eliminating from your diet such as over processed and ultra processed foods which are always loaded with refined vegetable oils. Removing or eliminating certain oils from your diet can have rapid health benefits. Consider getting back to the basics and cooking and eating small amounts of butter, coconut oil, and avocado oil. Try your best, especially to reduce or eliminate canola oil, safflower oil, grape seed oil, and sunflower oil. There are so many alternatives that there really isn’t any reason to use them anymore. Get in the habit of checking food labels and try to find alternatives or just don’t buy them at all. You will be much better off! I am not sure about you, but in our home, we find that if we don’t buy something, we can’t eat it, but if it is in our cupboard, 100% of the time we will eat it!! Math 101 😉