Living Rust Free:The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Food as my medicine.

Today we are looking at inflammation and a specific way to deal with it. We are all either dealing with the effects of inflammation ourselves or know somebody who is dealing with the effects inflammation. Inflammation is present in many conditions and diseases both chronic and acute such as pain, obesity, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, migraines, thyroid issues, and cancer. One problem is the treatment of symptoms and not the lack of treatment for the underlying condition even when it is blatantly obvious. Healthcare initiatives are one of the hot button issues of the moment, we are focusing on one end of it.  Look into history for clues Hippocrates is quoted as having said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food.”   We can solve the healthcare crisis now if we deal with underlying cause and not symptomatology of the underlying disease. If you're not vigilant in taking your antibiotics the illness comes back stronger, it’s the same way for inflammation. In this article we are looking at the anti-inflammatory diet as a way of fighting these diseases or as a way of reseting your system to  prevent them. The truth of the matter is you can go to your doctor and more than likely he will write you a prescription for medication and it's not his fault. Most physicians get 24 hours of nutritional training in medical school.  I love the stories of a person who goes to their own physician and he tells them you have x condition and I can either put you on a prescription or you can help yourself by changing your lifestyle because it's killing you and honestly the med won’t help. The patient gets in the fight comes back in 6-8 months in less inflamed, feeling great, looking good with a different mentality. Just like nutraceuticals, pharmaceutical medication has its place and should not be overused.

 In the article titled “Steps to Prevent Diseases for a Healthy 2013 and Beyond” Dr. Silverman notes “Two out of three cancers could be prevent if these four steps were followed: healthy eating, exercising on most days, no smoking and maintaining optimal body composition.” He also went on to say “five imbalances that can be corrected to prevent disease are malnutrition, inflammation, oxidative stress, impaired detoxification and impaired metabolism.”  Inflammation happens when the immune system fights against something that may turn out to be harmful.  Some of the signs of inflammation can be redness, heat, swelling, pain and loss of function. At times there may be no signs of inflammation and the inflammation occurs “silently”.  Inflammation is not always a helpful response as with certain diseases the immune system fights against its own cells. When we are inflamed all the time that is known as chronic inflammation, those of us who are in CI have a higher incidence of disease. Specifically diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis. Inflammation is usually coupled with its good friend oxidative stress which is the damage to your tissues caused by free oxygen radicals. In the long term OS has  been connected to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, hear failure, myocardial infarction, fragile x syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. In the short term it has been linked to the prevention of aging.  Do you remember that bike you left out in the rain and snow? It rusted and that in short is what happens with oxidative stress and the aging process you're rusting. 

The hope is that at this point of the article we can look at ways to deal with inflammation that you can implement today. It is always an issue on both sides of the street that people with a problem want to start next week and the people who can help won’t meet you where you are. Lets meet where you are and start today! The easier condition to deal with is the oxidative stress one way is to supplement with anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and phytonutrients. As well as consume 9-12 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, preferably organic.  Now with inflammation you got to move it! Exercise is key so Zumba, walking, jogging, Kettle bells or maybe jiu jitsu. The other piece that needs to be addressed is the diet or meal plan look to consume 9-12 servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Consume foods that are alkaline high on the PH scale and low on the Glycemic index. When it comes to protein sources opt for farm raised antibiotic free eggs and poultry and grass fed meats. The other piece to the puzzle is a multi-mineral/multi-vitamin, two grams of Omega 3 fatty acids,  2000-5000 IU’s of Vitamin D, a probiotic and a phytonutrient drink.  Please share this blog.  Sorry for the delays in posting it has been a rough week, been dealing with some personal issues.  Thanks for reading I will be back on schedule. Tomorrow the weekend list will be up 5 reasons to eat Farm to Table, on Tuesday we will look how exercise helps us to learn. Please share this blog, if you join the mailing list you will be eligible to receive a copy of my e-book motivation as well as find out about seminars and classes.

Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods

1. Wild Alaskan Salmon
2. Kelp
3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4. Cruciferous Vegetables
5. Blueberries
6. Tumeric
7. Ginger
8. Garlic
9. Green Tea
10. Sweet Potatoes