Are you inflammed?
In truth, we all are.
All of us produce inflammation as the first stage of an immune response to infection or injury, which should resolve after the threat has been addressed.
It’s like calling 911, turning on the sirens and lights and clearing space for the police to respond to the scene of a crime.
It’s when inflammation sticks around, however, that it becomes problematic. Chronic inflammation is when the immune response cannot resolve because the threats keep on coming.
The police won’t leave.
This results in more tissue damage over time and leads to conditions such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal issues, and autoimmunity to name a few.
So how do you know if chronic inflammation is a part of your health picture?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you experience digestive issues?
Do you have chronic pain or fatigue?
Are you overweight?
Do you tend to eat a lot of sugar and processed foods?
Do you experience cravings?
Do you have high cholesterol?
If you answered yes to any of these, chances are you are likely dealing with some level of chronic inflammation.
First thing first, you must start with minimizing the contributors, including:
Inflammatory diet/nutrient deficiencies
Gut imbalances/unidentified food sensitivities
Latent infection
High stress/trauma
Insufficient rest/excessive exercise
Smoking/drugs/alcohol
It’s true that not all these factors are in your control, but you’ll want start by identifying and minimizing the ones that are.
Second, you want to think about adding anti-inflammatory foods to your diet and supporting antioxidant activity in your body.
Foods that include both are:
Colorful plant foods like leafy greens and berries
Healthy fats such as olives, avocado and nuts/seeds
Fatty fish like salmon, anchovies, and sardines
Fiber from vegetables and legumes
Herbs and superfoods such as turmeric, ginger, garlic and peppers
And third, you’ll want to work with an experienced practitioner who can analyze and interpret functional labs to get to the root of what's driving your chronic inflammation and address it from a foundational place so it stays away for good.