INFLAMMATION THE NEW ENEMY

ART MCDERMOTT CSCS CISSN FOUNDER – BOOMER BLUEPRINT AUTHOR & SPEAKER “OVER 50 FITNESS PRO”

First of all, what is inflammation?

By design, inflammation is part of our immune system and is supposed to be a good thing. It helps our injuries heal.

If you twist your ankle badly, the inflammation around the injury is clear; swelling, redness and an increase in heat around the joint along with obvious pain.

However, chronic inflammation, which can last a few months or even years, results from our bodies being in a constant state of inflammation either because our immune system is compromised or whatever is causing the inflammation never goes away.

Chronic inflammation within our bodies many not exhibit any symptoms whatsoever.

For a while now, scientists have known that chronic inflammation is associated with increased episodes of heart attacks. Studies are also finding an association with diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, certain cancers and even Alzheimer’s disease.

So what causes inflammation?

Lifestyle, Trauma, Stress and Nutrition are common sources.

Let’s look at the easiest thing we can do to control inflammation. Fixing our nutrition!

According to the Arthritis Foundation, the following 8 foods are causes of inflammation in our bodies:

 Sugar. It may be hard to resist desserts, pastries, chocolate bars, sodas, even fruit juices  Saturated Fats  Trans Fats  Omega 6 Fatty Acids  Refined Carbohydrates (cereals, bread, crackers, etc)  MSG  Gluten and  Casein

There really is no surprise here. Is there?

The typical American diet is considered ‘pro- inflammatory’. Diets with an abundance of grain-fed red meat, commercially baked breads and desserts, as well as processed sugars produce an increase in the activity of the chemicals which cause chronic inflammation.

So what are the foods that reduce inflammation?

 Oregano – a very common spice  Curcumin – an ingredient in turmeric which is found in curry-based dishes.  Capsaicin – The chemical that make peppers hot. Therefore, chilies are a great source.  Bromelain – an enzyme found in pineapples  Omega 3 Fish Oil – (no real surprise here) found in cold-water fish such as salmon and is available readily in pill form.

Other relatively common spices or foods shown to have anti-inflammatory properties are: Basil, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, garlic powder, black pepper, sweet potatoes, resveratrol (found in grapes and red wine), green teas and certain black teas.

The next “non-shocker”: Exercise plays a role as well. Over the long haul exercise inhibits inflammation by controlling the ‘bad boys’ of the inflammatory process – chemicals known as cytokines.

So if you can have chronic inflammation and there are very few symptoms… Part of the challenge lies in finding out if you suffer from chronic inflammation in the first place.

Your doctor help… The next time you take a trip to your doctor for a physical, make sure the blood work includes a test for C-Reactive Protein (CRP) or Cross- reactive Protein levels.

Very high levels of CRP – over 10mg/L – can indicate an impaired immune response or the presence of an inflammatory disease, according to the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Common Test…

Imagine being able to minimize your risk of a wide range of diseases simply by staying away from certain foods! It sounds so easy.

Follow this advice… “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates

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