Hello Fellow Seeker of Abundance, Ok, so know this one is going to be a bit of reading, but please stay tuned because it’s really important stuff! I’m going to try to give you as much exposure to this topic, in as few words as possible, and we will deep dive into some of these topics in additional articles :)
We all know the old saying, you are what you eat, but have you ever thought about what that means? Take a minute to reflect on what you fuel your body with day to day. How does it look? Do you feed your body to nourish, or do you feed your cravings? If you are anything like me, you know all about cravings. My weakness? Savory carbs. I could live entirely off of bread, pasta, biscuits, mashed potatoes…getting hungry? Ok, I’ll stop! If your brain is constantly craving these foods, it’s a big, red flag, and I am going to explore with you a little more about what causes these symptoms, as well as many others we feel on a day to day basis. Inflammation.
Unfortunately, many of us struggle with it and may not even know it. Lucky for you, you’ve come to the right place, because I am going to give you a crash course in what inflammation is, how it’s caused, and what you can do to reduce it! Inflammation isn’t something you want to sleep on, because, not to scare you, but this is serious, fatal stuff. Did you know that 60% of the United States population struggles with chronic disease, and that 40% of people have more than one? That’s over half the population! Do you know what is responsible for almost every chronic disease? You guessed it! Inflammation! Before I tell you the good news, it gets worse. Inflammation is linked to heart disease and stroke, and is a breeding ground for cancer (as cancer often forms in chronically inflamed areas). Another area inflammation can pay a toll is in anxiety and depression disorders. Nearly all disease can be traced back to inflammation. It’s a killer, and we don’t want it to stick around.
There are 5 major signs to look out for which indicate inflammation in the body:
* Body pain
* Skin rashes
* Excessive mucus production
* Low energy
* Poor digestion
These include things like constipation, acne, IBS, allergies, migraines, chronic fatigue, eczema, psoriasis, having to clear your throat or blow your nose often, inability to focus, muscle aches, joint pain, gas, belly fat, and rosacea. So many of us live with these symptoms everyday and have no idea that these can be indicators of a` much larger problem. What comes next if we ignore them? That’s when we find ourselves with bigger issues such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, the list goes on and on, and it’s not pretty.
Acute Inflammation vs. Chronic Inflammation
So there are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is what most of us probably think of when we hear the word inflammation. That is when we get a bump, scratch, or other type of injury, the area becomes red, warm, sensitive, etc., while the body does its job to heal itself and then we’re good as new. No more swelling, heat, or inflammation. This type is normal, and perfectly safe.
The second type of inflammation, however, isn’t as simple. Chronic inflammation is sickness. It can be caused by emotional stress, physical stress (i.e.-low blood sugar), poor sleep habits, environmental toxins, and eating inflammatory foods. Foods can cause inflammation? Yes, and I will share a few of the some of the biggest and baddest culprits.
Inflammatory Foods: * Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup
* Artificial trans fats * Vegetable and seed oils * Refined carbohydrates * Excessive alcohol * Processed meat * Margarine * Shortening * Microwave popcorn * Fried foods * Store bought baked goods * Grilled meat * Foods you’re allergic to And these are just to name a few! The last one may seem like a no brainer, but you would be surprised to know, that if you’re experiencing some of the symptoms we have talked about here, its possible you may have a food sensitivity that you have no clue about. It’s important to pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you listen, you may be able to catch things before they get away from you. That is the good news. After all of this, it is good to know there are measures you can take to prevent, or at least control, the inflammation levels in your body. I will be providing you with solutions through the entirety of this blog. There are so many things you can do to improve the level of inflammation in your body, such as consume more anti-inflammatory foods and cut inflammatory foods, reduce your stress levels, supplement your body with things such as turmeric, probiotics, and fish oil, and try diets like the Mediterranean diet and fertility diets. Anti-Inflammatory Foods (Short List)
* Walnuts * Leafy greens * Pineapple * Avocado * Broccoli * Carrots * Cherries * Berries * Ginger * Salmon * Spirulina * Cabbage * Coconut oil * Green tea & Matcha * Turmeric * Flax seeds * Chia seeds * Bone broth On the bright side, I feel like there are so many more ingredients that have anti-inflammatory properties than harmful ingredients. The best trick, is to use whole foods in your cooking (plants, meats, nuts, seeds, etc.) and avoid processed ingredients. Another helpful step is to do an elimination diet and find your triggers. You can take a food allergy test with an allergist, but just because you don’t show a reaction with that test, doesn’t mean some of those foods aren’t upsetting your body. The cool thing about an elimination diet is that it will show you exactly what works for your body, because everyone is different. Things that may be anti-inflammatory for ones body, may be causing inflammation in another persons body due to personal sensitivity. That is a deeper dive, for another day. For now what’s important to know, is that there are many steps you can take today to start living a healthier life and begin manifesting goodness and fullness. I would like to take a minute here to recommend a couple books that have changed my life! Resources
Two of the biggest inspirations I’ve found on my journey to wellness and living an abundant life, are these two books: The Inflammation Spectrum by Dr. Will Cole with Eve Adamson The Soup Cleanse by Angela Blatteis and Vivienne Vella I will be referencing these books a lot throughout our journey together! In fact, I will do two separate blogs about each of these in book reviews. The two of these books are all about diet and clean eating. The Soup Cleanse is a great beginners tool and introduction into clean eating. So easy to read, informative, and full of delicious clean recipes. It provides a guide to their soup cleanses, ranging anywhere from one day to 7 day cleanses, as well as regular clean eating meals, dinners, desserts, and even cocktails. The Inflammation Spectrum is a great tool to use to determine your personal level of inflammation. This tool is a little more advanced, as it will walk you through an elimination diet, but if you’re serious about your health, its worth a read! The Soup Cleanse is a great place to start, but if you can work you way up to this one, if you’re already pretty disciplined with your diet, or if you’re a person who loves a challenge this book will help you thrive in your journey to abundance. Again, this book makes things so easy to understand, holds your hand and walks you though the whole process, and provides recipes to make things so much easier. This is why I recommend these two books. They really couldn’t give you an easier guide through all of this inflammation stuff, and get you excited about healing! Conclusion There are so many factors out of our control when it comes to our individual predisposition to inflammation and disease, but we have a wealth of knowledge and tools that can help us to fight through it and thrive! Eliminating (or starting out with cutting back on) these triggering foods is a great first step, and introducing more anti-inflammatory foods into our bodies can heal us, and prevent us from a much harder experience later in life. The best part is we will be on this journey together and I will be here to provide you with tons of my favorite anti-inflammatory recipes! I would love to hear what recipes you are interested in, so please share in the comments! I love to take old favorites and put a healthy spin on them. Thank you so much for reading today!! Keep fighting the good fight; abundance is coming! All My Love, Jes
Photo Credits:
Smoothie Bowl Photo by Kimzy Nanney on Unsplash
Rash Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash
Fast Food Photo by Brandon Morgan on Unsplash
Dragon Fruit Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Salmon Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash
Veggies Photo by Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash
Reading Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Sources:
Cole, Will, and Eve Adamson. The Inflammation Spectrum: Find Your Food Triggers and Reset Your System. Avery, an Imprint of Penguin Random House, 2019.
“The Most Inflammatory Foods You Can Put in Your Body.” The Active Times, www.theactivetimes.com/healthy-living/most-inflammatory-foods/slide-16.
Szalay, Jessie. “What Is Inflammation?” LiveScience, Purch, 19 Oct. 2018, www.livescience.com/52344-inflammation.html. “5 Signs You Have Chronic Inflammation and What to Do About It.” Parsley Health, 27 Feb. 2020, www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/5-signs-chronic-inflammation/.
“10 Potential Causes of Chronic Inflammation.” ActiveBeat, www.activebeat.com/your-health/10-potential-causes-of-chronic-inflammation/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=AB_GGL_US_MOBI-SearchMarketing&utm_content=g_c_229740572791&cus_widget=&utm_term=inflammation in the body&cus_teaser=kwd-983315021&utm_acid=3040947159&utm_caid=366485438&utm_agid=26844481838&utm_os=&utm_pagetype=multi&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7v0BRDOARIsAGh37ip7bwV5eBJAKyJ8-Rp1Jz0u4xCH9McUPEROi3iReCcF8mH2hoUv0lcaAtfFEALw_wcB.
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