Why would you want to adjust your diet to reduce inflammation in the body? Hold my phonecalls because this could take all day!
It is now believed by most scientists and doctors studying the origin of disease that inflammation is the underlying cause behind everything from heart disease to diabetes to cancer to arthritis. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you are in pain, somewhere in your body, there is most likely inflammation present. In some cases, like a sprained ankle, you can actually SEE the inflammation. But if the inflammation is on a cellular level, inside your arteries, or your tendons, or your fascia, it may not be as obvious.
The other day, in my post titled Aches and Pains, I emphasized drinking enough water in order to fully hydrate the body (including the muscles, joints, and fascia!) to reduce or even eliminate muscle and joint pain. How much water is enough? Well, that depends on many factors, including your body weight, activity level, weather and temperature, etc. But a ballpark figure is: women under 150 pounds need about 2 liters of water per day, minimum, without excessive perspiration. For women over 150 pounds, or men under 200 pounds, the amount is 2.5 liters daily. If you are exercising outdoors in the summer heat, add more water as needed. More than an hour of intense exercise and you may need to supplement that water intake with electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. When you are fully hydrated, you will notice some wonderful differences: those minor (and sometimes MAJOR) aches and pains will disappear, your skin will improve in texture, and you may even drop a few pounds as your metabolism increases. Pretty great results from just one simple fix. But add to that eating an anti-inflammatory diet and automatically multiply those gains.
What are the foods that cause inflammation in the body? Not surprisingly, these are the same exact foods that make us fat. Sugar is at the top of the list. Our systems are just not designed to handle the kinds of refined sugars that we typically consume today. Our bodies evolved to handle the natural sugars and the low levels of those sugars found in whole fruits and vegetables. For primitive man, eating an apple or a carrot was about as sweet as it ever got. Today, we bombard our bodies with crazy levels of refined sugars and carbohydrates. Those sugars trigger multiple chemical reactions in the body, skyrocketing the blood sugar levels, forcing insulin to be excreted at similarly high levels, thus pushing all those calories into your fat cells ASAP. Not only that, but a diet high in sugary carbs actually changes the nature of the fascia (which surrounds all your muscles and joints) making it stiffer and less pliable. So sugar is the first thing you need to consider reducing or eliminating (as much as possible) from your diet.
In addition, trans-fatty acids are a source of inflammation. These unnatural fats, created by forcing hydrogen molecules into vegetable oil, thus producing a stable, solid fat at room temperature (think Crisco) are now universally condemned by health experts as a major risk factor for creating heart disease. This is due to the fact that they produce inflammation in the arteries, thus beginning the process of developing blockages. Where do you find these hideous trans-fats? In anything containing margarine or vegetable shortening, such as pie crusts, cakes, cookies, breads, pizza dough, muffins, baking mixes, hot chocolate mixes, and anything deep fried. Read your labels carefully, or make these products yourself from scratch. It is best to avoid trans-fatty acids completely.
There are also (luckily!) foods that reduce inflammation in the body. YAY! Fish oil is at the top of the list for its omega-3 fatty acids. These block the production of prostaglandins which promote pain and inflammation. Most modern Americans are severely deficient in omega-3's. You can take fish oil as a supplement, in liquid or capsule form. Eating more fish, especially salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, will raise your levels of omega-3's, too. Extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed) contains another anti-inflammatory compound called oleocanthal which has been shown to act like ibuprofen in the body, reducing swelling and pain. Vitamin C is another well-known antioxidant which helps prevent and repair joint damage. Many fruits and veggies are high in this and other antioxidants. Eating a diet that contains LOTS of whole fruit and veggies is a great, and delicious, way to help reduce inflammation.
If you are interested in learning more about reducing inflammation by adjusting your diet, there are many books on the subject. You could check out The Permanent Pain Cure by Ming Chew (my source for most of the info in this blog today) as well as the Zone diet books by Dr. Barry Sears and the Healthiest Meals on Earth by Jonny Bowden. Happy reading!
It is now believed by most scientists and doctors studying the origin of disease that inflammation is the underlying cause behind everything from heart disease to diabetes to cancer to arthritis. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you are in pain, somewhere in your body, there is most likely inflammation present. In some cases, like a sprained ankle, you can actually SEE the inflammation. But if the inflammation is on a cellular level, inside your arteries, or your tendons, or your fascia, it may not be as obvious.
The other day, in my post titled Aches and Pains, I emphasized drinking enough water in order to fully hydrate the body (including the muscles, joints, and fascia!) to reduce or even eliminate muscle and joint pain. How much water is enough? Well, that depends on many factors, including your body weight, activity level, weather and temperature, etc. But a ballpark figure is: women under 150 pounds need about 2 liters of water per day, minimum, without excessive perspiration. For women over 150 pounds, or men under 200 pounds, the amount is 2.5 liters daily. If you are exercising outdoors in the summer heat, add more water as needed. More than an hour of intense exercise and you may need to supplement that water intake with electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. When you are fully hydrated, you will notice some wonderful differences: those minor (and sometimes MAJOR) aches and pains will disappear, your skin will improve in texture, and you may even drop a few pounds as your metabolism increases. Pretty great results from just one simple fix. But add to that eating an anti-inflammatory diet and automatically multiply those gains.
What are the foods that cause inflammation in the body? Not surprisingly, these are the same exact foods that make us fat. Sugar is at the top of the list. Our systems are just not designed to handle the kinds of refined sugars that we typically consume today. Our bodies evolved to handle the natural sugars and the low levels of those sugars found in whole fruits and vegetables. For primitive man, eating an apple or a carrot was about as sweet as it ever got. Today, we bombard our bodies with crazy levels of refined sugars and carbohydrates. Those sugars trigger multiple chemical reactions in the body, skyrocketing the blood sugar levels, forcing insulin to be excreted at similarly high levels, thus pushing all those calories into your fat cells ASAP. Not only that, but a diet high in sugary carbs actually changes the nature of the fascia (which surrounds all your muscles and joints) making it stiffer and less pliable. So sugar is the first thing you need to consider reducing or eliminating (as much as possible) from your diet.
In addition, trans-fatty acids are a source of inflammation. These unnatural fats, created by forcing hydrogen molecules into vegetable oil, thus producing a stable, solid fat at room temperature (think Crisco) are now universally condemned by health experts as a major risk factor for creating heart disease. This is due to the fact that they produce inflammation in the arteries, thus beginning the process of developing blockages. Where do you find these hideous trans-fats? In anything containing margarine or vegetable shortening, such as pie crusts, cakes, cookies, breads, pizza dough, muffins, baking mixes, hot chocolate mixes, and anything deep fried. Read your labels carefully, or make these products yourself from scratch. It is best to avoid trans-fatty acids completely.
There are also (luckily!) foods that reduce inflammation in the body. YAY! Fish oil is at the top of the list for its omega-3 fatty acids. These block the production of prostaglandins which promote pain and inflammation. Most modern Americans are severely deficient in omega-3's. You can take fish oil as a supplement, in liquid or capsule form. Eating more fish, especially salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, will raise your levels of omega-3's, too. Extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed) contains another anti-inflammatory compound called oleocanthal which has been shown to act like ibuprofen in the body, reducing swelling and pain. Vitamin C is another well-known antioxidant which helps prevent and repair joint damage. Many fruits and veggies are high in this and other antioxidants. Eating a diet that contains LOTS of whole fruit and veggies is a great, and delicious, way to help reduce inflammation.
If you are interested in learning more about reducing inflammation by adjusting your diet, there are many books on the subject. You could check out The Permanent Pain Cure by Ming Chew (my source for most of the info in this blog today) as well as the Zone diet books by Dr. Barry Sears and the Healthiest Meals on Earth by Jonny Bowden. Happy reading!
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