How a Natural Diet Plays a Vital Role in Reducing Chronic Inflammation

If you've ever sprained your ankle, thrown out your back, or jammed your finger, then you're already familiar with inflammation. The accompanying redness, swelling, and pain are all signs that inflammation is taking place. Inflammation is part of your body's response to nearly any type of physical injury. It's one of the ways that your body protects itself, and begins its repair process.

Inflammation is defined as a localized reaction of tissue to irritation, injury, or infection. We commonly think of inflammation as a painful component of arthritis, or the swelling and discomfort we feel after an injury. Inflammation is also a component of chronic diseases such as heart disease and strokes. Common medical anti-inflammatory treatments include medications such as Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), steroid medications, and perhaps surgery. While these treatments may alleviate symptoms in the short term, they are all known to have dangerous side-effects. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Naprosyn, Celebrex) are known to create problems such as stomach irritation, ulcers, gastro-intestinal bleeding, kidney and liver problems. Steroid medications and shots such as cortisone shots have many side-effects including weight gain, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and muscle weakness.1 The side-effects of surgery including the problems from anesthesia and cutting through skin, muscle and sometimes bone are too numerous to list here.

Top Ten Ways to Reduce Inflammation, Naturally
Yes! Below is a list of everyday changes you can make that will not only reduce your inflammation but also reduce your pain and increase your overall health including your risk of chronic diseases.

1. Eat natural foods! This means avoiding all man-made ingredients. If it doesn't come from nature, our bodies aren't meant to process it. In moderation, you can eat butter, sugar and real fat. These are always better than the man-made alternatives such as margarine, Splenda, Nutra-Sweet and fake fats like Crisco. You'll have to read the labels. It's not difficult. The more ingredients a product has, the more suspect it is. If you don't know what it is, don't eat it until you research it (easy to do online).

2. No trans fats! Trans-fatty acids are also known as "partially hydrogenated oils" or "fractionated oils". Trans fat can help make cells resistant to insulin, and when you have resistance to insulin. Resistance to insulin leads to obesity. Quite simply, the body cannot process these types of fats. Be careful of all baked goods. If the label says "0 grams of trans fats" it still may have up to a gram of trans fats per serving. To see if a product has trans fats in it, you must read the label. Remember, no amount is safe!

3. No glutamate! Glutamate is a neuroexcitotoxin. This means it excites your nerves to death. Ingestion of glutamate has been linked to chronic migraines and many neurodegenerative diseased such as Alzheimers and Multiple Sclerosis. There are 97 different words for glutamate. Common ones include MSG, artificial flavors, hydrolyzed corn gluten and hydrolyzed soy protein.2

4. No aspartame! Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death.3 A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

5. Decrease refined carbohydrates. Inflammation can impair blood sugar regulation, which is worsened by eating refined carbohydrates/high-glycemic index foods, such as sugar and white flour. A refined grain has had the germ and bran layers removed, taking with it 25% of the protein, almost all of the dietary fiber, and a number of vitamins and minerals. Manufacturers of refined grains often add back a few vitamins and minerals that they've stripped from the grain (a process called "enrichment"), but the food still falls short of the naturally occurring nutrients and dietary fiber contained in a whole grain.

6. Limit consumption of animal products. Meat, poultry, eggs and shellfish are all high in arachidonic acid, a compound that contributes to inflammation. Conventionally produced animal products have higher levels of arachidonic acid than their organic counterparts. When eating animal foods, choose fish, white meat chicken and nonfat dairy products to lower arachidonic acid consumption.

7. No high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is the main source of calories in the average American's diet.4 Fructose increases hunger to make you eat more. Furthermore, the liver converts fructose far more readily to a body fat called triglyceride, than it does with glucose. High triglyceride levels raise blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol and lower blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol, which increases heart attack risk.

8. Take a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement

9. Take fish oil = omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are not only known to reduce inflammation, they also help reduce the risks of heart disease, reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, and help with depression, weight loss, and reproductive health.

10. Fruits/veg's: 5 servings a day minimum

Many of the suggestions above can be implemented on your own. But if you have chronic inflammation, or moderate to severe symptoms of inflammation, I strongly encourage you to seek professional help to devise a plan that suits your unique needs. Please call me at 510-654-2207 to set up an appointment.

1 For more information see http://arthritis.about.com/cs/steroids/a/corticosteroids_2.htm
2 For a full list of synonyms for glutamate, click here http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm
3 Experimental Biology 2005, San Diego. Abstract # 839.5 Bermudez, O., "Consumption of sweet drinks among American adults from the NHANES 1999-2000."
4 Experimental Biology 2005, San Diego. Abstract # 839.5 Bermudez, O., "Consumption of sweet drinks among American adults from the NHANES 1999-2000."