As a part of our daily American lifestyle, we are exposed to situations, events and chemicals in our lives that cause chronic inflammation in our bodies. This type of inflammation can be very harmful and its important to eliminate or reduce it.
In Part I we discussed what inflammation is and how it harms our body. Now lets look at the symptoms of inflammation and how to reduce it.
Symptoms of inflammation include:
- Premature aging such as wrinkles, arthritis and other degenerative conditions.
- Susceptibility to infections.
- Food allergies and sensitivities
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Acid reflux (GERD)
- Cancers
- Skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Chronic pain
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Heart disease
- Fungal infections like Candida
- Urinary tract infections
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to manage the stress in your life. I know people who live a very healthy lifestyle, they eat very healthy, exercise, reduce their exposure to toxins and they still get cancer, may have chronic infections or any of the other adverse health conditions caused by stress. The common thread is the amount of stress they are carrying in their daily lives. This must be managed if you wish to reduce your risk for illness and serious health conditions.
Activities to reduce stress
- Massage (gentle)
- Yoga
- Qi Gong
- Tai Chi
- Swimming
- Aqua exercise
- Infra-red sauna
- Hot tub
- Epsom salt soak
- Deep breathing
- Meditation
- Aromatherapy
Reduce or eliminate the Standard American Diet (SAD),
The standard American diet and lifestyle leads the way as the primary instigator of chronic inflammation. The consumption of refined sugar, refined flours, dairy, artificial sweeteners, refined and processed foods, trans fats, saturated fats and preservatives create inflammation throughout the body. This may eventually cause cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, allergies, reduced immune system function, high cholesterol, chronic infections, auto immune diseases, heart disease, digestive disorders and other adverse conditions.
Prevention
- Eat a diet rich in organic (organic foods reduce our exposure to inflammatory causing chemicals) vegetables, beans, low sugar fruits, low glycemic grains, nuts and seeds. Occasionally add wild caught salmon, cod, halibut or sardines and free range organic turkey, chicken and eggs. Avoid red meat and pork or certainly restrict the intake of red meat and pork.
- Add Omega 3 fatty acids to your diet. (salmon, cod, sardines, ground flax seed, chia seeds, walnuts, broccoli, strawberries)
- Leave junk food alone!
- Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night. Adequate sleep is critical for our health.
- Exercise daily; exercise boost the body’s ability to detoxify and at the same time improves the function of all body systems.
- Drink adequate amounts of pure water daily.
- Get some sunshine everyday.
- Laugh often and enjoy your friends and family
- Reduce the intake of caffeine and alcohol in your life
- If you smoke, quit!
Nutrients that help reduce or cut stress and inflammation
- 5-HTP: 50 to 150 mg’s per day, stress control and mood enhancer, helps balance serotonin and dopamine levels improving mood, mental and emotional outlook, helps reduce pain and improve sleep
- Vive: 2 servings per day, a whole food blend designed as a broad spectrum nutrition source. improves energy, mental function, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, builds muscle, improves immune function
- Acetyl L-Carnitine 1000 mg’s twice per day, improves energy and mental health
- Adrenal Cortex Extract: increases energy, aids with weight loss and mood, improves the health of the adrenal glands and helps balance adrenal hormones particularly cortisol
- Vitamin C: 1000 mg’s twice per day; boost immune function, intestinal cellular membrane health. I would encourage you to eat foods rich in Vitamin C first.
- Vitamin E: (mixed tocopherols) 400 IU’s per day, improves cellular membrane function, a powerful antioxidant that works with vitamin c
- Krill oil: reduces inflammation in the digestive system as well as the body and improves nerve function, mental and cognitive health
- D-Ribose: 5000 mg’s twice per day, improves cellular energy for muscles.
- CoQ10: 200 mg’s twice per day, improves energy and is powerful antioxidant and is important for heart health
- Magnesium: 750 mg’s per day mostly from diet, limit supplement intake to 500 mg’s per day, improves muscle energy, relaxation, stress reduction, sleep, bone strength, blood pressure, and much more
- Vitamin D3: 5000 IU’s once or twice per day
- Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticoses) help the adrenal glands function better relieving stress.
- Zinc: 25 mg’s 3 times per week, if a bigger dose is taken or if taken every day, 2 to 3 mg’s of copper must be added to the intake.
- Lecithin: 2000 mg’s per day, improves brain and nerve function
- Biosuperfood F2: 6 capsules per day, brings about endocrine balance by awakening the hypothalamus-thalamus-pituatary-thyroid relationship. It is also rich in astaxanthin which is natures most powerful antioxidant.
- Probiotics; important for rebuilding and maintaining the digestive tract and boost immune function
- L-Glutamine: 5000 mg’s daily, very important for healing and improving the function of the digestive tract, we carry a product that provides the L-Glutamine plus other nutrients in one product for healing the digestive tract.
Summary
Leave junk food alone. It builds a junk body. Eat a diet rich in natures best foods. These foods are anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense and promote body balance and overall health!
Healthy Wishes
Wally Bishop C.N.C.
The contents of this blog is not and should not be considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.
Related articles
- What Doctors say about Marine Phytoplankton (marinealgaes.com)
- Taming the Flame of Inflammation (foodworksblog.wordpress.com)
- The Sleep-Gut-Stress Connection: Tips from Dr. Robin Baradarian (legalulcer.com)
- Stay in Balance to Boost Your Immune System (joyofspa.com)
