Inflammation is often described as a fiery sensation in your body. Do not stoke the fire! There are ways to, instead, fight the fire and ease the pain!
We have all heard this word at least once in our lives, but do we really understand it? A normal amount of inflammation is vital to help fight off bacteria, viruses, and trauma such as a sore throat, rash, hives, or a sprain or strain of, say, an ankle.
Chronic inflammation has been linked to conditions such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, obesity, dementia, depression, cancer, autism, arthritis, and many other types of auto-immune disorders.
How do we know when we have inflammation?
The true concern is not the acute form of inflammation as I just described but the more chronic effect that lingers inside our bodies affecting organs, joints, muscles, tissues, and down to our cellular level. We may feel healthy for a period of time, but this smoldering inflammation is leading us to becoming functionally ill.
What are the different causes of inflammation?
Some causes of chronic inflammation are linked to:
1. Food intolerances and poor diet (mostly sugar, refined flours, processed foods, and other inflammatory triggering foods which are different based on individual cases). Food intolerances start in the gut, causing inflammation in the intestinal lining creating leaky gut syndrome. In these instances, digestion is impaired, and absorption of nutrients is negatively affected.
2. Environmental toxins and factors (Mercury, pesticides, molds, bacteria, yeast, parasites, viruses that we are exposed to on a daily basis). The before mentioned toxins, along with factors such as occupational exposures or childhood illness that becomes hidden or chronic lead to inflammation.
3. STRESS. I think we all know this word very well. Stress from our daily lives with no release like exercise, meditation, martial arts, yoga, whatever your preferred form of physical and mental engagement is can stoke the fire that is inflammation.
4. Genetic variants. Yes, you have genes that turn on and turn off inflammation and inflammatory responses in your body. These genes can be activated or deactivated by poor diet, toxins, and stress. It’s not about changing your DNA; it’s about keeping a healthy lifestyle and taking the proper vitamins and minerals to keep these genes from causing chronic illness and disease.
How do we control inflammation?
Identifying the triggers and root causes and naturally help the body’s immune system balance and reset by providing an optimal condition for it to thrive are the steps to take to control inflammation. Eating a whole-foods based diet while avoiding GMO foods including corn, soy, sugar, aspartame, and dairy are other ways. Exercise daily for at least 20 minutes while also incorporating yoga and meditation to calm the mind and body. Taking the proper vitamins and minerals to keep your body thriving at an optimal level and avoid any deficiencies are some of the best ways to fight fire with fire.
How to naturally cool inflammation?
Food intolerance testing and elimination diets using patient awareness with a food journal can both help identify the triggers. Keeping a whole foods based diet as I mentioned with low inflammatory foods naturally cools inflammatory responses.
Testing for heavy metals, molds, and candida along with simple and effective detox protocols to fit your individual needs. Using nutraceuticals to help naturally and safely detoxify from the gut to the cellular level to provide that harmonious balance our body needs to help fight off inflammation and oxidative stress which are the free radicals that roam our bodies in the deepest levels causing a toxic environment.
Acupuncture naturally helps de-stress and harmonize the body by stimulating the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals will trigger the release of biochemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system. This, in turn, will help the body do as it meant to do: Heal on its own.
