Reduce Inflammation

Ways to reduce Chronic Inflammation

And manage Chronic Pain

 

What is inflammation?

Acute inflammation in the body is a normal and healthy response to injury or attack by germs/bacteria.  We can see, feel and measure it as local heat, redness, swelling and pain.  This is the body’s way of getting more nourishment and immune activity to heal areas of infection or injury.

Chronic inflammation has a destructive potential, which we see when the immune system targets our own tissues in autoimmune dis-eases such as Type 1 diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia and lupus. (to name a few)

Whole body inflammation refers to a chronic, imperceptible, low-level condition.  It is the foundation for all dis-ease.  It can even contribute to psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety.

**The single most important thing one can do to counter chronic inflammation is to stop eating refined, processed, sugar laden food.

Ways to Reduce Inflammation

 

1. Choose an anti-inflammatory diet-Organic if at all possible

• Eat mostly vegetables daily—and low sugar fruits such as berries, apples, avocados, kiwi and grapefruit.
• Consume abundant Bioflavonoids—Found in citrus, veggies, green tea, and cacao (raw chocolate), red wine, legumes, parsley and onions.
• Bone broths are excellent

2. Anti-inflammatory herbs and spices-Anti bacterial, fungal, microbial

• Ginger-Shares properties with over the counter NSAID’s. It can inhibit genes that encode the molecules involved in chronic inflammation.
• Boswellia-Ayurvedic medicine that can switch off key cell signalers known at cytokines, reducing inflammation.
• Turmeric/Curcumin-Is a mild COX-2 inhibitor (like prescription strength drugs) but with only positive side effects.
• Use quality Himalayan Sea Salt

3. Use a bio-available multi vitamin/mineral complex

• Folate, B complex, Vit C, D, A and E are powerful antioxidants which counter the effects of free radical damage. (Good Health or Life Extension)
• Add Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) to your regiment. If vegetarian, algal sources are effective.  Use a tested product (free of mercury and other heavy metals) such as Krill Oil from Good Health.
• Nuts and seeds such as walnuts (soaked is best) and freshly ground flaxseed are good sources of Omega 3’s.

4. Upgrade your cooking oils. Do not use corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, canola or any other highly processed vegetable oil.

• Use either coconut or avocado oil for cooking. Olive oil should be used for dressing foods.
• Avoid Canola, safflower, peanut, soy etc. (refined oils high in Omega 6 which contributes to inflammation.)
• Use real butter, not margarine or spreads. Cultured butter from Organic Valley is a good choice.

5. Eat raw food–Enzymes reduce inflammation

• Include raw fruits at breakfast (berries, apples etc)
• Even in the winter eat seasonal, raw food such as sunflower sprouts, raw beet salads (greens of all kinds), broccoli, kale, cabbage and squash are all available.
• Smoothies with green food, berries and milk substitute (not soy)

6. Reduce or eliminate sugar!

• The best way to reduce unhealthy sugars in the diet is to consume fewer processed foods and drinks in general, and refined carbs and sugars in particular. Fuel your energy demands with a slower-burning balance of proteins, healthy fats and whole-food carbs.
• Change and sprout the grain you eat. Quinoa is a seed.  Sourdough bread is fermented and easier to digest.  Reduce grains in general as they are inflammatory.
• Sugar destroys your immune system. Complex carbohydrates are considered healthy.  Real, whole foods.

7. Move your Body and drink filtered water-Start hydrated daily!

• Regular exercise has been proven to help control inflammation and insulin, thereby avoiding metabolic syndrome.
• H2O is the very best way to hydrate. Avoid plastic bottles.  Mother said 8 glasses a day, she was right.
• Exercise is excellent and recovery is important. Give your body time to heal and recover.  Reduce stress and self nurture.

Managing Chronic Pain

 

• Recent studies show that taking ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) increases heart attack risk by 48% and Aleve increases risk by 53% when taken for as little as one to seven days.
• Kidney impairment increases by 32%.
• More than one in 10 Americans suffer from chronic pain, which increases with age.
• The current opioid epidemic arises from inappropriate prescribing of drugs that work well for acute pain but not for managing ongoing chronic pain.
• Acute and chronic pain, require different approaches.
• Pain is the body alerting us that something is wrong. The challenge is both addressing the underlying cause of the pain and turning off the pain signal.
• Pain such as sciatic nerve pain involves inflammation and pressure on the main nerve supplying eh back portions of the leg. It affects up to 43% of people and is associated with lower-back pain.
• Treating pain with meds can result in high rates of addiction, side effects and even death.
• As we live longer, chronic pain increasingly develops. It involves both peripheral inflammation at the site of an old injury and central stimulus in the brain.  In order to treat it, we need to intervene in the brain and peripheral sites.

Additional Effective Supplements and Modalities for Managing Chronic Pain:

• Curcumin
• Malic Acid (especially for fibromyalgia)
• Willow Bark
• Quercitin
• CBD Oil
• Sam-e
• Skullcap
• Magnesium
• ComfortMax by Life Extension
• Essential oils: https://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/essential-oils-to-relieve-pain/

Treatment Modalities:

• Accupunture
• Tens 7000 Unit
• Foam Roller (Find a good PT?)

 

Bonus Recipes: Greens with Glazed Garbanzo Beans

• 10 ounces mustard greens (can substitute kale or any green of choice)
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 4-6 tablespoons vegetable broth, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tea Bragg’s amino acids
• 1/4 tea raw honey (optional)
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Remove any large stems from the greens and discard. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.  In a deep pot or wok, sauté the onion in a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth until mostly faded to pink, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper and another tablespoon of broth and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the mustard greens, 2 tablespoons of broth, and cook, stirring, until greens are wilted but still bright green, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the salt, if using. Remove greens and onions from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish, leaving any liquid in pan.

Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and agave or sugar to the liquid in the pan (if there is no liquid, add 2 tablespoons of broth). Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Spoon the chickpeas over the greens and drizzle the sauce over all.

Raw Kale Avocado Salad

 

1 bunch kale

1 ripe avocado

1 lemon (juice)

Sea salt

Olive oil to taste.

Massage kale with oil, add smashed cado, lemon juice and enjoy…Easy!