Understanding and Fighting Inflammation
This month we are talking about inflammation. Inflammation is an epidemic currently affecting so many different people in different ways. While inflammation is typically beneficial in short term injury, it has become chronic in many people. It is designed to protect our body from further damage when we are sick or injured; however, the problem comes into play when inflammation sticks around for a long period of time. Inflammation can be triggered by injury, foods that we eat, or by prolonged stress.
When we talk about inflammation from an injury, this is typically good inflammation. Your body responds with inflammation as a first line of defense to help protect the damaged area. When your system is under distress, your body sends out signals to alert the inflammatory cells to spring to action. These inflammatory cells trap the invader and carry it out of your system to prevent further damage. In addition, your blood vessels will allow more fluid to come to the affected area to stimulate the healing process. After the storm has passed, your body will return to its normal state.
However, chronic inflammation occurs when the threat to the immune system is gone, but your body cannot turn off the initial inflammation response. This leaves your body in a chronic state of low to high level inflammation. Your body is in high alert and cannot come back down to a regulatory state. Chronic inflammation can cause a lot of issues including chronic diseases like: Diabetes Type 2, cancer, memory disorders, arthritic conditions, stroke, IBS, etc. When you are living with chronic inflammation you may feel a high level of fatigue and inability to do the things you would normally like to do.
Some things you can do to help minimize inflammation in your body:
Quit smoking! vaping! chewing! etc.
All of these are extremely inflammatory and affect our system widespread! Any type of tobacco or inhalation of smoke or vapor can cause inflammation. Nicotine can also cause decreased memory, concentration, mood changes, and can lead to further addictive behaviors. In addition it can alter your lungs and their ability to function properly.
2.Eat an anti-inflammatory diet.
Not to say you can’t treat yourself to the occasional delicacy! We are all human and deserve that sugary coffee, ice cream with a waffle cone, or cupcake. However, you want to eat well most of the time so that when you do treat yourself your body can process the inflammation and move on. This will avoid the inflammation becoming chronic.
Highly inflammatory foods to avoid include:
processed sugars
processed carbohydrates
fried foods
processed meats
excessive amounts of dairy
Foods that fight inflammation include:
nuts
healthy oils (av0cado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.)
green leafy vegetables
fruits (strawberries, blueberries, oranges, cherries- luckily we live in a big cherry area!)
fresh fish.
Another anti-inflammatory tip to consider is adding in spices such as ginger, tumeric, and curry. Not only do these spices taste delicious but they will also have added health benefits. Consider some supplementation where your nutrition may be lacking. Up to 60% of us are deficient in magnesium which is a miracle supplement. Please note that there are many different forms of magnesium depending on the individual need.
3. Fluids:
Drink lots of water. also consider green tea and coffee which have a lot of antioxidant properties (just be sure to drink extra water to stay hydrated). Also, limit sugar added in to coffee and tea drinks which can reduce the benefits of drinking the beverage in the first place.
4. Exercise:
This is a personal thing that can be anything from a morning or evening walk to high intensity exercise and everything in between. Yoga and Pilates are beautiful practices that can greatly aid in decreasing inflammation in the body and increasing range of motion.
5. Chiropractic!
Chiropractic has so many benefits and we could talk about them forever! By balancing your nervous system through regular chiropractic care, your body is better equipped to adapt to stressors. We work to balance your sympathetic (fight of flight) with your parasympathetic (rest and digest) systems. This will allow your body to flush inflammation before it becomes a chronic problem. You may notice improvements in conditions such as IBS, migraines/ headaches, immune system function, allergies, and much much more! Alignment is such a crucial part of our system. Dr. Rubin, a well known pediatric chiropractor, references the alignment of Stonehedge and how if it had been the tiniest bit off it would just be a pile of rocks. This is true with our spines, which house our nervous system, as well. If our alignment is off, our spine just becomes a pile of bones. The integrity of the spine and its function of protecting the spinal cord and spinal nerves is compromised. This can be so detrimental to your overall health. Chiropractic is a way of life…. just like you get an oil change in your vehicle, you should also consider getting a “tune up” to your nervous system!
6. Massage
Massage is a great tool to help keep inflammation at bay. Massage therapist can also offer a variety of techniques to help aid in inflammatory conditions. Some examples include: myofascial release, cupping, flossing, and kineseotape/rocktape. Each of these modalities will help to aid your body in flushing inflammation and healing the tissue to prevent recurrent inflammation from happening. Acupuncture can also be very beneficial for targeting and minimizing inflammation.
7. Meditation
Meditation is a wonderful tool to help de-stress and de-toxify your body. Meditation can be used to help balance your body systems including your heart rate, blood pressure, and cerebrospinal fluid flow. Meditation also allows us to check in with our body by tuning out the outside world and focusing inward. Our body often tells us the information we need, but sometimes we have too much going on to take the time to listen. Many times the chronic inflammation can be one of the first indicators that something has gone array in the body.
Dr. E’s personal journey has been filled with a combination of all of the above! We will share with you what works for her, which has taken years of adding things, taking them away, and learning from her body. Please note health and wellness is not a one size fits all and my body and journey may be different than yours, and that is okay. In April of 2019, I was sick and tired of getting migraine headaches. I’ve been experiencing them for 20 years!!! and my normal regime had stopped working. I went to see Dr. Carin Nielsen in town and finally get some answers! Well, we did a lot of blood work and testing and I was only deficient in Vitamin D…. my first thought… seriously? 20 years of migraines and my only inadequacy is living in a place where winter occurs 6 months out of the year. Dr. Nielsen dug a little deeper. She was able to help me understand that I have a histamine sensitivity. I was able to do the Heal Your Headache Elimination diet. I eliminated almost everything from my diet for 30 days and over the next few months slowly added things in. If the food item triggered a headache or migraine, I know I had to eliminate it completely. Some of these items I thought I could not live without. Caffeine for example! Coffee is a huge component of my life. It’s a treat my Oma (maternal grandmother) had been sharing with me since I was little. When I was stressed or happy or sad, my go to was a cup of coffee. Well, caffeine was a huge trigger for me. I never overindulged or so I thought. One cup of coffee every morning to start my day; however, this was enough to send me into a two day migraine with full on vomiting. So now… I adapt. Decaf coffee for me! No sugary creamers or fluffy stuff, just decaf with a little half and half. and I LOVE it and cherish it all the more. Other things I have noticed I cannot have are bananas, onions, Parmesan cheese, leftovers, citrus fruits and many more!There are other items I have to be cautious with and only have a little of (chocolate and nuts just to name a few). But now I live a life where I don’t get many migraines and when I do, I do not vomit anymore! :) Other things I have added in are supplements. Every morning I take a multivitamin, probiotic, magneisum threonate, adrenal support, vitamin B complex with extra riboflavin, CoQ10, Vitamin D. Then at night I take another dose of magnesium glycinate. I do not have to take any prescription medications which is huge for me! I used to take an antidepressant and anti anxiety medication but now I function even better than before without them! This is where I am at now… maybe forever, maybe not. I also do multiple health appointments including: yearly annual physical (check that blood work and get routine screenings), yearly visit to the dermatologist, monthly visits to my acupuncturist, biweekly visits for massage therapy, and I see my chiropractor religiously! I get adjusted anywhere from 1-4 times per week depending on my stress levels! I also read devotionals every morning and every night because they keep me centered and focused. My workout routine right now includes yoga 4- 5 times per week before work. I used to enjoy a more rigorous routine workout, but right now this is what my body needs and accepts. I hope sharing my personal journey will help you to embrace your own journey and learn more about yourself and your body’s needs.