A Simplified Guide to Inflammation
Inflammation is your body's natural defence mechanism, a vital response that helps protect and heal when you're injured or facing infection. It's a cascade that works to maintain our bodies homeostasis.Think of it as your body's own security system.
Inflammation:
💪Fights infection
🧬Promotes tissue/ cellular healing
🧠Triggers repair processes
When happening acutely, inflammation is essential for recovery and healing. But when it becomes chronic, the body can become overwhelmed, leading to issues like autoimmune conditions, digestive problems and cardiovascular disease amongst others.
Here is your simplified guide:
1- Don’t Neglect Your Gut!
Why? Chronically eating an inflammatory diet can compromise intestinal tight junctions. When this happens, conditions like leaky gut and specific food sensitivities can arise. This is because the immune system has been alerted to a “threat” and has activated its immune inflammatory cascades. Overtime this puts stress on the body and can lead to uncomfortable digestive symptoms.
How you can support this:
Diversify your gut bacteria
fiber
prebiotic foods
add fermented foods
eat a range of vegetables
have variety in your meals
healthy fats
Supplement
L-glutamine
omega-3 fatty acids
bitter botanicals (burdock, chamomile,dandelion)
probiotics
digestive enzymes
Practice
mindful eating
vagus nerve regulation
2- Reduce Your Stress
Why? Stress hormones (cortisol & epinephrine) activate the fight or flight response, triggering the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Stress also depletes the immune system (lymphocytes) leaving the body at risk for infection. The gut-brain axis becomes damaged leading to weakening of the intestinal barrier; particles like food antigens can enter the blood and migrate causing inflammation. Stress activates the HPA axis and stimulates the production of glucocorticoids (acutely anti-inflammatory). When stress becomes chronic, the negative feedback system that controls their release is blocked, leading to resistance, a depressed immune system and a pro-inflammatory state
How to support:
Vagus nerve stimulation
exercise
humming, chanting, meditating
deep belly breathing
cold exposure
socializing
omega-3 fatty acids
massage
Support your adrenals
adrenal glandulars
adaptogens
iv therapy
complex carbohydrates
magnesium
identify stressful triggers
3-Breakdown Your Diet
Why? Having Inflammatory foods make up most of your diet allows a dysregulated system to thrive. These foods can alter the bacteria that live in our gut; a change that puts our immune system into action. Over time these triggers and imbalance in the body create the ideal environment for chronic inflammation.
How to support:
Limit
fried foods
refined sugars
alcohol
soy
gluten
dairy
nightshades
processed foods
corn / corn by-products
Increase
berries
fatty fish
lean meat (turkey/chicken)
broccoli
avocados
green tea
turmeric
EVOO
dark chocolate
nuts & seeds
*Think Mediterranean diet
4- Identify Oxidative Stress
Why? reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a by-product of cellular metabolism. Overproduction of ROS, triggered by environmental stressors like UV-radiation, smoking, alcohol, inflammatory disorders and chronic infections are too much for cells to handle. This increase in stress disrupts the homeostasis of cells, resulting in cell damage and Ultimately contributing to degenerative diseases and cancer.
How to support:
Identify & remove or limit Stressors
alcohol
smoking
air pollution
stress
infection
pesticides and chemicals
certain medications
5-Investigate With Lab Work
Why? Ask your provider about running additional testing to further investigate inflammation in the body. WE can make changes based on your health history, but further investigation allows us to see the bigger picture and piece it all together!
Some labs to consider
CBC w/ differential
enhanced thyroid panel
HbA1c/ fasting insulin
liver enzymes
CRP
ESR
fibrinogen
ferritin
B12
Vitamin D3
stool testing
DUTCH testing
IgG food sensitivity
allergy testing
*Not medical advice, please consult your healthcare provider for treatment individualized to you.