Inflammation

Inflammatory!

It’s a word that gets tossed around as a sort of dirty word in holistic health and wellness circles. There is a lot of shame and confusion around the term as well, as in “oh I don’t eat that, it’s inflammatory!” To confuse the matter more, it seems that almost everything on the shelves of health food stores touts “anti-inflammatory” benefits. But what is inflammation and why do we want anti-inflammatory products?

Inflammation is an immune system response designed to fix damage in the body and should last only as long as there is damage present. We want the inflammatory response to close blood vessels around a cut we make in our finger, otherwise we would not be able to stem the bleeding. So why would we want to invest so much time and energy in anti-inflammatory cures? Because when inflammation becomes chronic it is no longer helpful and in fact is at the root of many diseases such as heart and artery diseases, insomnia, type 2 diabetes, depression, cancers, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune conditions, the list goes on. Chronic inflammation  occurs when the body believes there is ongoing damage or the immune system cannot stop (cells are resistant to our endogenous anti-inflammatory signals) what it has started, leading to continued inflammation which leads to more damage. A vicious cycle.

You may recognize many of the diseases above, they are some of the most prevalent in today’s world. Chronic diseases, often caused by chronic inflammation, are the leading causes of death in the US. Managing and decreasing chronic inflammation may reduce the risk of developing chronic disease. We so often hear that we should be eating an anti-inflammatory diet, and this focus is a small, albeit important, approach to quelling chronic inflammation. Below are some of the basics of eating an inflammation-reducing diet. But there are other approaches to quelling inflammation.

Stress and inflammation are often linked together in the same sentence, and for good reason. The hormone that is most active in states of stress is cortisol. In proper doses, cortisol is useful in reducing inflammation in the body. When the body is subjected to higher levels of cortisol on a long-term basis, cortisol loses it’s anti-inflammatory ability because cells just ignore it. Allowing for unchecked inflammation cascades. Lowering stress levels can be helpful in reducing the amount of circulating cortisol, and help restore our cells’ sensitivity to cortisol. It can be hard to imagine lowering your stress level when you are in the thick of it. So start with something simple. Below is a description of how to use belly breathing to reduce stress. To be successful with this technique, you must practice it! So begin building it into your day. Examine your daily habits and take a few minutes when you know you won’t be disturbed. Even if it’s in bed before waking, or before falling asleep. Before you know it, you’ll be practicing this throughout the day.

 

Belly Breathing:

Use breathing for reducing stress.

• Sit or lie comfortably with one hand on your chest and the other over your belly button.
• Take a deep breath in through the nose, use the breath to fill your belly. You’ll feel the belly hand move outwards, you should feel very little or no movement in your chest hand.
• Now purse your lips and blow the breath out. Feel your belly hand move inwards as if it were pushing the air out of your mouth.
• Repeat 5-10 times.
• Sit quietly and notice if you feel any difference.

 

Eat the Rainbow:

Eat foods for neutralizing inflammation signals. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables contain polyphenols that achieve inflammation reduction. Aim for 5 servings (1 cup raw, or 1/2 cup cooked = 1 serving) of vegetables and 2 (1 cup raw = 1 serving) of fruit per day.

• Red: Apple, Cherry, Radish, Red Pepper, Strawberries, Red Grapes, Tomato
• Green: Spinach, Asparagus, Zucchini, Leafy Greens, Green Beans, Broccoli, Cucumber
• Blue/Purple: Blueberries, Purple Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Figs, Purple Carrots, Plums, Beets
• White: Onions, Garlic, Turnips, Yams, Coconut, Jerusalem Artichokes, Cauliflower, Pears
• Yellow/Orange: Sweet Potato, Carrots, Mangoes, Apricots, Squashes, Cantaloupe, Oranges

 

References: 

1. Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Doyle WJ, et al. Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012;109(16):5995-5999. doi:10.1073/pnas.1118355109.

2. Hunter P. The inflammation theory of disease. The growing realization that chronic inflammation is crucial in many diseases opens new avenues for treatment. EMBO Rep. 2012;13(11):968-970. doi:10.1038/embor.2012.142.

3. Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response. (April, 2018). Retrieved from
://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response