The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire… if you have a rock & roll, or just a more common work-hard-play-hard lifestyle, or regularly eat processed food, your body might be struggling with inflammation. It sounds like flame, heat, redness. But what is it exactly?
Inflammatory states are now linked to pretty much any condition you can think of, from rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and asthma all the way to heart disease and cancer.
In theory though, inflammation is a naturally occurring, healthy response of our immune systems to the presence of bacteria, viruses or damaged tissue.
Acute inflammation is often easy to understand: if you cut yourself while chopping red onions to make an earthy soup for instance, the immune system will rush blood flow to the area of the cut, resulting in swelling. Pain or localised discomfort will alert you of the problem and make sure you are taking care of the wound.
More technically speaking, blood vessels become “leaky” and fluid, proteins, red blood cells, and white blood cells escape from the intravascular space to flood the spot under injury. This process will address the issue rapidly and depending on the severity of the cut, will kill bacteria, clear debris and rebuild tissue very efficiently. Oh, the wonders of our immune systems!
There is also a less benign form of inflammation, one that can linger around for months, years or even decades. The unhealthy response to the environmentally induced imbalances we are constantly being exposed to.
Chronic, low level, sub-clinical inflammation happens when your immune system is revved by a number of different triggers and constantly fights them without having a specific, well defined target or resolution. There’s no large wound to heal, no clear focus, but a number of low grade reactions to pro inflammatory agents.
Micro-damage to tissue, foreign matter you breathe in through your nose and mouth, toxins in the food you eat, oxidised lipids or too much glucose in your bloodstream, just to mention a few, have the potential to strain your immune system for a very long time.
Psychological stress, experiences of social threat and adversity, up-regulates components of the immune system called cytokines, involved in inflammation.
Allergies and sensitivities to food can upset hormonal homeostasis, creating inflammation and possibly leading to depression.
Signs of inflammation at the sites of atherosclerotic plaques lead to heart disease.
You can’t feel chronic inflammation, it’s painless at first but sooner or later you will know your body is fighting an enemy it can’t defeat. You might experience mild symptoms, a headache, digestive discomfort, maybe mood swings, low energy, back aches. When you grow awareness, you’ll know the kind of lifestyle you are leading is taxing for the body.
If not rock & roll, does it mean you need to lead a steady-heady, boring life? Not necessarily. And the concept of boring is very subjective anyway. Although very long living populations tend to have a regular routine, stick to one partner for life, stay near their families, eat simple food etc. you can live life in your own terms, as long as you maintain some balance, harmony with the surroundings and within yourself.
To prevent and fight inflammation, you can move towards a balanced lifestyle by following some of the ideas and tips below:
- Detox from the junk, cut down on stress levels and exposure to toxins, exercise regularly.
- Go for a walk in nature, sensibly expose your bare skin to the sun for at least 10-15 minutes a day.
- Make sure you sleep 7 or 8 hours every night and regularly give your body and mind plenty of rest.
- Take a vacation and come to Koh Phangan, hangout with me, do yoga and have some conscious fun!
- Fasting has been shown to positively impact chronic inflammation markers.
- Natural whole foods are a fantastic way to calm inflammation. Greatly reduce or ideally eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugars, industrial fats and oils, processed meat and dairy products.
Eat good portions of:
- Dark leafy greens e.g. spinach, lettuce
- Cruciferous vegetables e.g. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower
- Coloured vegetables e.g pumpkin, carrots, red cabbage, sweet potatoes, beetroot
- Fruit e.g. berries, apples, plums, papaya, cherries
- Whole grains, and pseudograins e.g. quinoa, buckwheat, wild brown rice
- Legumes e.g. pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils
- Herbs and spices e.g. rosemary, oregano, ginger, garlic, turmeric, tarragon, cinnamon
- Omega 3 rich oily fish e.g. sardines, salmon, mackerel
- Omega 3 rich seeds e.g. chia, flaxseeds
- Water and herbal teas e.g. green tea, tulsi, lemon balm tea
