June 2024: Inflammation and Your Health

When you see, or hear the word inflammation, what comes to mind?

Is it joint, or muscle pain after a heavy workout?

Is it low level joint, or hip pain, in the middle of the night?

A migraine headache?

Maybe it's chronic inflammation in your lower back. A steady type of inflammation giving you notice abou what the future has in store.

WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?

Acute Inflammation is natures way of protecting a bruise, cut, or sprain, until healing takes place. This is a good inflammation.

Chronic inflammation occurs when the inflammatory insult lingers, such as arthritis, resulting from a sprain that will not heal.

Diseases like adult diabetes can also be inflammatory by altering changes in the immune system.

Inflammation is a short term friend, or long term foe.

THE NO. 1 AGING PROBLEM?

Many health experts think our top health problem is inflammation. Not just autoimmune diseases like arthritis, celiac disease, lupus and multiple sclerosis, but subtle and silent inflammation in the body, or in the brain, which is a leading contributor to Alzheimer's disease.

Did you know that atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is caused by the steady march of silent inflammation in the endothelium cells of the vessels ?

FIGHTING THE INFLAMMATION

The day you start fighting inflammation is the day you win the battle against rapid aging. These lifestyle issues give rise to inflammation:

• Poor Diet

• Lack of exercise

• Port sleep

• Stress

• Too much alcohol

• Smoking

• Lack of sun

(Sunlight helps regulate immune responses)

DIET, THE NO. 1 SMOKING GUN 

Nothing influences inflammation as

much as diet. The major food aroups of our modern diets, such as sugar, starch, refined flours, and refined plant oils, have become the pro-inflammatory atrocities of the 21st century. Obesity, adult diabetes, and the 18% of Americans with mental disabilities, can be directly linked to the over abundance of these foods. The American health system can help us overcome many problems caused by inflammation, but first, we must take stock of our own dietary habits. We know we must severely control those factors that contribute to inflammation and visceral fat:

•   Ultra processed foods

•   Vegetable and seed oils

The solution to ultra processing is cooking from scratch.

Most vegetable and seed oils are ultra processed. Olive & avocado oils can be found that are cold pressed and system friendly.

HOW TO MAKE LIFE SWEET WITH LESS SUGAR & STARCH

Without belaboring the point, our American diet is a mess. We prefer not to keep warning about ultra processed foods, sweets, soda's, or Twinkies. We want to work with you to substitute alternatives, like fresh fruit, veggies, greens, cold pressed olive oil, and maybe a sweet potato. Low carbohydrate diets take time and discipline. They are very safe for most people. And, it's OK to deviate periodically for celebrations.

BODY FAT AND INFLAMMATION

Not all body fats are dangerous. In fact, in moderate amounts, many fats serve a purpose in maintaining a healthy life. However, some fats, when excessive, can become silent inflammatory killers, such as:

•  ADIPOSE FAT. Found throughout the body, adipose fats release pro-inflammatory markers which contribute to the development of numerous diseases, such as adult diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cardiac disease.

•  VISCERAL FAT. This is belly fat, which can produce toxins and an inflammatory response, throughout the body. Visceral fat also creates ectopic fat, which surrounds the organs, such as the liver, heart, and pancreas. Toxins from this fat are responsible for critical organ failures.

•  SUB-CUTANEOUS FAT. This fat is sometimes called "love handles". appears in many places in the body. In excess, it can bring on chronic inflammation and total disability.

The main drivers of these fats are:

1.    Ultra-processed foods.

2.    Poor diet choices.

3.    Chronic stress.

4.    Lack of exercise.

5.    Cultural isolation.

MESSAGE TO OUR READERS

Our bulletins provide general suggestions and ideas on healthy aging.

We are not medical experts. Our age, and experiences, have given us some insight into the means of attaining healthy independent living into the 9th decade of life.

The Bulletin team: Roger and Arlene.