Wellness Matters: Inflammation, The Silent Killer

Wellness Matters: Inflammation, The Silent Killer

Did you know that almost every modern disease is either caused or affected by hidden inflammation, including heart disease, cancer, and obesity, as well as arthritis, Alzheimer, autoimmune disease, allergies, and digestive disorders. Hidden chronic inflammation is a silent killer.

Warning signs that you are dealing with chronic inflammation include frequent headaches, lack of concentration, depression, anxiety, joint pain, digestive issues, brain fog, blood sugar fluctuations, rapid aging, and weight gain. Take these seriously.

In today’s modern world, we are bombarded with countless invisible inflammatory substances on a daily basis. From processed foods to plastics, chemicals in the air and water, mould, high stress lives, and lack of exercise. Even the healthiest of individuals is exposed to countless things that keep internal inflammation levels high.

If the symptoms above sound familiar, your immune system and your body’s ability to balance inflammation may be impaired. But here’s great news, we no longer have to wonder if there is hidden inflammation, there is a straightforward new blood test that can save your life. It’s the “C-Reactive Protein” and the lab test measures the amount of hidden inflammation in your body.

Checking your C-Reactive Protein lab is a fantastic place to begin to look at what is happening internally. There are other lab tests that give clues about where the inflammation resides in the body: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a useful marker for systemic (body wide) inflammation. It’s also an indicator of tumors, infections or an autoimmune condition, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Homocysteine is another useful lab test that assesses if you are at an increased risk for a heart attack. Thyroid antibodies show there is inflammation in the thyroid. And, there are many more tests that can pinpoint areas of inflammation.

Once chronic inflammation is identified in the body, you can begin to address the root cause and take action! However, even if your lab tests come back normal, everyone on the planet today benefits greatly from making anti-inflammatory lifestyle changes. Some simple dietary changes can help anyone prevent or reduce inflammation. Cutting out or greatly reducing processed foods and high inflammation foods (gluten, dairy, corn, soy, sugar) are first steps in that process.

Fighting inflammation isn’t just about cutting things out, you also want to focus on what you’re putting in your body. Eating a  rainbow of organic vegetables and consuming foods high in omega 3’s are the critical first steps. There are also amazing spices that are super anti-inflammatory. These include: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, chili peppers, turmeric and cumin. Adding these ingredients to your current diet is as simple as adding cinnamon and cloves to your coffee, tea or smoothies. And adding garlic, turmeric, and cumin to your scrambled eggs (giving it a middle eastern flair).

Suggest adopting “habit stacking” for the greatest success of making this lifestyle change. Habit Stacking is the art of attaching a new habit you’re trying to adopt to a current daily habit (like drinking tea and coffee in the morning); place the cinnamon and cloves next to the coffee cup so you can’t forget to add it. If it seems like “too much work,” simply order the vitamins from iHerb and add it to your daily supplements. Piece of cake.

Anti-Inflammatory Tea

Try making this delicious anti-inflammatory tea at home and drink it throughout the day.

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• A dash chili powder
• 2-3cm fresh organic ginger
• 1 tea bag organic rooibos tea
• 1 tsp raw or manuka honey

Boil 175ml of water in saucepan, add dried herbs

• Mince ginger and place in a cup, add spiced water
• Place tea bag in cup
• Let steep 5-10 min
• Strain

Add in honey

To increase your lifespan and live a vibrant life of optimal health it is important to do everything we can to diminish or eliminate any hidden inflammation in the body. Contact me at http://www.vitalynn.com to learn more about inflammation in the body and how to eliminate it.

By Lynn Wood, Founder & Owner of VitaLynn, a Family Nurse Practitioner, focused on holistic healthcare and wellness programs. Lynn Wood’s can be contacted at www.vitalynn.com