What’s the Big Deal with Inflammation?

Are you interested in reducing inflammation in your body? Ask me how I can help!

I know we are all currently still in panic mode about our current COVID-19 pandemic, but let’s take a few minutes to think about something a little bit different. Let’s talk about inflammation…we always hear about it, but what’s the big deal?

First off, there are two different types of inflammation- acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is like when you get a cut on your finger- your immune system ramps up and heals that area pretty quickly, but then things go back to normal. Chronic inflammation is when your immune system is constantly set to “on”. Your body thinks that there is a constant stimulus and continues to react to it- releasing all sorts of inflammatory substances and by-products, that in the long-term, become harmful. What does all of this mean for you?

Well, did you know that all the following diseases are either inflammatory diseases or linked to inflammation in the body?

• Alzheimer’s
• Arthritis (all types)
• Asthma
• Atherosclerosis (clogging of arteries), heart disease
• Chron’s disease
• Colitis
• Dermatitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Lupus
• Type II Diabetes
• Obesity
• Periodontal Disease
• And, so many more!

Another fun fact – Per the CDC, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Obesity are all epidemics in the United States. And they are all preventable diseases. So, let me ask a loaded question- the United States has taken drastic measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic, but what are we doing about these diseases that kill so many people each and every year? (Side bar here- I am in no way trying to make light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s severity or any actions taken to control the situation.) Heart disease kills 647,000 people a year, over 1.5 million adults are diagnosed with Type II Diabetes each year, and Obesity is a risk factor for both of these diseases. We have proven how powerful we can be in stopping the spread of one disease, I hope that once the dust settles, we realize that we can do much, much more to combat some of these other disease that are so devastating to our society.

We are all struggling to get back to our so called “new normal”, so let me encourage you, in this new normal, to make reducing inflammation in your body a priority! We may not be able to individually make a widespread impact on these epidemics, but we can educate ourselves and choose to make better choices. There are so many small things you can do that will protect you against the next pandemic by making you healthier overall. Ask me how I can help you with this goal- it’s not a quick, overnight change, but rather a lifestyle change that could save you time, money and headaches down the road.

There are so many different things that can cause inflammation in our bodies. Processed foods, stress, lack of sleep, injury or infections and environmental toxins have all been linked to inflammation in the body. Some of the things that can help reduce inflammation in your body are eating the right foods, exercising, getting adequate sleep, limiting environmental toxins, etc. Well, that’s not the least bit overwhelming. That’s okay, you can just go to the doctor and get medicine right? Because that will fix it all. Doctors are trained to treat symptoms, but unfortunately, often times they don’t treat the causes of the problem. Plus, want to talk about the side effects of your medications? I would love to!

So, what do you do? Start making the changes, start taking the steps to reduce inflammation in your body. It isn’t as hard as you might think…what we put in our bodies (nutrition) is a great place to start! With so many chronic illnesses plaguing our society, and most of them linked to inflammation, why not cut it out? Contact me to set up a free consult today and let’s chat about reducing inflammation in your body and living a healthier lifestyle!

Below I posted a segment I did on a local radio station- “Health and Happiness” with Dr. Arlis Wood and Dr. Suzanne Wood- on Nutrition and Inflammation. Take a listen!