THE FIRE WITHIN
Mention any sort of ailment and/or disease and someone is sure to talk about inflammation. The wellness community points to inflammation as the cause for everything wrong with the body.
So what does inflammation actually mean? The word itself goes back to a Latin term inflammatio meaning “setting on fire.” One kind of inflammation is actually good in the short run. It’s the body’s natural way of fighting an infection or healing a wound.
The long term chronic type is what is of concern, causing aging and a risk for disease.
Problems are considered to originate in the stomach, gastro-intestinal tract and bloodstream such as low-grade bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
Other causes of whole body inflammation are attributed to allergies and sensitivities to certain foods, stress, environmental toxicity, diet and lifestyle.
Smoking is a sure fire (no pun intended) way to flare up inflammation in the body!
Symptoms can range from wrinkles, acid reflux, and skin conditions to more serious conditions like cancer and heart disease.
How do we reduce the amount of inflammation in the body? Following an anti-inflammatory diet is one way. Eliminate or reduce sugar, alcohol, poor-quality salt and animal products. Some functional medicine doctors even recommend staying away from dairy and gluten. Strive to maintain a slightly alkaline state.
Adding things to the diet such as alkaline water, turmeric, garlic, curcumin, ginger and collagen can help. Eating fruits, vegetables, fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and healthier oils, like olive oil. Eliminate deep fried foods and add probiotics daily.
Exercise can be beneficial in reducing inflammation. Even with physical disabilities some sort of activity is recommended for improvement.
Reduce stress and get enough sleep, two things that are sometimes very elusive, but can be managed.
The popular consensus is that inflammation is the cause of most, if not all ailments and diseases. However, it’s important to remember that inflammation plays a vital role in the body. There is definitely a fine line between the two!
Hope you enjoyed this article!
Remember,
Keep on the Sunnyside!
Photo # 1 Source
There is a lot of good advice right here! Living a healthy lifestyle in the USA is hard. There is too much junk food, sugar, and fat in our diet. I need to hire you as my health coach!
Yeah, well, you're right about too much junk food! The stores are full of it and hard to resist. I need a health coach myself.....and a personal trainer .....and a anti-inflammatory cook! Thanks for reading and commenting!
You have been resteemed by @resteemy, courtesy of @sunnieside!
Want to increase your following? Read more about me here