SEE Your Inflammation

Before beginning any lifestyle modifications, let’s assess where you are right now so that you know the differences that have occurred after making these changes.   This symptom checklist will support you in SEEing Your Inflammation.

We use the term eating pattern purposefully, because we don’t want this to be confused with a “diet”.  Many people think of a “diet” as something that is short-term and that can be stopped once they reach their goals.  To Take Command of Your Inflammation, this will be a lifestyle change-an eating pattern for a lifetime.  Use this eating pattern for a minimum of 3 weeks, preferably 1 month before making adding any gluten, dairy or other foods not listed. You may be able to make adjustments as you reach your wellness goals, but you will need to monitor for recurrent symptoms!

An anti-inflammatory eating pattern consists of healthy proteins, fats and carbohydrates.  The carbohydrates are primarily from vegetables and low glycemic index fruits.  Removing pro-inflammatory foods will be imperative for your success. In this section we provide the guidelines for optimal food choices for Taking Command of Your Inflammation.

Foods to Eliminate:

The foods listed below are pro-inflammatory and should be eliminated for a minimum of 30 days.

• Sugar in all forms, including sucrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, and brown sugar.

• Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, maltodextrin, saccharin, aspartame, Sweet ‘n’ Low, Splenda, Equal)

• Gluten-containing grains: avoid foods which contain wheat, oats, rye, spelt, kamut, bulgur, couscous, and barley. This includes pastas, bread, crackers, cereals, and other products made from these grains. Gluten-free whole grains such as brown rice, wild rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat may be consumed in moderation, if tolerated by the individual—consider removing these completely for at least 30 days to monitor your tolerance.

• Beans/Legumes unless vegetarian. Some people experience inflammatory response to legumes (hummus, beans, chickpeas, peanuts) Yes, peanuts are actually included in this, as they are legumes as well.

• Dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream

• All alcohol

• All caffeine-containing beverages including coffee, tea and soda

• Soy protein, including soy milk, soybean oil, tofu and tempeh

• Desserts (chocolate. candy, cakes, cookies)

• Fried foods

• Hydrogenated oils (corn oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil)—these oils are pro-inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids that contribute to inflammation.

• Margarine

• Peanuts/peanut butter (high allergen legumes)

• Packaged fruit and vegetable juices

We discussed Leaky Gut earlier in the module.  One of the root causes of leaky gut is an imbalance in the microbiome in the gut.  That is a fancy way of saying there is an imbalance in the good bacteria and “bad” bacteria in the gut.  This imbalance may result from exposure to medications  including:

• antibiotics
• laxatives
• antihistamines
• hormones
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS – aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, celebrex, etc)

Other causes of including:

• exposure to antibiotics and hormones in foods
• eating pro-inflammatory foods
• parasitic and yeast infections in the gut
• exposure to toxins.

The results of leaky gut may be inflammation, digestive disorders, skin issues, candida (a yeast infection), auto-immune disease, and frequent infections.

Restoring the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut will result in improved digestion, including improved nutrient absorption and bowel movements.  We discussed earlier that 2/3 of our immune system is in our guts, so increasing the amount of healthy bacteria will improve your immune system!    A healthy gut is able to prevent many viruses, bacteria, and parasites from entering the blood stream.

Implementing the anti-inflammatory eating pattern will support you to improve gut health.  In particular, reducing sugar and processed foods which harm the gut lining.  In addition to eating anti-inflammatory foods, one can heal a leaky gut using the following measures.

Consume Probiotic Foods
Probiotic foods naturally contain bacteria that are found in a healthy gut.   Yeast and healthy bacteria are added during the preparation phase of these foods.  With fermented and pickled vegetables, the vegetables are submerged in a salty brine that kills of harmful bacteria, allowing healthy ones to thrive.  These bacteria begin to break down the sugars in the vegetables making them easier to digest when consumed.

• Raw Sauerkraut (not treated with heat; brands to consider are Bubbies and Farmhouse Culture)

• Other fermented vegetables (asparagus, beets)

•  Pickles (not heat treated)

•  Kimchi

• Kombucha-fermented black tea, that results in a fizzy drink.  Some have a flavor similar to beer.

• Kefir-this is a fermented dairy product similar to yogurt that is in a drinkable form.   A non  dairy alternative is Coconut Kefir.  Make sure there is no added sugar.

• Yogurt-Yes, yogurt has probiotic qualities.  However, most of the widely available yogurts are highly processed and contain large amounts of added sugar.  Highest quality yogurt is made from grass-fed, organic goat/sheep milk.

• Raw, unpasturized Cheese made from goat/sheep milk.

• Kvass-a non-alcoholic fermented beverage similar to kombucha.  Some is made from rye bread, so those with gluten sensitivity or celiac can consider other versions, like Beet Kvass.

Consume Prebiotics

Prebiotics are plant fibers that promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.  Think of prebiotics as the fertilizer for good bacteria in the gut!  Prebiotic fiber is found in many fruits and vegetables, including RAW:

• Garlic

• Onion (raw or cooked)

• Leeks

• Asparagus

• Dandelion greens

• Beans

• Bananas (under-ripe)

• Jerusalem artichokes

• Chicory root

• Jicama

Bone Broth is a broth made by cooking bones (preferably from grass-fed animals) slowly, allowing the nutrients from the bone to seep into the water, creating a nutritious broth.  Bone broth helps with growth of good bacteria and fights inflammation.

Taking Probiotic & Prebiotic Supplements

• Lactobacillus acidophilus

• bifidobacterium

Allergens
Allergens may be environmental or food.  Environmental allergies may be seasonal or year round.  Some allergens may be a little more difficult to avoid, but reducing your exposure as much as possible reduces the inflammation in your body.  Common allergens to consider that may be contributing to your symptoms include dairy, gluten, dustmites, and molds.  There are labs that test for true allergic reactions to these items.

Sensitivities
People may be sensitive to substances, without having a traditional allergic reaction.  These sensitivities may not show up on lab tests that are currently available.  Sensitivities are mediated by a separate immune response than allergies, so the symptoms may be more variable.  The best way to determine sensitivities is to remove the substance from your diet or environment for at least 30 days, up to 90 days.  Common sensitivities include dairy and gluten. This is why these foods have been excluded in the anti-inflammatory eating pattern we recommend in this module.

Everything that you are exposed to – everything you breathe, touch, drink in your water or eat in your food has to be processed by your body and increases your likelihood of inflammation. This includes pesticides, herbicides, air pollutants, household chemicals and cleaners, food additives, flame-retardants in your furniture and perfumes. You are literally surrounded. By minimizing your exposure and supporting your body’s natural detoxification, you can reduce the inflammation that occurs due to exposure to the toxins!

Support your body’s detoxification system (kidneys, liver, lymph system, and skin):

• Drink 8 glasses of water daily

• Eat 1-2 cups of Cruciferous vegetables daily:  broccoli, kale, bok choy

• Eat garlic, onions, ginger, tumeric

• Take a hot bath with Epsom Salts and Lavender.  You will sweat out toxins and the bath and lavender will be relaxing, reducing cortisol and inflammation! You can also sweat out toxins in a sauna or hot tub, unless you have high blood pressure or other heart related issues that would contraindicate this!

It is unrealistic to think you can eliminate all toxins, but you can work to minimize them. The simplest steps are things like:

• Reduce the pesticides you are exposed to by purchasing organic. According to the Environmental Working Group, the following  conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have the highest levels of pesticides, so purchasing organic in these will make the most difference:

  • Strawberries
  • Apples
  • Nectarines
  • Peaches
  • Celery
  • Grapes
  • Cherries
  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
  • Bell Peppers
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Cucumbers

• Use natural body care products, fragrances, and cleaning products.

• Water often contains contaminants, so use a carbon water filter or purchase spring water.

• Reduce intake of mercury, by choosing fish/seafood that has less mercury.  Smaller fish tend to have less mercury.  Larger fish have more because they absorb more mercury as they eat large amounts of smaller fish.  Here is a guide that may be useful in selecting seafood with the least mercury intake.

• BPA is treatment for plastic and cans.  The food/drink may absorb some of the BPA.  Do not use plastic containers for heating food in the microwave.  Consider using glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers for storing food and drinks.  Consider purchasing foods in BPA free cans.

• Teflon when heated to high temperatures may release harmful compounds into foods.  Consider changing to stainless steel, ceramic or cast iron pots/pans.

• Reduce foods containing hormones and antibiotics.  Government regulations now require chickens to be hormone-free, but other meats have not! Look for organic, grass-fed/pastured animals.

Stress is affiliated with inflammation, particularly because stress causes the release of Cortisol.  Cortisol=Inflammation.

In Taking Command of Your Stress, we offer a 28 day program to support you in learning tools to manage your stress!  The video below discuss the costs and impact of stress on wellness.  To access the Taking Command of Your Stress Module, visit our shop!

A sedentary lifestyle contributes to inflammation. Regular physical activity reduces inflammation in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:

• Muscles release of anti-inflammatory compounds

• Reducing adipose tissue (fatty tissue) which release inflammatory compounds

• Reduced levels of endotoxin

Current national guidelines recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity.  Moderate intensity activity is usually done at an intensity where an individual can talk, but would be unable to “sing”. Example of moderate intensity activities include:

• brisk walking

• slow biking

• general gardening

• ballroom dancing.

In place of moderate intensity activity, an individual can also complete 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity. Vigorous intensity physical activity is done at a pace where individuals can no longer talk and are somewhat out of breath. Examples of vigorous intensity activities include:

• swimming laps

• playing tennis

• fast bicycling.

Individuals can also complete a combination of 150 minutes of moderate and vigorous intensity activity, where vigorous activity is equal to 2 minutes of moderate intensity activity. Individuals are encouraged to perform their activity in “bouts” that are at least 10 minutes in length.

Our Taking Command of Your Physical Activity Module is available to support you in making lifestyle modifications around physical activity!

Infections, especially chronic infections, are affiliated with chronic inflammation. Infections may be viral, bacterial, or yeast/candida.  These can occur in any area of the body.  As you learned earlier in this module, inflammation is the body’s way of fighting infections.

Infections also affect and are affected by the health of our guts.  For bacterial infections, like ear infections or sinus infections, we may receive antibiotics.  Antibiotics not only kill the bacteria, but they kill the good bacteria in our guts.  This, ironically, makes us more susceptible to other infections, including yeast infections, especially candida.  Anytime you take an antibiotic, begin probiotic supplements and fermented foods during and following the course of antibiotics!

Having a leaky gut makes you more susceptible to infections.  The gut contains 2/3 of our immune system and when it is not functioning properly, we are susceptible to infections.  Healing your leaky gut will reduce your susceptibility to infection!

There are also infections that are silent and undiagnosed that may be contributing to your inflammation, symptoms, and diseases.  Consult your healthcare provider to rule out these infections.

Vitamin D impacts all areas of the body, including the immune system, insulin secretion, heart function and blood pressure regulation, brain and fetal development.  Vitamin D acts like a hormone in the body and is vital to reducing inflammation in the body.

Many people in America are Vitamin D Deficient.  The reasons for this are multifactorial:

• Reduced Sun Exposure

• Use of Sunscreen & Clothing to prevent sun damage

• People with darker skin pigment need more sun exposure to produce adequate levels.

• Reduced intake of coldwater fish

• Reduced ability of the skin to produce Vitamin D due to age

• Inflammatory disease

• Persistent infection

• Abnormal metabolism of Vitamin D

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are non-specific so it is difficult to know whether you are deficient without laboratory testing.  Consult your healthcare provider regarding testing and supplementation. In the meantime, spend 15-20 minutes outside without sunscreen with as much skin exposed as possible (time needed for darker pigments may be 30-45 minutes total).  Eat more coldwater fish and eggs.

You have learned a lot about what inflammation looks like, what causes it and what can be done to reduce inflammation.  Are you ready to do something about it?  Use this video and the inquiry at the bottom of the page as a guide to determine your readiness for change.

Where are you on the continuum?

To further assess where you are in the continuum, ask yourself the following questions and be ruthlessly honest in your response.

• Am I willing to commit time and energy to making this change in my life? Am I willing to schedule this time on my calendar along with my other commitments, then keep the appointment?  Am I willing to say no to other commitments in order to create time for this one?

• Am I willing to take time to prepare myself for this change?  Am I willing to plan and prepare on a regular basis to make this happen?

• Am I willing to ask for support in making this change?

  [Note: “friend power over will-power”]

• Am I willing to make small changes gradually over time to improve my success?

  [Note: having too many goals limits the amount of attention and willpower you can devote to reaching any single goal]

• What/who am I doing this for?

  [Research shows that self-motivation rooted in positive thinking is more impactful than making a change out of fear, guilt, or regret]

• What do I want to experience in my life out of making this change? These may be thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, etc.

• What is really important to me? What is really, really important to me?  What is really, really, really important to me?