Inflammation. Some call it the fire raging within that sparks a range of illnesses and diseases. Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense system and is its first response to protect you from trauma and stress. Good inflammation brings healing, but negative, chronic inflammation harms and weakens the body, stoking a fire that feeds weight gain and disease.
It may well be that the three legs of the health-and-wellness stool in your life (sleep, exercise, and nutrition) are wobbly. Their weakness might be why you’re ablaze with inflammation. Let’s look closer at why you might be experiencing “the fire within.”
Your gut is leaky
The relationship between leaky gut, formally known as intestinal permeability, and inflammation is a type of “which came first, the chicken or the egg.” When toxins and undigested food particles seep through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream, inflammation can occur. But inflammation itself can lead to a leaky gut. Stress, toxins, gastrointestinal problems, and unwise food choices are usually the culprits when it comes to that inflammatory response.
You’re too sweet for your own good
Too many of us are experiencing the sugar blues. As author William Dufty describes it, “sugar blues” consists of “multiple physical and mental miseries caused by human consumption of refined sucrose, commonly called sugar.” Sugar is probably the greatest offender when it comes to toxins that we ingest. The sugar struggle is real, and it invariably turns into inflammation and disease. Eliminating sugar is probably the most effective way to reduce chronic inflammation in your body.
You need to do an elimination diet
An elimination diet is the cheapest and most efficient way to determine which foods you’re most sensitive to and which might be creating inflammation and serious harm. By eliminating some foods for a few weeks, observing how you feel, and then reintroducing the eliminated foods, one at a time, you can determine which foods don’t work in your favor. That way, you cut off inflammation from those sources.
Your sleep is out of whack
Memo to all who are skimping on sleep and skating by on less than the required seven to nine hours: this is an open invitation to inflammation. You’re creating oxidative stress, an atmosphere in which free radicals and antioxidants get out of balance and your cells and tissues suffer sometimes irreparable damage. If this damage continues over the long term, it can lead to chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It’s vital that you give your body sufficient sleep to replenish, re-energize, and repair.
You’re suffering from a toxic overload
Toxicity can come from consuming genetically modified organisms (GMOs), drinking unfiltered water, using plastic containers to store and heat food, and cleaning your home with strong chemical products. But it goes beyond that to the types of personal care products you put on your skin and hair and in your mouth. Even consider how much alcohol you consume, the types of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs you use frequently, and even the number of times you’ve taken antibiotics. There’s a tender balance of bacteria in your gut that can go awry when the items mentioned above are in heavy rotation. It’s a recipe for inflammation to be stoked and to run amok in your body.
Your stress level is off the charts
Stress is omnipresent and seemingly inevitable. However, your response to the stressors you face can keep inflammation in check or send it into overdrive. How can you combat stress effectively? Stress management hacks, meditation, deep breathing, yoga–many of which fall under the rubric of soft wellness practices–can make or break the stronghold of stress-induced inflammation. The key is to slowly incorporate practices that help to quiet your mind and bring your emotions into a less frazzled state.
You aren’t exercising efficiently
Many of us are under the impression that a longer, more intense workout is the way to go. You absolutely do need to exercise regularly, but excessive workouts aren’t helping you keep inflammation in check. Chronic inflammation can result from too much exercise. We need balance, and sometimes we need help to work out how to create that balance, especially as we age. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) might be a good physical activity choice. And losing excess weight does help reduce inflammation because fat cells secrete a hormone that can contribute to inflammation.
So, now you’re aware of why that “internal fire” of inflammation might be lit within you. Read here about some of the dietary choices that can help quench that fire and bring back balance to your body.
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