If you read last weeks post which discussed the ins and outs of inflammation: what it is, what causes it and how it causes disease, you’ll already know that its an important thing to understand. If you suffer from depression, obesity, heart disease, diabetes type 2, cancer, brain fog, arthritis, fatigue or an autoimmune condition it is highly likely that you have a problem with chronic inflammation. In this weeks post, we wanted to expand on that subject by giving you a guide to follow to help you avoid chronic inflammation and the problems that come with it to give you the best chances of living life to the fullest!
There are many factors which combine and contribute to this problem, so don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to change everything at once. Identify which is the biggest areas for you and focus on changing one at a time, and over time you will make significant changes to your health. It’s not an overnight process, so make small steps and enjoy the journey.
Food First
Food is arguably the best place to look for sources of inflammation, but it is a topic which also causes the most confusion. We should all enjoy the little things occasionally – being too regimental and strict can have its own problems, but if the majority of what you eat every meal is made up of food from the right column below you will be able to put up with a little from the left on occasion.
This list summarises the main principles however there is no one size fits all as we are all individual. While one food will make one person thrive it can wreck havoc for another so if you are unsure, suffering from a condition or getting symptoms please consult us to give you guidance.
| Pro-inflammatory (Kick Out Completely) | In the Middle (Limit/consider removing) | Anti-inflammatory (eat the most of) |
| – Sugar – Fizzy Drinks – Vegetable oils (sunflower, rapeseed/canola, corn, margarine) – Fast food/deep fried food – Ultra refined ‘free from’ products – Cereals – White flour – Ingredients containing preservatives, additives and colourings – White bread*1 – Processed meat – Non-organic coffee*2 – Peanuts – Beer/Cider | – Dairy – Tropical fruits – White potatoes – Rice – Pasta – Whole grain Bread – Soy – Oats – Wine | – Grass fed products (butter, meat, chicken) – Wild meat/fish – Green vegetables – Starchy vegetables to replace refined carbs (sweet potato, swede, squash, carrots) – Tomatoes, peppers and aubergine*3 – Mushrooms – Nuts*4 – Seeds esp flaxseed and chia seeds – Chickpeas, lentils and beans*5 – Water – Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir |
*1 White bread has the same effect on your blood sugar as eating a tablespoon of sugar! High blood glucose spikes (and insulin) are toxic and inflammatory for the body.
*2 Coffee can have some health benefits when had in moderation, however, it also happens to be one of the most sprayed foods you can get. Choosing organic products from an independent coffee shop will do a lot to avoid inflammatory toxins from pesticides.
*3 These foods belong to the nightshade family which some people can be sensitive to so you should be careful with them if you have an inflammatory/autoimmune/gut condition.
*4 Nuts and seeds are great sources of energy, however, many of them do contain a lot of omega 6 fats which can contribute to inflammation we consume a diet that is omega 6 dominant and omega 3 deficient. This is a very common occurrence in western society due to overconsumption of grains. However, we still require omega 6, so consume nuts in moderation.
*5 These foods belong to the legume family and are a great source of plant based protein however they do contain factors that can cause inflammation. Lectins are effectively the plants’ defence mechanism against being eaten by animals. Legumes should be soaked for a few hours and cooked properly which generally breaks down these factors to make them safe to consume.
Be Conscious of Your Thoughts
As discussed in last weeks post negative emotion and mental stress can directly cause increases in inflammation. Have a read to find out why however the most important thing is creating a life which minimises these things or the effects of them. Life is too short to not create a life we love and thrive in!
- Acknowledge that you do get stressed a lot or are not happy.
- Take a step back and think objectively why that may be. Is it your job, are you in a toxic relationship, are you lacking purpose, do you compare yourself and try and live by other peoples values, are you always looking at things negatively?
- Change it – remove that thing from your life, remove yourself from that thing, change the way you deal with it, train yourself to think more positively, communicate to that person if they are unintentionally upsetting you, fill your life with things that give you energy and make you feel more alive instead of draining it. This can be uncomfortable, however nothing changes unless you make the change and temporary discomfort will always be worth it if it makes your life better – sometimes you have to suffer a bit to reap the reward!
Of course, there are some instances where we can’t completely remove the things that stress us – that is life. In this instance, we either need to change the way we deal with it or think about it, or do things in our spare time to balance out the negatives. Gratefulness techniques may appear uncomfortable to some people, however, the technique trains you to think more positively by becoming more aware of the positive things in our lives instead of the negative. Mindfulness trains you to have an uncluttered and more relaxed mind. Give yourself some alone time, join a sports club/social club and schedule daily things you enjoy more often.
Detoxify
Detoxing has become a cultural tradition which we all associate with January to make ourselves feel better again after drinking and eating copious amounts over December. However beyond alcohol and food, what else are you toxic in?
- Chemicals – commonly in beauty and cleaning products, these things do not belong in/on your body and create an inflammatory effect as your body fights against them. Opt for aluminium free deodorant, sulfate free shampoo, natural cleaning products like Bio-D, oxybenzone free mineral based sun cream or make your own – its better for you and the environment.
- Pollution – according to WHO’s most recent survey of 4300+ cities worldwide, only 20% of the urban population surveyed live in areas that comply with WHO air quality guideline levels. The gold standard is to obviously choose to live in non-urbanized areas, but getting out of the city regularly into green areas can have huge benefits to counteract the effects.
- Stimulation – we are now living in a world where we are bombarded with noise, light and information every second of the day. This is far more than we are designed to handle and can be a huge stress for the body which puts it in an inflammatory fight or flight mode. Actively schedule alone time, switch off screens in the evenings and turn the blue light off your phone.
- Fat mass – fat cells, and especially visceral fat actually produce an inflammatory effect in the body. Visceral fat generates around 17 different types of hormone, 15 of them being pro-inflammatory such as oestrogen which is why obesity is a risk factor for oestrogen dependent breast cancer.
Move Regularly
Sweating is one of our most effective detoxification methods, however, it has been found moving your body for as little as 20 minutes has even been shown to reduce inflammation. We are designed to move our body and being too static is one of the greatest contributors to chronic disease. If you struggle with exercise – take a look at our guidelines to get more movement in your life. The study quoted here showed these anti-inflammatory effects in people just brisk walking – although it is good to push yourself harder if you can, you don’t have to be an athlete; do something you can do.
As discussed in the previous inflammation post – its a hugely complicated subject and often very individual. Some foods cause inflammation in one person, while another may tolerate it well, so it’s important to listen to your own body. If you need help, or you suffer from an inflammatory condition, please contact us to enquire about our personalised health services.
Dr Jamie and Dr Judith
