While there is no quick fix to inflammation, you certainly can find relief. The first place to look is your diet. The average person generally eats 3-5 times per day.  It is important to consider the type of foods you are consuming.  Are these foods nourishing your body, or simply filling your stomach and pleasing your taste buds? One the most common culprits to inflammation is over-consuming sugar. Sugar comes in many disguises so don’t be fooled! Two of the most common are lactose and fructose found in milk and fruit. But did you know that all grains also convert to sugar alcohol in your body?  If your day gets started with a bowl of cereal and milk, and a glass of orange juice, then wow -that’s a ton of sugar!

Consider this:  your body can only handle approximately 1tsp. of sugar in the blood stream at any given time. Any more than that and you’re in trouble. One 12 ounce glass of OJ provides a whopping 8 teaspoons! So what happens? In a nutshell, the pancreas has to work on over-drive to produce enough insulin to regulate the amount of sugar entering the blood stream at any given time. The body interprets this constant demand on the pancreas as an internal stress and alerts your adrenals to get involved. Your adrenals are what produce the “fight or flight” hormone called cortisol to help your body deal with stress appropriately. In normal amounts, cortisol acts as an anti-inflammatory and natural pain reliever. The problem is, when this hormone is being produced on a consistent basis, and in high amounts, it has the reverse affect. It starts to cause inflammation and pain!  

Once you’ve started this cycle, it can be hard to get out of because your body starts to crave the very thing that is causing the stress response….SUGAR!   Do yourself a favor and cut out the sugar – that means carbohydrates folks. Try to eat more healthy proteins, fats, and low starch vegetables. In fact, give up the cereal for your morning breakfast all together and try replacing it with this healthy shake:   

  • 8-10 ounces of Coconut Milk (found in the dairy section at Whole Foods) or Almond Milk
  • ½ avocado 
  • 4 ounces FAGE Greek yogurt (found in dairy section at Whole Foods – full fat please) 
  • 1 raw egg (organic free range) ….if your queasy about a raw egg, replace it with some almond butter – no peanut butter though!
  • 1/2tsp of stevia or xylitol 

Blend and drink… yum  yum yum… don’t like my suggestion?  No problem –  be creative and try something different – just don’t go for that bagel with cream cheese, muffin with butter, or slice of toast and jam. When’s the last time you had some free range eggs with a side of spinach or steamed kale?  

Once you’ve considered your diet, you may want to add some supplements to help assist your body in overcoming inflammation. Of course, the type of supplements appropriate for you depends on what is causing your inflammation. Below is a list of supplements that you may find helpful. Most of these can be found at your local health food store.

  • MSM – helpful for all kinds of inflammation as well as problems with connective tissue such as ligament, tendons, and even hair, skin, and nails. 
  • Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Specifically: MORE EPA by Minami). EPA acts a natural anti-inflammatory and helps regulate the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids, too much of which can lead to inflammation 
  • Cherry Fruit Extract – specific for different forms of  arthritis and gout 

For a more specific approach, consider taking the adrenal stress test and/or hair mineral analysis to determine how well your body is handling stress and metabolizing carbohydrates. This can lead you to a more precise diet and supplement program to address your individual needs. 

Need help with fighting inflammation? Get in touch – I’d love to hear from you!