Inflammation, that dreaded word, but also a necessary part of our body's defense system has become the bane of our health management! Healthy inflammation for example when we have a cut or burn and our skin swells, reddens and heals back over is the end goal for it working with and for us. However, inflammation in overdrive from factors such as unwise dietary and lifestyle choices stress, meds, turns what was meant to heal into something that leads to ills...đĽ´
[ Well it looks like there's a whole lot of fight or flight stressing going on here! These guys could use a little stress reduction! :() ]
The holiday seasons can create an environment of inflammatory responses that we don't want or need due to over eating, excess sugar, alcohol, and other holiday fare, and stress.
When we're stressed our body goes into fight-or-flight mode and releases more of the stress hormone Cortisol [ which is there for preparing the body for fighting or fleeing ].
Cortisol functions to suppress otherwise beneficial body functions like our immune responses, and digestion. Cortisol also brings more energy to the large muscles, and forces blood to pump harder in order to aid to our stress response. Furthermore, adrenaline gets released telling the body to increase heart and respiratory rates. This fight-or-flight response is meant to be temporary which is why other normal body functions arenât functioning at their peak. Whether the stress threat is an illness, a disease, or psychological/emotional our immune system still sends out Pro-Inflammatories to âattack the âinvaderâ.
So healing a burn, virus or disease isnât on the bodyâs radar when weâre under high stress and over time this inflammation can become chronic and that leads to all kinds of health maladies.đ
[ God is our key to total health management! Get your mind right with our Savior! ]
Iâve said it before and Iâll say it again we at LivingThruGrace are inflammation fighters! We work all angles to keep our inflammatory response working the way itâs designed to instead of against us. Weâre in holiday seasons now and that means more stress, more foods probably loaded with sugar, and all that other good stuff our favorite holiday foods are filled with!đđ Itâs double time for our bodyâs so letâs give it some assist with simple anti -inflammatory fighting tips!đđ˝
Get in those purple and red foods like red cabbage, red grapes,plums, blackberries, get the picture? Red fruits and veggies are loaded with Anthocyanins a compound which provides the lush red and blue and purple hues in these foods, and also aids in lowering C-reactive a protein, an inflammatory activity maker. Whoot - Whoot!
Spice up your life! Spices like turmeric in particular contain curcumin, the compound that makes turmeric so good for fighting inflammation. Curcumin reduces the protein that makes our immune system become overworked. If youâre interested in taking curcumin supplements theyâre available in health and supermarkets as well as online. Recommended amounts for supplementing are up to 1,500 mg daily. But itâs good to check with your doctor before adding any supplement to your regime.đ§đ˝ââď¸
We can always get in curcumin from fresh or ground turmeric by adding it to foods, and drinks like golden milk better known as turmeric milk or latte. Five teaspoons of ground turmeric or two ounces of fresh turmeric root has 500 mg of curcumin. We can afford to be generous with this powerful inflammation fighter, and by adding ginger along with it we get a double whammy of inflammation busting!âĄď¸đĽ
[ Oh whoâs old enough to remember Mr Peanut! Heâs a super cool food icon!đ]
If youâre not allergic, go nuts for nuts, about 5 one ounce servings of cashews, peanuts, walnuts or almonds aid in lowering inflammatory markers. Nuts đĽ help because theyâre full of antioxidants, fiber and omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. Those components make just a super combo!
[ These LivingThruGrace ladies are on top of their inflammation! ]
Bust a move! We know this drill, exercise has multiple benefits. We were made to move, and modern sedentary living has only aided in raising inflammation, with obesity being a major cause of inflammationđŽ. We can do it, and YES house and yard work count just as long as weâre moving our health will get grooving!
[ Yep this little guy is in full on night mode - reminds me of someone...Oh, me 𤣠]
Get some shut eye, even an hour more to start is a move toward helping the body lower stress and thus reduce inflammation. Iâm a bonafide night owl and Iâve been told by my doctor that I need to work on improving my sleep habits!đđ. Itâs hard because I come alive in the night!đ¤Łđ§đ˝ââď¸ Iâve recently been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and that may have been a part of the reason why, and the other is lifelong habit. While Iâm working on getting used to my little nose mask, I appear to be sleeping more soundly, according to my hubby. But Iâm still creeping to bed after the midnight hour!đ. Iâm a work in progress!
[ Who loves getting homemade trail mixes and granola for gifts? We love making them! They're full of good fats for good moods! :() ]
These are lifestyle tips and each of us has at least one [ or more ] of these that could withstand a little improvement, am I right? Inflammation is a direct line to so many health ailments and disease, so isnât it worth it to keep the fight going? Weâll battle this beast together with knowledge and action! đđ˝