In the human body, inflammation can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It all depends on what’s going on a the time. In an acute illness, inflammation works with the immune system to address harmful invaders, infection, and injury. However, if inflammation becomes chronic, it can then contribute to a variety of potentially dangerous conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and more. It’s important to address inflammation from all aspects, which can include diet, movement, and lifestyle factors. Learning not manage stress, live a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition can play a critical role in reducing inflammation that’s harmful.
The cause of inflammation depends on what triggers it in the first place and where in the body this is happening. However, the same process of how our body responds is the same no matter where its occurring:
- The body recognizes some harmful stimuli or enemy
- The Various inflammatory pathways are activated.
- Inflammatory markers are released in the body
- Inflammatory cells are recruited to attack the enemy.
Some things you will notice as a result of this activation caused by an an acute injury are: heat, pain, redness, and swelling, but will often resolve in a short time once the tissue is healed. However when the body’s inflammatory response is constantly being activated (chronic inflammation) it can lead to low-grade whole body inflammation (systemic inflammation). This low-grade inflammation can lead to tissue damage rather than healing. Unfortunately, one of the first signs of chronic systemic inflammation is often the development of an inflammatory-related illness like heart disease and diabetes etc.
Gut Health and Inflammation
The development of IBS (inflammatory bowel disease) is one of the signs of inflammation in the gut. When there is an imbalance of gut microbiota (i.e., dysbiosis), the immune system becomes activated which increases intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and can eventually lead to intestinal inflammation. Some of the same factors that increase systemic signs of inflammation also increase including:
- Antibiotic use
- Environmental stresses such as pollution
- Lack of physical activity
- Poor diet
- Psychological stress
- Sleep disturbances
Join us by participating in a 7 day Anti-Inflammatory Challenge. Click the Link below to download the slides. Meal Plan, gentle exercise and healthy habits that we will be working on during the week. If you will be participating. Send me a message and make sure to document the process and tag me in your social media post. Anyone who participates everyday during the 7 day challenge is in for a surprise.
