Eyes Can’t See It- Silent Inflammation

President Bush w/ Randal McCloy, mine survivor

President Bush was the first president to have his “C-reactive” protein levels checked during his annual “state of the president’s health” exam.  (1)  It is such a new discovery that most of us have not had our own levels checked.  What does it matter?  It matters because it is like candy wrappers hidden in your child’s room, or smoke slithering out under a closed door…it tells you what you cannot, or have not yet seen. 

INFLAMMATION HEALS
When I landed wrong and sprained my ankle in college, white blood cells and their accompanying inflammatory chemicals were released to the area to protect the injury by making it immobile, kill any foreign invaders and begin the healing process.  When the healing was done enzymes were sent to shut down the inflammation.  That whole process of swelling is healing, but it has a beginning and an end where the tissue returns to its normal condition because the immune system shuts down the whole operation.

INFLAMMATION DESTROYS
Internal inflammation, on the other hand, is triggered by such things as toxins, viruses, bacteria or food allergies.  Just like I haven’t seen my own heart, I can’t see or feel this inflammation, yet it is still there. For reasons still not completely understood, this kind of inflammation within can get stuck in the on position.  Sometimes our immune system gets confused and will even attack our own healthy tissues with the swelling response as if they were foreign and dangerous (autoimmune diseases).  Picture it as the strain on a light bulb that never gets turned off.  It can go on unchanged for weeks, months and years without a stopping point, and this chronic condition of inflammation wears out the strength of the immune system, paving the way for many of the heart breaking maladies we endure…cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, and many others. (2) 

OMEGA-3 OIL…AGAIN!
Randal McLoy pictured above with President Bush is the mine disaster survivor I told you about last week. Remember that his doctors give mega doses of omega 3 oil lots of credit for bringing his battered body back to life.
Would you believe that :
-Consuming more of our own beloved fish oil in its variety of fruity flavors, or oily fish like wild caught salmon is the number one dietary change you can make to fight inflammation? 
- Another great change is Orange Tree Lane Table Leg #1, drinking more water to flush our system of the toxins that exasperate inflammation.
-Or prevent toxic build up by purchasing antibiotic and growth hormone free meat and milk.
-Get more antioxidants by eating more antioxidant-rich, brightly colored fruits and vegetables at every meal because they help your immune system defeat the inflammatory stimulants. (3)

These are just a few suggestions of things we can ADD to our diets to decrease inflammation. Since inflammation is a marker for many serious health problems like ” stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and many more diseases associated with aging… even heart attacks”, it’s worth the effort to educate yourself and make a few lifestyle changes. (4) 

I’ve been serving salmon more frequently to my family, and I also find many places to stash extra greens, like a huge handful of baby greens julienned and cooked in the scrambled eggs this morning, and always in chili or soup. Which change are you going to work on this week to help your loved ones fight the onslaught of silent, internal inflammation?

Molly

A Few More Inflammatory Fighters:  extra virgin olive oil, cruciferous vegetables, blueberries, turmeric, ginger, garlic, sweet potatoes and green tea

(1) & (2)  http://www.jigsawhealth.com/resources/inflammation
(3) http://my.clevelandclinic.org/symptoms/inflammation
(4) http://my.clevelandclinic.org/newsletters/health_advantage/fall_2007/fish_oil.aspx