So we keep hearing the term inflammation being bandied about, which seems like a pretty broad term, and also can be cured with a turmeric latte if you listen to all the hippy-dippy-do-dah “wellness” bloggers out there, but what does it actually mean? It’s basically your body’s defense mechanism that responds to irritation, injury or infection, activating the immune system to begin the healing process. The immune system detects the site of the injury/infection and releases inflammatory hormones like histamine, increasing blood flow to the area and vascular permeability. This allows certain cells to enter and exit the area, ie. getting out the baddies and putting in the good guys. This action creates swelling, redness, heat and pain, all the normal responses you’d expect from injury/infection.
Let’s look into the types of inflammation…
ACUTE INFLAMMATION – this is a beneficial, short-term form of inflammation. It’s the bodies response to a trauma such as a sports injury, a bacterial infection like tonsillitis, or an allergic reaction, helping the body to heal and recover.
CHRONIC INFLAMMATION – this is the guy to worry about. This is when the body is in a state of inflammation for a prolonged period. All the protective responses that the body creates for acute inflammation that are helpful in the short-term, actually becomes problematic for your health and wellbeing if it hangs around too long, by flooding your body with hormones and defense cells, resulting in an overactive immune system which can potentially attack healthy tissue causing a host of health conditions such as obesity, autoimmune diseases, depression and heart disease.
COMMON CAUSES OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
POOR DIET -as the old adage goes, you are what you eat. A diet high in inflammatory foods that cause us irritation such as processed foods, refined sugar, vegetable oils, poor quality dairy, gluten and trans fats is obviously hideous for your health, duh. Going Paleo cuts all that crap out, so JUST EAT REAL FOOD! It’s not rocket science.
POOR GUT HEALTH – eating a poor diet, too many antibiotics and high stress are some of the factors that can throw your microbiome out of kilter and put your gut health into inflammation mode. Poor gut health has been linked to autoimmune disease, fatigue and joint health, mood disorders and fertility.
LACK OF SLEEP – tests have proven undeniable links between lack of sleep (continuously getting les than 7-8hrs per night) and chronic inflammation. Tests show a sizeable increase in inflammatory markers within the blood. These makers are linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. So whats more important peeps? Binge watching Outlander or getting enough sleep? Guys, Jamie Fraser will be shirtless in his kilt tomorrow night, no need to sit up til 1am drooling…
LACK OF EXERCISE – do I need to explain this? In summary, don’t be an idiot and start looking after yourself. Not scientific, but makes a shit-tonne of sense.
Let’s look into the types of inflammation…
ACUTE INFLAMMATION – this is a beneficial, short-term form of inflammation. It’s the bodies response to a trauma such as a sports injury, a bacterial infection like tonsillitis, or an allergic reaction, helping the body to heal and recover.
CHRONIC INFLAMMATION – this is the guy to worry about. This is when the body is in a state of inflammation for a prolonged period. All the protective responses that the body creates for acute inflammation that are helpful in the short-term, actually becomes problematic for your health and wellbeing if it hangs around too long, by flooding your body with hormones and defense cells, resulting in an overactive immune system which can potentially attack healthy tissue causing a host of health conditions such as obesity, autoimmune diseases, depression and heart disease.
COMMON CAUSES OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
POOR DIET -as the old adage goes, you are what you eat. A diet high in inflammatory foods that cause us irritation such as processed foods, refined sugar, vegetable oils, poor quality dairy, gluten and trans fats is obviously hideous for your health, duh. Going Paleo cuts all that crap out, so JUST EAT REAL FOOD! It’s not rocket science.
POOR GUT HEALTH – eating a poor diet, too many antibiotics and high stress are some of the factors that can throw your microbiome out of kilter and put your gut health into inflammation mode. Poor gut health has been linked to autoimmune disease, fatigue and joint health, mood disorders and fertility.
LACK OF SLEEP – tests have proven undeniable links between lack of sleep (continuously getting les than 7-8hrs per night) and chronic inflammation. Tests show a sizeable increase in inflammatory markers within the blood. These makers are linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. So whats more important peeps? Binge watching Outlander or getting enough sleep? Guys, Jamie Fraser will be shirtless in his kilt tomorrow night, no need to sit up til 1am drooling…
LACK OF EXERCISE – do I need to explain this? In summary, don’t be an idiot and start looking after yourself. Not scientific, but makes a shit-tonne of sense.