Inflammation the lurking silent killer is the originator of many diseases. Inflammation is essentially there to help you but turns hostile with stress overdrive, viral attacks, injury, infection, and toxins.
Way back 2000 years ago, Roman physicians scratched their heads in confusion when they saw people diseased with red, warm, swollen, and painful arthritic joints. They presumed their joints were on fire: inflammare. They were clueless why this happened.
How does your body feel when it is unhappy with inflammation inside?
You feel pain somewhere in the abdomen or chest, you do not feel like leaving the bed down with fatigue, when you check with thermometer it shoots to peak, suddenly you see some ballooning swelling, you may have soreness or ugly red rashes or patches. At times, there may be loss of function. Friends, none other than inflammation is at work.
Inflammation is not a villain. On the contrary, it is there to act as police. Any injury or infection, the affected tissue sends chemical alarms for rescue. You dial an emergency number when you see a harasser. Similarly, our body responds to the alarm and send its trope to fight at the site of injury. The inflammatory cells fight off culprits or immunogens, get rid of damaged tissue and help in healing. After the good job, the inflammatory cells vanish like Superman only to reappear when need arises. You have recently read symptoms about ACUTE INFLAMMATION. Temporary but well-orchestrated response to triggers. But this is not the case with arthritis and diabetes, which involve CHRONIC low grade inflammatory response.
A few people have hyperactive immune system triggering development of auto-immune diseases. Under this scenario, your body’s failed surveillance system aka immune system, gets confused between self and foreign. Result: disease like arthritis, connective tissue diseases – systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren’s syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disorders, Type I diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, inflammatory lung disease and a variety of poorly understood disease including fatigue syndrome.
Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0675-0/figures/1
How to know you have inflammation
A blood test measures a protein produced by the liver, C-Reactive protein (CRP) which rises in response to inflammation.
ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) is another blood test for knowing inflammation.
What to Eat for a healthy inflammation-free living-
- Fiber rich diet provides protection against inflammation. The fibers are stomach friendly food that boosts immune system.
- Plant based proteins- Nuts, seeds, grains, legumes are alternatives to meat products.
- Rainbow vegetables- Add colours to your plate. Cauliflower, Okra, Broccoli, green leafy veggies, red/orange capsicum not only make a plate beautiful but life healthy.
- Herbs and Spices- These ingredients are inherent to Indian culture and tastes. Turmeric, ginger, basil, bay leaf, black pepper work in body’s favour.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids- The good nutrient that helps to keep away inflammation. Anti-inflammatory and mood booster helps to protect heart health.
The three most important questions to ask yourself to avoid weight issues and inflammation-
- Am I harming myself with an unhealthy diet?
Lot of processed food, added sugars, salt, red meat can add calories and lead to obesity and trigger inflammation. Cut on refined grain (white bread) and replace with whole grains.
- What important coping-nutrients are missing from my plate?
Lack of vital vitamins! Phytochemicals or natural food colours are missing in processed food.
- Do I Overeat?
Eat but stop before your burp comes! Don’t stuff your stomach and overload your liver.
Immune health is crucial for overall health and well being. It comes down to the basics: maintaining a healthy weight, choosing a good plant-based diet, getting plenty of sleep, managing stress, and exercising regularly can keep stress at bay and help to control inflammationack.