Inflammation The Slient Killer

Professor Drew's Classroom - Inflammation The Silent Killer

Inflammation is a Secret or Silent Killer.  As we know from the research over the past several years, there is a surprising link between Inflammation and heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other diseases.

This was the cover of Time Magazine back in February 2004.  The article explains the link between chronic illness and inflammation as follows: 

Most of the time inflammation is a life saving procedure that allows the body to fight off infection from bacteria, virus and parasites. (Yes even in the industrial world we are constantly being bombarded by pathogens).  The instant any of these potentially deadly microbes slip into the body, inflammation marshals a defense attack that lays waste to both the invader and any tissue it may have infected.  Then just as quickly, the process subsides and healing begins.  Every once in a while, the whole feverish process doesn’t shut down on cue. In any event, the inflammation becomes chronic rather that transitory.

Basically, this article is informing us that the constant exposure to pathogens (bacteria, virus, and parasites) will eventually lead to chronic inflammation, where the body cannot shut down the inflammatory response.  This leads to chronic illness such as autoimmune disease, cancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.

However, it is not just pathogens that we are being bombarded with.  We are also bombarded by man made pathogens which in most cases are more harmful.  For example, every time you breathe in a toxins from the air such as household cleaning products, pesticides, chemicals used to keep our lawns and sidewalks free from weeds or industrial generated air pollution, you are triggering inflammation.  Every time you eat a food with a preservative, a pesticide, a hormone, an antibiotic or refined sugar, you are also triggering inflammation.

The most exciting part of this research is that we now have one single healing strategy to help prevent chronic illness and promote healthy aging…..reduce inflammation.

What Can We Do?

Four Basic Rules To Reduce Inflammation:

1.    Reduce stress-stress can also promote inflammation (the fight or flight response).

2.    Supplement your diet with natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidants such as rosemary, green tea, and fish oil.

3.    Use herbs to help you adapt to stress and also for foods that can trigger inflammation.

4.    Start The Anti-Inflammatory Diet -avoid or eliminate the foods from the avoid list and replace them with those from the allowed food list.

AVOID Foods:

red meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, cured meats, shell fish, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, all gluten grains (wheat, oats, spelt, rye, barley, processed soy, canned soups and vegetables (unless they are from a health food store), citrus (orange and grapefruits), coffee, alcohol, soda (especially diet), margarine, butter, refined oils, peanuts, peanut butter, all refined sugar and refined oils. (Trans fats are found mostly in processed foods)

Beneficial Foods:

Organic chicken, turkey, fish, legumes, soy and rice cheese and milk, non-gluten grains (millet, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, brown and white rice), unlimited fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, canned soups without preservatives and high sodium contents, grain coffee or tea, nut butters such as almond and sesame, good fats from olive oil, fish oil, flax seed oil

Turmeric Powerful Anti-Inflammatory

Remember, you do not have to give up the foods from the avoid list completely, you just have to reduce them. You are allowed to eat 10 items from the avoid list per week…its easy.

To Your Health

Professor Drew

Oriental Medicine & Nutrition