Systemic or chronic inflammation is the result of an immune system that’s out of control. We all know the signs of normal acute inflammation when we get a cold or bang a knee---we get a fever, pain, and swelling. These are normal expected responses from your immune system; your immune system sends white blood cells and hormone-like substances as part of the healing process. When you bang your thumb you’re able to seen the visible signs of inflammation. But even though you don’t see the invisible kind of inflammation in your cells and tissues it’s there affecting how you feel, increasing your risk and contributing to the misery of chronic diseases, like cancer, intestinal bloating, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
Chronic inflammation is reflective of an improperly functioning immune system. Cytokines are chemical messengers from the immune system. They tell other immune cells to activate, grow or even die, basically regulating the immune system responses and driving the inflammatory process.
Cytokines aid white blood cells in fighting infection
Highly elevated cytokine levels found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients are what contribute to their symptoms
Abnormal cytokine activity in rheumatoid arthritis leads to damaged joints
Cytokine disturbances seem to be involved in other autoimmune disorders
Excess cytokines involved in inflammation also bring on flu-like symptoms like fever, achiness, and fatigue
If a normal healthy person is administered cytokines they will exhibit temporary fibromyalgia symptoms!
Some cytokines increase substance P that works to transmit pain messages. Rheumatologist Dr. Daniel Wallace discovered that patients who’d been sick for over two years were more likely to have high cytokines levels and they’ve found altered cytokine production in early-stage fibromyalgia and increasing cytokines as the illness goes on
Sleep deprivation caused elevated cytokines levels, which is another reason to look at your abnormal sleep patterns
Dr. Nancy Klimas is the immunologist and CFS expert who told me about allergy shots and CFS. She says, "with regard to the immune system, we have a system that is hyperactive but not working properly." Dr. Klimas has seen unusually high amounts of cytokines in CFS patients that she feels may cause the hormonal imbalances of such persons.
Chronic inflammation starts in the digestive system. The GI tract is the largest immune organ in the body, containing 65% of immune tissue so in order to heal you have to start there.
I’ve talked to people who are very sick with CFS and FM who refuse to give up things like coffee and stop eating their terrible diets like eating only cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You have to not only eat to nourish your body but you have to eat to heal the cells in your body, starting with the GI tract.
Some of the early signs of an inflamed GI tract are intestinal bloating, recurrent bouts of diarrhea or constipation, gas and pain, and heartburn and acid reflux.
The modern diet really sucks, it’s got too much refined wheat, processed dairy, hideous sugars, and horrible toxic fats that mess up the ratio you need of fatty acids (omega 3, 6, and 9). Refined foods that cause inflammation typically contain vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut and soy. They’re high in omega 6 fatty acid that has a chiefly pro-inflammatory influence. These oils contain don’t have much omega 3s that soothe inflammation.
Our diet should have an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 1:1.
Most diets have a ratio is from 10:1 to 25:1….INFLAMMATION!!!!!
For most people like my person who eats cereal all day, a high-carb, low-protein diet is inflammatory. Low-carb diets typically reduce inflammation but listen to your own body. I know FOR SURE I will have heart burn if I eat a bowl of potato soup for example. And I know I will have a “hang-over” if I eat carbs before bed.
Refined sugar and all other foods that create quick energy (high glycemic index foods) also alert the immune system because high blood sugar triggers the release of insulin that activates enzymes that in turn raise levels of arachidonic acid in our blood. The arachidonic acid pathway constitutes one of the main mechanisms for the production of pain and inflammation.
Inflammation is painful folks!
Common allergens are proteins found in dairy and grains (casein and gluten) also fuel the inflammatory cycle. Foods high in trans fats cause inflammation in the arteries. Trans fats create free radicals that damage healthy cells and trigger inflammation.
So pay attention to your diet, and stop eating refined carbs, increase your intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids intake and be aware of your food sensitivities. Don’t forget your probiotics either!
Last year before I got tested for allergies I went on an elimination diet not eating wheat, corn, dairy, or peanuts for about six months. After I saw ZERO improvement in my symptoms I ended up seeing an allergist. It was a good try though!
Food sensitivities or food intolerances aren’t actual food allergies but they still contribute to illness. So it’s a good idea to go through an elimination period to see if any foods like wheat, yeast, milk, sugar, peanuts, corn, eggs, citrus, alcohol, and caffeine are affecting how you feel. This involves completely avoiding a food (including traces of it in other foods) for 7-10 days, and then notice symptoms when the food is reintroduced into the diet.
Foods that counter cytokine inflammation are coldwater fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, swordfish, shark, cod and halibut. These fish contain the omega-3 fatty acids you need. Eat flax seed, evening primrose oil, borage oil, fresh pineapple, fresh papaya, spinach, blueberries, strawberries and onions because they all have anti-inflammatory properties.
And then my person fav topic, environmental toxins! I’m so sensitive to irritants that even the unscented body bar I buy (Oil of Olay) caused me to have facial, eye, and sinus irritation. OIY VEY!
Environmental toxins include synthetic fibers, latex, glues, adhesives, plastics, air fresheners, cleaning products, personal care products, pesticides, pollution and heavy metals. This constant exposure to noxious chemicals and airborne irritants that we all have is causing continual damage to your immune system.
I’ll talk about garden variety stress and the relation of stress, cortisol and inflammation later. In the mean time knock off the eating of crap and junk food and start working on eating your whole food diet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Focus on eliminating sugar and refined foods while upping your intake of the calming Omega 3 foods. Get rid of environmental toxins as much as you can. Cool the fire inside and you’ll get the healing benefits outside and in.
PS...if you're like me you might think sardines (pictured above) are scary! But I had this for lunch and have to say it was divine. Stack a cracker with some Dijon mustard, a little red onion, some spinach leaves, and top with raw milk cheddar and sardines. Take bite, yum! Man is my GI tract happy.....
Systemic or chronic inflammation is the result of an immune system that’s out of control. We all know the signs of normal acute inflammation when we get a cold or bang a knee---we get a fever, pain, and swelling. These are normal expected responses from your immune system; your immune system sends white blood cells and hormone-like substances as part of the healing process. When you bang your thumb you’re able to seen the visible signs of inflammation. But even though you don’t see the invisible kind of inflammation in your cells and tissues it’s there affecting how you feel, increasing your risk and contributing to the misery of chronic diseases, like cancer, intestinal bloating, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
Chronic inflammation is reflective of an improperly functioning immune system. Cytokines are chemical messengers from the immune system. They tell other immune cells to activate, grow or even die, basically regulating the immune system responses and driving the inflammatory process.
- Cytokines aid white blood cells in fighting infection
- Highly elevated cytokine levels found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients are what contribute to their symptoms
- Abnormal cytokine activity in rheumatoid arthritis leads to damaged joints
- Cytokine disturbances seem to be involved in other autoimmune disorders
- Excess cytokines involved in inflammation also bring on flu-like symptoms like fever, achiness, and fatigue
- If a normal healthy person is administered cytokines they will exhibit temporary fibromyalgia symptoms!
- Some cytokines increase substance P that works to transmit pain messages. Rheumatologist Dr. Daniel Wallace discovered that patients who’d been sick for over two years were more likely to have high cytokines levels and they’ve found altered cytokine production in early-stage fibromyalgia and increasing cytokines as the illness goes on
- Sleep deprivation caused elevated cytokines levels, which is another reason to look at your abnormal sleep patterns
Dr. Nancy Klimas is the immunologist and CFS expert who told me about allergy shots and CFS. She says, "with regard to the immune system, we have a system that is hyperactive but not working properly." Dr. Klimas has seen unusually high amounts of cytokines in CFS patients that she feels may cause the hormonal imbalances of such persons.Chronic inflammation starts in the digestive system. The GI tract is the largest immune organ in the body, containing 65% of immune tissue so in order to heal you have to start there.
I’ve talked to people who are very sick with CFS and FM who refuse to give up things like coffee and stop eating their terrible diets like eating only cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You have to not only eat to nourish your body but you have to eat to heal the cells in your body, starting with the GI tract.
Some of the early signs of an inflamed GI tract are intestinal bloating, recurrent bouts of diarrhea or constipation, gas and pain, and heartburn and acid reflux.
The modern diet really sucks, it’s got too much refined wheat, processed dairy, hideous sugars, and horrible toxic fats that mess up the ratio you need of fatty acids (omega 3, 6, and 9). Refined foods that cause inflammation typically contain vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut and soy. They’re high in omega 6 fatty acid that has a chiefly pro-inflammatory influence. These oils contain don’t have much omega 3s that soothe inflammation.
Our diet should have an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 1:1.
Most diets have a ratio is from 10:1 to 25:1….INFLAMMATION!!!!!
For most people like my person who eats cereal all day, a high-carb, low-protein diet is inflammatory. Low-carb diets typically reduce inflammation but listen to your own body. I know FOR SURE I will have heart burn if I eat a bowl of potato soup for example. And I know I will have a “hang-over” if I eat carbs before bed.
Refined sugar and all other foods that create quick energy (high glycemic index foods) also alert the immune system because high blood sugar triggers the release of insulin that activates enzymes that in turn raise levels of arachidonic acid in our blood. The arachidonic acid pathway constitutes one of the main mechanisms for the production of pain and inflammation.
Inflammation is painful folks!
Common allergens are proteins found in dairy and grains (casein and gluten) also fuel the inflammatory cycle. Foods high in trans fats cause inflammation in the arteries. Trans fats create free radicals that damage healthy cells and trigger inflammation.
So pay attention to your diet, and stop eating refined carbs, increase your intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids intake and be aware of your food sensitivities. Don’t forget your probiotics either!
Last year before I got tested for allergies I went on an elimination diet not eating wheat, corn, dairy, or peanuts for about six months. After I saw ZERO improvement in my symptoms I ended up seeing an allergist. It was a good try though!
Food sensitivities or food intolerances aren’t actual food allergies but they still contribute to illness. So it’s a good idea to go through an elimination period to see if any foods like wheat, yeast, milk, sugar, peanuts, corn, eggs, citrus, alcohol, and caffeine are affecting how you feel. This involves completely avoiding a food (including traces of it in other foods) for 7-10 days, and then notice symptoms when the food is reintroduced into the diet.
Foods that counter cytokine inflammation are coldwater fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, swordfish, shark, cod and halibut. These fish contain the omega-3 fatty acids you need. Eat flax seed, evening primrose oil, borage oil, fresh pineapple, fresh papaya, spinach, blueberries, strawberries and onions because they all have anti-inflammatory properties.
And then my person fav topic, environmental toxins! I’m so sensitive to irritants that even the unscented body bar I buy (Oil of Olay) caused me to have facial, eye, and sinus irritation. OIY VEY!
Environmental toxins include synthetic fibers, latex, glues, adhesives, plastics, air fresheners, cleaning products, personal care products, pesticides, pollution and heavy metals. This constant exposure to noxious chemicals and airborne irritants that we all have is causing continual damage to your immune system.
I’ll talk about garden variety stress and the relation of stress, cortisol and inflammation later. In the mean time knock off the eating of crap and junk food and start working on eating your whole food diet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Focus on eliminating sugar and refined foods while upping your intake of the calming Omega 3 foods. Get rid of environmental toxins as much as you can. Cool the fire inside and you’ll get the healing benefits outside and in.
PS...if you're like me you might think sardines (pictured above) are scary! But I had this for lunch and have to say it was divine. Stack a cracker with some Dijon mustard, a little red onion, some spinach leaves, and top with raw milk cheddar and sardines. Take bite, yum! Man is my GI tract happy.....