WHAT BALANCE LOOKS LIKE
IF YOU REACH YOUR GOAL OF GETTING ALL OF THE INFLAMMATION FACTORS, you can control in check – exercising regularly, eating healthy and anti-inflammatory foods and reducing your stress levels – you can expect to see a noticeable difference in nearly every aspect of your health. Your physical, mental and even intellectual wellness will all benefit from the good lifestyle choices you’ve made.
If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, you should see specific symptoms, such as fatigue and gastrointestinal distress, improve with reduced inflammation. The inflammatory markers in your blood may decrease, and you may experience a positive change in your blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Even your energy and mood will likely be affected by the lifestyle changes you have made, allowing for better focus and better mental acuity.
Because there’s a proven correlation between high levels of inflammation and poor sleep, controlling your risk factors can even help improve your rest – and getting the recommended amount of quality sleep is associated with a host of other health improvements. Lowering inflammation levels also decreases your risk for other diseases and conditions including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and cancer.
On the diet and exercise front, it’s nearly impossible to be 100% perfect with your food intake or your exercise regimen – you can’t be expected to put yourself through grueling workouts 365 days a year. When it comes to exercise, researchers have found that even just 20 minutes of daily moderate exercise, such as a fast walk can produce an anti-inflammatory response at the cellular level. “Each time we exercise, we are truly doing something good for our body on many levels, including at the immune cell level. according to Dr. Suzi Hong of the UC San Diego School of Medicine, the senior author of a paper published in Brain,, Behavior and Immunity.
You don’t have to be perfect, but by better managing the dietary and environmental stressors in your life and getting appropriate amounts of exercise and sleep, the quality of almost every facet of your life will steadily and measurably improve – possibly dramatically. What are you waiting for???
FOUR SIGNS OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION:
• WAISTLINE CREEP.
Grab a tape measure: Even if your weight is within a healthy range, carrying too much belly fat is strongly correlated with inflammation and chronic disease. Ideally a man’s waist should be 40" or less and women should aim for 35" or less, according to Dr. Roy Buchinsky, then an internist at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
• GUM DISEASE.
Gum disease affects more than just your mouth – it’s a risk factor for heart disease, among other conditions. Gum disease can also worsen health problems with inflammatory components, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• SLEEP ISSUES.
People who regularly skip out on sleep, getting six hours or less per night, tend to have higher inflammatory markers. Shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep if you’re under 65; 7-8 hours will likely suffice if you’re 65 or over.
• SUGAR INTAKE.
If your regular diet contains a large amount of added sugar, including sugary beverages like soda, you could have elevated levels of inflammatory markers – time to lay off the sweets.
The best way to know your inflammation status for sure is to get tested – even healthy people can have hidden risks. Your doctor can conduct inflammation testing, which includes blood and urine analyses, to determine where you stand.