All these questions will be revealed as we delve deeper into this topic.
Inflammation occurs in the body from a negative reaction to a type of infection that has been inherited from a bacteria,irritation,injury whereby the bodies immune system is comprised. Over training,work related stress,poor sleep and ingesting low vibrational junk foods- ie chemical based foods (GMO'S) genetically modified organisms create vast amounts of inflammation within the body,and our immune system finds it extremely difficult to fight. This constant battle with inflammation will result in autoimmune diseases where the immune system has to much to deal with and becomes confused and starts attacking it's own healthy tissue. The GI tract starts to have serious issues digesting food,proper absorption becomes a difficult task,the condition IBS can form resulting in irritable bowel,gut issues. The immune system becomes incredibly weak, joint pain and arthritis can develop then quality of life drop dramatically.
Thankfully there are things we can do to combat this. Benefits to lowering inflammation are available if we are willing to put in the time and effort to change our habits. But first let's look at what benefits to lowering inflammation have on the body. Almost all known diseases today can be prevented if we create a healthier environment within our bodies. This will stop viruses bacteria nesting in our systems as it needs to have a breeding ground to live and develop in. Cancers strokes heart disease Alzheimer's disease arthritis asthma and IBS find it incredible difficult to live in a healthy environment where inflammation doesn't live and fester. I'm not a doctor nor am I suggesting that you are 100% bulletproof from disease but you will certainly have a better quality of live if you keep inflammation low.
It's also important to note that high inflammation levels causes the immune system to release a stress hormone named cortisol. Cortisol comes from the master sex hormone pregnenelone,when we don't have a good stress management structure in place. Ideally we want the pathway to go from pregnenelone to the our top control stress hormone DHEA. DHEA provides a much more of a balanced hormonal profile to thrive from,our androstenedione testosterone progesterone will be in much better shape and optimal ranges.
Progesterone is much needed in both sexes this is something very much overlooked especially in men as they can become fixed on testosterone. Cortisol is made from progesterone the more that's used to convert into cortisol the less progesterone is available. This will result in estrogen being produced. Estrogen is the culprit for gaining stubborn fat in unwanted areas of the body. This can then progress into high inflammation resulting in serious life threatening diseases ie prostate breast cancer.
The roll fat plays in inflammation is something to be aware of. The masses consume large amounts of omega 6 fatty acids which are prevalent in most of our food today. An excess amount of these types of fats can lead to high inflammation which increase the bodies levels of arachidonic acid which is pro inflammatory. Getting more omega 3 into our diet is a better option for healthy balance diet,as they are naturally anti inflammatory-(Alpha linolenic acid)which helps balance out our omega 6 ratio. A positive ratio between the two is 2-1 of omega 3 to 6. Most of the general population have increased inflammation circulating in their systems so this ratio would apply to most.
This is not to say omega 6 is the enermy as too much of one isn't a healthy situation to be in either. A balance of Omega 6 is vital to eat up any rouge cell tissues that could be detrimental to our bodies. To much Omega 3 can promote cancerous growth ie prostate enlargement so a adequate amount of breakdown is required to prevent these life threatening diseases from occurring.
In regards to trainees who are looking for increased muscle growth which helps with fat loss or if you are an athlete that's training with an intense program. The body will require a certain amount of arachidonic acid from omega 6 foods,to stimulate the production of anabolism. The arachidonic acid production is a building block for the key hormones that stimulate growth and are essential to burning unwanted fat for overall positive results. Those trainees that find it hard to put on muscle tissue maybe due to an increased amount of omega 3 within their diet and a lack of omega 6 which as stated above can ignite anabolism. So a switch in ratio to 4 to 1 omega 6 to omega 3 could be a good starting alternative for though's trainees whose goals are to pack on muscle tissue,and burn fat.
Healthy sources of omega 3 are chia seeds flaxseeds,walnuts. All these nuts can be found in oil form as well which are also great for salads. Udos oil is a good option which consists of omega 3,6,9.
Certain oily fish have good amounts of omega 3,6,9 salmon sardines as so does organic grass fed beef,organic eggs and chickens that are fed healthy diets. My issue with these food sources is that food comes as a whole package not just a single reductionist nutrient,so you may be getting your omega 3,6 & 9 but you're also having to ingest the chemicals that are pumped into the animals prior to you buying the food from the supermarket. These chemicals are sprayed to preserve foods shelf life but also blowup the size of the animal with a cosmetic dye added to make the grey meat look more appealing to the eye,as a redesh pink colour. Diseases,toxicwaste chemicals that fish ingest from our highly polutted filthy rivers,oceans along with different species hormones are all going into your body. Along with high levels of saturated fat which can lead to further health complications down the road. Is it a coincidence that the more chemicals we consume there's more cancer rates! I think not!!! And there's also the issue of sustainablility for the planet but that's another topic for another day.
Foods that are high in omega 6 are avocado,pumpkin,seeds,hempseeds cashew nuts. All animal fats have large amounts of AA arachidonic acid which bumps up our inflammation.
Sources of omega 9 which are encouraged in our diets are macadamia nut pistachios nuts almonds cashews olive oil. Consuming a good balance of omega 9 will help lower cholesterol improve heart health insulin resistance and protects immune system.
Let's look at fish oils for moment lots of hype around taking supplementary fish oils that are high in EPA and DHA to combat inflammation in the body. The anti inflammatory fatty acid ALA Alpha linolenic acid makes EPA & DHA but these two cannnot make ALA. ALA which is found in chiaseed flaxseed lowers the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein.
In studies fish oils haven't shown any indication of lowering C-reactive protein. The brain is made up of mostly DHA and fat so it makes sense to supplement with good sources of DHA as it has great properties. Good sources of DHA are chlorella spirillina also known as marine algae. This way your going straight to the source rather than lower down on the food chain, this is also much more beneficial for your health as these foods are grown in fresh clean waters.
Ok we had a look at DHA now let's see what EPA has to offer for reduction in inflammation. EPA has been shown to be affective at helping recover from joint and inflammation problems as does DHA. Although EPA goes about this process with a detrimental effect on our immune systems. Causing a suppression in immunity that can lead to other unnecessary complications. If an individual has a overactive immune system then a slight suppression maybe beneficial. Reducing inflammation should be tackled with proper strategies that have a overall positive effect on the bodies health ie adequate restoration through yoga, meditation,healthy food choices stress and inflammation lowering supplement like systemic enzymes magnesium oil, cety miristoleate.
With increasingly more suductive manipulative advertising for sugary junk foods,it's no wonder people have a hard time resisting the high inflammatory processed foods. But this high consumption of sugar is what's leading to high levels of inflammation and illness. Sugar ramps up high levels of insulin which if prolonged in your body can create vast amounts of inflammation resulting in clogging and restricting the arteries causing high blood pressure and heart disease.
Studies even show that refined sugar is as addictive as heroin and other class A drugs. In my opinion it's more to do with the microbial that live in your gut,you have more microbes than cells in your body which are living bacteria that send craving signals to your brain for a particular food that you've been feeding them. So it's not just your will power that keeps letting you down, its the microbial ecology that are living within you that are asking for the surgary foods to live on. So by changing your food habits you will eventually change you microbes that transformation can propel you into changing your life.
This brings us to a crucial area that is very much over looked when addressing our health the GI tract. The GI tract is gastrointestinal tract or Git. It our digestive system which is responsible for digesting all of the food/drink that we consume throughout the day. We absorb what's needed then expel what's not required by the body as stools. Good gut health is essential for a healthy functional immune system that produces a good gut bacteria,so our digestive enzyme can absorb nutrients from the food we consume and distribute them efficiently. Our stomach also requires a balanced amount of acid to breakdown protein sources we eat. Infections within the stomach can occur with poor food choices and inflammation, so having optimal acid in our stomach is vital for healthy GI tract. I find ginger also works well for GI tract and gut health issues, with the added benefit of combatting colds/flus. Glutamine intake is normally associated as a muscle repair/growth supplement taken after participating in weight training exercise,but it's actually been shown as a fantistic GI tract healer. Most people's issues start from their gut GI tract if stressed- it effects the gut resulting in poor absorption from food and not equiring sufficient nutrients from the food they eat thus leading to illness weak immunity and a comprised hormonal system.
Below is list to optimise a healthy gut flora.
Probiotics FOS so they proliferate
50 billion species.
Betaine Hydrochloric acid HCL
Digestive Enyzmes
Glutamine 99.9%
Raw Ginger.
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