Have you noticed that when your gut is playing up, you are more likely to get aches and pains. Find out what chronic inflammation is, how it might be affecting you and what you can do about it.
Chronic inflammation could be holding you back. Chronic inflammation can last months, years, or even a lifetime.When you think of inflammation you might think of a red and swollen joint or an infection site. But the image of that inflammation doesn’t go away. It just doesn’t seem to have an off switch. You can’t see the inflammation from the outside but your body is constantly producing an immune response and if this is left untreated, causes more and more problems.
Think of inflammation like a fire alarm. In acute inflammation, the fire alarm goes off. It doesn’t feel good to listen to the alarm but it turns off quickly when the redness and inflammation (fire) have been extinguished. In chronic inflammation, the alarm doesn’t stop going off. It is like a little fire keeps popping up and never goes out. The alarm keeps sounding. You have to get on with your day but it isn’t as easy anymore because there is always this alarm in the background. You can help manage the fire and the alarm gets quieter but if you ignore them, the alarm gets louder and louder and it makes it hard to function.
Chronic inflammation can last months, years, or even a lifetime. It is not until you know what is going on in your body that you can start treating it to reduce your long-term risks and make each day that little bit easier.
How do you know you have Chronic Inflammation?
I believe that just about everyone has some level of chronic inflammation at one stage or another in their life.
How do you know if you have chronic inflammation? If you can tick any of these it is likely that you have some level of chronic inflammation:-
Have an autoimmune disorder (includes things like rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, MS, diabetes, insulin resistance)
Chronic pain
Untreated or unmanaged injuries or illness
High intake of sugar, fat, or processed food
Regular exposure chemicals
Increase in belly fat
Chronic stress from work, study or family or even isolation or loss.
How Chronic Inflammation might show up in you, and how it shows up for me!
If you suffering from chronic inflammation it is likely that you can notice things like pain in your muscles or joints, chronic fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, mood swings, gastrointestinal problems like constipation or diarrhoea, or even reflux. You might be gaining or losing weight or just retaining a lot of fluid (swollen fingers) and feeling bloated. You might be constantly getting sick or feeling run down or having constant flair-ups.
I have lived with chronic inflammatory conditions for the best part of two decades. When I have inflamed my body aches, my fingers swell up, and I get dry eyes. I get really tired and want to comfort myself with treat food like chocolate (which I know isn’t helpful, but as I tell my clients, no one can have a perfect diet 100% of the time). My patients and willpower dropped. I don’t want to interact socially and I let the kids get away with way too much. When I do go for a blood test it is common that my iron is low. I have trouble keeping my iron level in the normal range because I have suffered from bowel issues that stop the iron from absorbing.
I try and manage my inflammation as much as I can because it makes me feel better within myself now. I want to get better, I want to move more and I want to spend quality time with my family.
I know what I am doing is having a positive impact. It can’t cure my inflammation but it can help me reduce my risks of long-term complications of high inflammation.
Long-term chronic inflammation has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and other autoimmune conditions. Inflammation-mediated tissue injury can be observed in many organs including the heart, pancreas, liver, lung, intestinal tract, and reproductive system. If I do go on to develop one or more of these problems I know I have done what I can. Yes, it can be hard and if I don’t work on it daily, it might be even harder later.
Now you might be wondering what you can do about your inflammation.
Basically, increase your anti-inflammatory foods and reduce your inflammatory foods.
Make sure you eat fruit and vegetables every day
Aim for a least 2 and 5
Don’t overdo the alcohol or reduce it as much as possible
Avoid processed food when possible
Limit red meat to 1-2 times per week
Take some time to manage stress
Find an activity that works for you. Consider seeing an Exercise Physiologist so you can be confident that the movement they are doing isn’t going to make things worse.
Your Key Takeaway
Remember chronic inflammation is something that you might have to live with but small changes can not only reduce your risk of serious develop health conditions in the future, but they might improve your overall well-being now by improving your energy, patience, desire for social activity, motivation, willpower, and mental clarity.
What’s your next step in taking control of your inflammation
If your body is inflamed I like to start with simple things you can do with your diet to reduce the inflammation. Everything we eat and drink either has a neutral effect, an inflammatory effect (processed, high sugar, and high-fat foods and alcohol), or an anti-inflammatory effect (fruit and vegetables). Start by choosing more anti-inflammatory food and drinks than inflammatory ones.
If you want to know step into more energy, more clarity, less aches and pain and gut issues, then now is the time to get in touch. Book a 15 min chat here to learn more about my signature Nourish 360 program, you can do this here.
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