Handling Inflammation
I am not a doctor. Just a woman who doesn't want to be in pain.
The first time I benefitted from an Ibuprofen was when I went skiing in Colorado in my early 20s.
My calves were burning and cramping. I could hardly go down the hill. I took 3 Ibuprofen and all pain vanished, my calves literally shrunk and I skied happily and pain free the rest of the day.
I understand the power of a quick anti-inflammatory and understand how we can become somewhat addicted to a daily Aleve. It brings that inflammation right on down and the body for a short while can feel great.
The problem is Ibuprofen has side effects that cause gut disturbance and I would rather work out how to bring inflammation down without it.
Additionally taking an anti-inflammatory may be handling the problem quickly but it does not address what is fueling that inflammation to begin with.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is a needed and important immune response. It can save your life. The area becomes inflamed in order to treat or clear damaged cells, kill viruses or bacteria and heal the body.
However there can be chronic inflammation resulting in random pains, swelling and a general feeling of un-wellness. When you become chronically inflamed your body is telling you something.
As you age the body can be more prone to inflammation and many doctors will say that chronic inflammation is a precursor to many diseases. So inflammation and how to lower it is important to understand.
However…
Is inflammation the new “bloated“?
Sometimes words in marketing go out of style. You can’t say “fat” or “overweight” anymore so you say. “bloated”. It’s like saying the same thing but with a different wrapping paper.
So when you start hearing anti-inflammatory diet or “I brought down inflammation” is that really just another word for a “lose weight diet or de-bloat trick”?
Well, it could be.
I have worked to create to “food freedom” within myself which mostly centers around the enjoyment of food and the use of food and nutritional practices to create longevity.
For me, my inflammation has nothing to do with weight gain and everything to do with waking up with a neck I couldn’t turn and a shoulder that was in pain. It has nothing to do with my cute lower belly pooch.
So on my social accounts and in this newsletter, inflammation is not a code word for weight gain. Although of course they can be related and for me it was last fall. More on that later…
The Cause
This most recent bout of inflammation was created by a 13 course meal with wine pairings followed by pastries for breakfast the next morning.
It was glorious. I have no shame.
But come Sunday morning I was in pain and knew I needed to quickly apply my tools to lower overall inflammation in the body.
The Fix
You have a few tools to fight inflammation naturally. How quickly they work depend on how chronic the inflammation is but for me the formula is:
Cut Sugar and things that turn into sugar. This also includes most fruits besides berries, grains, potatoes and rice.
Eat mostly protein, vegetables and good fats.
Don’t eat any processed foods or things with soybean or canola oil.
No cheese… hate that one.
No alcohol
Water
Probiotics
Taking advantage of where I am at on my menstrual cycle* and using 14-16 hour fasts to assist the body in flushing out damaged cells.
After my feast I happened to be on day 17 of my cycle. This is when the estrogen levels of the body are naturally lower. It is a lot easier and gentler to fast during that period and the fast also helps to restore the gut after the alcohol intake. It’s not like you are starving yourself when you “fast”. You just don’t eat from around 7pm to 10-11am.
After 4 days of doing the above I felt great and had no pain. I did not cut calories or restrict. I just changed what and when I ate to help support the body’s healing.
Anti-inflammatory lifestyle
There is a lot of additional information about low inflammation lifestyles and tools. I think a very inspirational woman who MUST eat a low inflammation diet because of allergies as well as serious health conditions is Jennifer Fischer. She has a ton of recipes and tips on how to eat out. However she is somewhat pro-alcohol and I personally feel alcohol feeds inflammation in my body.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver also has the Galveston Diet which concentrates on anti-inflammatory eating. I trust most things she says. Not all, but most.
Of course there are supplements that tout bringing down inflammation. Turmeric or curcumin. Certain adaptogens can help tremendously and fish oils.
There are other things that fuel inflammation such as nightshades, dairy, gluten, grains, sugars, things you’re allergic to, fast food, etc. etc. etc.
How extreme you go really depends on how chronic the condition is.
Chronic Inflammation
Last November 18th I was the heaviest I had been in some time and was just wrapping up a year long treatment for a car accident. I found no matter what I did I was just putting more weight on and I did not feel good.
So I decided to do a pretty drastic protocol for 8 weeks.
I cut all sugar and everything that turned into sugar quickly in the body for 8 weeks. Essentially zero flours, grains, carrots, potatoes, alcohol and most fruits.
I did regular fasts in coordination with my cycle (times during the month when my hormones were naturally lower) and some were 36 hour fasts.
I received acupuncture and she worked on my shoulder, liver and gall bladder. As I was laying there on the table my gall bladder actually started contracting and I felt bile crystals start to break up and the gall bladder started squirting bile. NOT KIDDING IT WAS INSANE.
I lost 15 pounds, completed the healing from the car accident and improved my liver and gall bladder function. After the 8 week stint I returned to my regular cyclic eating style and did not gain all the weight back and felt a lot better overall.
Balance
One may say, if you feel so fantastic eating a diet free of flour, sugar, alcohol, potatoes and certain fruit, why not just eat that way all the time.
Well, that is simple.
Food brings joy and I love to create wonderful experiences with people I love through food.
One thing I learned in Europe is to slow down and really chew my food and enjoy what I am experiencing.
This removed some of guilt I would feel after eating something that wasn’t necessarily “healthy”.
Also, cutting something forever will just lead to uncontrolled binges.
Eating the 13 course meal followed by pastries the next morning was a conscious and planned decision to enjoy time with my husband at dinner and with my friend the next day.
Utilizing my knowledge and tools to then get my body back to a place it felt great rather quickly allows me to have balance and stay healthy.
You need to find your own way with this and sort out what works for you.
Here are some great books that will teach you about fasting and lowering inflammation:
Intuitive Fasting (Don’t just start his 4 week plan. It is not tailored to the female body. Just use for ideas and education)
Lifestyle tools
Lymphatic self massage is a great way to get fluids moving and flushed out of the body. This is a great book that will teach you how.
Additionally, I started doing this face routine that really has created a noticeable difference in fluid build up in the upper body.
Dry brushing is also a great way to increase circulation and lymph flow.
Food Freedom and Health
I hope this newsletter is helpful to you in finding food freedom and using the information as a tool to help your body feel better.
Education around nutrition, how to utilize different foods and ways of eating has helped me feel in control of my pain, healing from injuries and lowering inflammation fast when the body shows signs of trouble.
The information here can apply to all ages but is especially helpful for women over 30. But I bet when I was skiing in Colorado in my 20s I could have avoided Ibuprofen by eating an anti-inflammatory diet leading up to the trip. ;)
L Jen
Leaky gut for sure!!
Incredible advice! 💗