Nutritional and emotional inflammation

Inflammation in the body is not always a bad thing, but it’s only good when it's needed!

If we look at research there is a substantial body of evidence for the relationship between the foods we consume and our emotional wellbeing and a number of factors that actively contribute to inflammation within the body.

If you fall and bruise or twist your ankle or wrist it will more than likely become swollen. This is a good inflammation where the body responds to the presumed need to project, rebuild and fight against what it sees as harmful. At the other end of the spectrum are bad inflammation responses that linger persistently within the body. They go unnoticed for a long time until the later development of illness such as diabetes, heart disease, liver issues, weight gain, bowel disease or clinical depression for example reveal it. This list can go on, but what is clear is that you can take preventative measures to negate them.

Knowing whether we have inflammation is not easy unless medical tests are carried out. This is a deep area and beyond my understanding of chemistry and the scope of this piece. If you are interested, there is a wealth of information available out there.

What I can say is that long-term, low-level inflammation is shown to be related to what is known as oxidative stress. Simply put, it’s an imbalance where ‘free radicals’ (the bad guys) disturb the actions and behaviours of ‘antioxidants’ (the good guys), this results in the unwanted generation of pro-inflammation chemicals within the body. The evidence is also showing that this long-term low-level inflammation is created by both our food choices and personal emotional stress levels.

It’s a tough battle to fight in our modern world, however it’s one that we can and should do something about when looking at it as a long-tern investment to our health, physical and emotional, throughout the remainder of our lives.

Food and inflammation
Looking at research carried out shows the consistent theme that the influence of a diet which is high in refined carbohydrates and sugars, has low levels of soluble fibre, a poor fat content with low levels of mono-unsaturated fats together with an imbalance in the omega-3 to omega-5 ratios contributes to inflammation.

When this type of nutrition is seen in reverse the positive affects can be tested for and measured. Mediterranean and Japanese style diets have shown to create a more positive anti-inflammatory effect within the body. These diets use more natural, fresh foods sources, higher in vegetables and fruit, fish and seafood, with modest amounts of lean meat and dairy product, and most notably, an absence of refined foods and sugars.

Our objective is a move towards better nutrition by the use of fresh produce, foods that contain anti-inflammatory fighting quercetin. Things like red cabbage, red onion and red apples, along with berries, like cherries. Herbs and spices are also beneficiary, start by using turmeric, thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley that not only enhance flavour but also contain inflammation-fighting properties. 

Understanding fats is big benefit. For example, extra virgin olive oil is a healthy fat with an anti-inflammatory agent. Only use it cold on salads and avoid cooking with it, as doing so will change the molecular structure of the oil and will result in less benefits.

While on the subject of fats, omega-6 to omega-3, studies show we have evolved to function well with a balance of around between 1-to-1 and 4-to-1. The problem is that general nutrition found in western society has a ration more of between 15-to-1 and 17-to1.

This imbalance can be addressed in one of two ways, the first and most preferable is in diet, with the regularly introduction within our weekly diet of foods rich in these fats, fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and herring. If this is problematic, then supplementing our diet with capsules is the second choice.

Emotion and inflammation
We tend to eat more when we are stressed or feeling down, this eventually leads to weight gain and as a result inflammation within the body. Emotional eating becomes a habit and this perpetuate a cycle of increasing inflammatory problems combined with obesity related illnesses.

A combination of improvements in both our emotional wellbeing and nutrition that helps bring our body and its inflammation in line is what we should be aiming for. Looking at one and not the other may not stop this silent attack on out bodies.
 

Andy
CrossFit Ickenham
STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY