Here are three things, what do they have in common?
1. My rolled ankle on my Peloton tread when I drug my feet
2. My son's broken arm
3. My dad's diabetes
Good luck with this one, I wrote this and I am still trying to figure it out--
And the answer is…
INFLAMMATION, huh?
Inflammation is the body’s response to damaged tissue, which isn’t all bad. There is the acute stage (rolled ankle) in which vascular changes lead to swelling and redness (sometimes) which the chemical irritants are neutralized and walled off from the surrounding tissue. The subacute phase (surgery recovery) which is the commencement of healing and repair. Even more neutralization of chemicals, new blood supply to the area and other tissues growth. Finally chronic inflammation (diabetes) where tissue remodeling takes place. This is where things get a little dicey.
See, the body is promoting healing in the acute and subacute phases. If it becomes chronic, there is not any more healing, it is just recreating, which is actually not a great thing. Many chronic disease are a product of chronic inflammation, I am sure you have heard of these (or are in fact being treated by a physician for them)—diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer…
Chronic inflammation can occur for a multitude of reasons, some of which are controllable, others which are not. One of the biggest controllable factors, though, is lifestyle, including smoking, obesity, alcohol, chronic stress and diet. Funny, how many people just roll their eyes when their doctor asks (again, for the umpteenth time) do you smoke, do you drink, can you lose some weight? No we aren’t just trying to ruin your day, we are trying to save your life.
One such way is to incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into your lifestyle. The Mediterranean Diet has many Anti-inflammatory foods. Maybe this is why it is always at the top of the list when comparing lifestyles and the best one to follow (no Keto is not the only lifestyle change that exists). There are natural supplements as well, such as curcumin—which is the main active ingredient in tumeric
So take home message today—anti-inflammatory lifestyle can significantly lower your risk of chronic inflammation and thus lower your risk of significant life altering, increased morbidity/mortality illnesses. What I am NOT saying…eat fish and you will cure your already diagnosed cancer. What I am saying…POSSIBLY by eating more fish you will decrease your risk for getting that cancer.
…until next time, #IrishDoc07